Game control program, game device and game control method, management server, and data managing method

• US 8,529,344 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ueda, Fumito
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US13/559,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/31, 463/33, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game

Abstract

A designer terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is a game device operated by a designer. The designer terminal includes a stage setting unit that generates design data on a virtual space, in which players play games, according to instructions from the designer, a stage distributing unit that distributes the generated design data to an external unit, a game action data acquiring unit that acquires game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space at player terminals that have acquired the design data, and a game action reproducing unit that displays, on the screen of the designer, the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, based on the acquired game data.

Claims

1. A game control program embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a design data acquiring module configured to acquire design data from a plurality of external terminals of a plurality of users, respectively, that has been designated among the plurality of users and selected from a plurality of items of design data presented as related to a virtual space of a game in which the plurality of users play;

a play execution module configured to cause the virtual space in which users play, to be displayed, and to cause, when the design data is acquired by the design data acquisition module, the virtual space to be displayed in a mode determined by the design data;

a play data recording module configured to record play data indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the virtual space as displayed by the play execution module; and

a play data provision module configured to allow a target external terminal among the plurality of external terminals to acquire target play data, the target external terminal being identified as a source of respective design data of a user'"'"'s performance indicated in the target play data, wherein the target external terminal is determined by externally providing the target play data along with identification information identifying the respective design data for the virtual space subject to the target play data.

2. A game device comprising:

a design data acquisition unit configured to acquire design data from a plurality of external terminals of a plurality of users, respectively, that has been designated among the plurality of users and selected from a plurality of items of design data presented as related to a virtual space of a game in which the plurality of users play;

a play execution unit configured to cause the virtual space in which users play to be displayed, and to cause, when the design data is acquired by the design data acquisition unit, the virtual space to be displayed in a mode determined by the design data;

a play data recording unit configured to record play data indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the virtual space as displayed by the play execution unit; and

a play data provision unit configured to allow a target external terminal among the plurality of external terminals to acquire target play data, the target external terminal being identified as a source of respective design data of a user'"'"'s performance indicated in the target play data, wherein the target external terminal is determined by externally providing the target play data along with identification information identifying the respective design data for the virtual space subject to the target play data.

3. A game control program embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a design module configured to generate design data related to a virtual space from a plurality of external terminals of a plurality of users related to a virtual space of a game in which the plurality of users play, according to an instruction from a user;

a design data provision module configured to cause an external terminal of a user acquiring the design data to also acquire identification information identifying respective design data for the virtual space, by providing the design data to the plurality of external terminals along with the identification information;

wherein the terminal of a user that has acquired the design data provides play data, indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the virtual space according to the design data, to a target external terminal among the plurality of external terminals that is identified as a source of respective design data of a user'"'"'s performance indicated in the play data,

the game control program further comprising;

a play data acquisition module configured to acquire, from an external device, play data indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the virtual space according to the design data, by transmitting a request for providing the play data to the external device, designating the identification identifying the design data; and

a play reproduction module configured to reproduce the representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the target external terminal being identified as the source of respective design data of a user'"'"'s performance indicated in the play data.

4. The game control program according to claim 3,

wherein the terminal of a user that has acquired the design data sequentially provides play data indicating current content of a user'"'"'s performance to an external device, while the user is playing the game in the virtual space,

wherein the play data acquisition module sequentially acquires the play data indicating the current content of from an external device, and

wherein the play reproduction module sequentially reproduces a representation of the current content of the user'"'"'s performance in the terminal of the user that has acquired the design data by referring to the sequentially acquired play data.

5. A game device comprising:

a design unit configured to generate design data related to a virtual space, from a plurality of external terminals of a plurality of users related to a virtual space of a game in which the plurality of users play, according to an instruction from a user; and

a design data provision unit configured to cause an external terminal of a user acquiring the design data to also acquire identification information identifying the respective design data for the virtual space by providing the design data to the plurality of external terminals along with the identification information;

wherein the terminal of a user that has acquired the design data provides play data, indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performancein in the virtual space according to the design data, to a target external terminal among the plurality of external terminals that is identified as a source of respective design data of a user'"'"'s performance indicated in the play data,

the game device further comprising;

a play data acquisition unit configured to acquire, from an external device, play data indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the virtual space according to the design data, by transmitting a request for providing the play data to the external device, designating the identification identifying the design data; and

a play reproduction unit configured to reproduce the representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the target external terminal being identified as the source of respective design data by referring to the acquired play data.

6. A game system comprising:

a plurality of external terminals of a plurality of users, respectively who play a game in a virtual space,

wherein one or more terminals among the plurality of external terminals may be indicated as design terminals, each of the design terminals comprising;

a design unit configured to generate design data related to a virtual space of a game in which the plurality of users play, according to an instruction from a design terminal; and

a design data provision unit configured to provide design data to an external terminal along with identification information identifying respective design data for the virtual space,

wherein the external terminal comprises;

a design data acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the one or more design terminals, design data designated and selected by a design terminal from a plurality of items of design data generated, along with the identification information identifying a source design terminal of the respective design data for the virtual space;

a play execution unit configured to cause the virtual space, in which users play a game, to be displayed, and to cause the virtual space to be displayed in a mode determined by the respective design data when the respective design data is acquired by the design data acquisition unit;

a play data recording unit configured to record play data indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the virtual space displayed by the play execution unit; and

a play data provision unit configured to provide said play data to an external terminal along with the respective identification information identifying a target design terminal identified as a source of the respective design data of a user'"'"'s performance indicated in the play data

wherein each of the design terminals further comprises;

a play data acquisition unit configured to acquire, from an external device, play data indicating a representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the virtual space according to the design data generated by the terminal locally, by transmitting a request for providing the play data to the external device, designating the identification identifying the design data; and

a play reproduction unit configured to reproduce the representation of a user'"'"'s performance in the target design terminal being identified as the source of respective design data by referring to the acquired play data.

7. The game system according to claim 6,

wherein an external terminal to which the design data was provided acquires address data for a design terminal providing the respective design data,

wherein the design data acquisition unit of the external terminal acquires the design data designated according to the address data, directly from the design terminal providing the respective design data, and

wherein the play data provision unit of the external terminal directly provides the play data to the target design terminal providing the respective design data, according to the address data.