Server system, game device, control method, program, and information storage medium

• US 8,905,848 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: Umaki, Takashi, Watanabe, Yoshitaka, Ooba, Yukio, Hashimoto, Shigeo, Hiraoka, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US12/780,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/26, 463/24, 463/29, 463/42, 463/43
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

A server system that is communicably connected to a game device that is installed in a game operating entity includes a game data storage section, a read section that reads user data about a player, a transmission section that transmits the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, a reception section that receives game result data from the game device after the player has finished playing the game, a write section that writes the game result data into the game data storage section, and a charging section that performs a charging process that charges the game operating entity for at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading the user data and transmitting the user data to the game device, and the save process receiving the game result data from the game device and writing the game result data into the game data storage section.

Claims

1. A server system that is communicably connected to a game device that is installed in a game operating entity, the server system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor that is configured to;

perform at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading from the server system user data about a player who plays a game using the game device installed in the game operating entity and transmitting the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

perform a charging process that charges the game operating entity for at least one of the reading from the server system during the load process and the writing to the server system during the save process, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

2. The server system as defined in claim 1,

the user data including at least one of:

past game result information about the player, past game result information about a team of the player, game play history information about the player, growth information, experience value information, and equipment information.

3. The server system as defined in claim 1,

the game result data including at least one of:

game result information about current game play of the player, game result information about current game play of a team of the player, game play history information about the current game play of the player, growth information updated by the current game play, and experience value information updated by the current game play.

4. The server system as defined in claim 1, wherein

performing the charging process comprises performing the charging process for the save process without performing the charging process for the load process.

5. The server system as defined in claim 4, wherein

the processor is further configured to perform a game process using user data stored in a player'"'"'s storage device when the game device has failed to receive the user data transmitted from the server system;

and

performing the charging process for the save process that receives game result data obtained by the game process and writes the game result data to the server system.

6. The server system as defined in claim 1,

the processor further configured to perform the charging process on condition that the difference between an execution time of the load process and an execution time of the save process is within a given time.

7. The server system as defined in claim 6,

the processor further configured to perform the charging process when the execution time of the save process has been acquired, even if the execution time of the load process has not been acquired.

8. The server system as defined in claim 1, the processor further configured to:

transmit the user data and charging session identification information that is linked to the user data to the game device during the load process;

receive the game result data and the charging session identification information that is linked to the game result data from the game device during the save process; and

performing the charging process using the received charging session identification information.

13. The server system as defined in claim 1,

the charging process generating total charging data as charging data for charging the game operating entity, the total charging data including identification information about the game operating entity and charging count information about at least one of the load process and the save process.

14. The server system as defined in claim 1,

the processor further configured to perform the charging process so that the game operating entity is charged a higher fee as an execution count of at least one of the load process and the save process increases.

15. The server system as defined in claim 14,

the charging process including a charging rate change process that variably changes a charging rate based on the execution count.

16. The server system as defined in claim 15,

the charging process specifying a time zone in which the player played the game using the game device, and changing the charging rate change process changing the charging rate based on the specified time zone.

17. The server system as defined in claim 15,

the charging process acquiring sales result information about the game operating entity based on information received by the server system and the charging rate change process changing the charging rate based on the acquired sales result information.

18. The server system as defined in claim 15,

the game device performing a game process based on data stored in a player'"'"'s storage device;

and

the charging process further acquiring sales information about the player'"'"'s storage device in the game operating entity based on information received by the server system and the charging rate change process changing the charging rate based on the acquired sales information.

19. The server system as defined in claim 1,

the load process further transmitting replay data or play history data to the game device or a relay device that is installed in the game operating entity;

and

the processor further configured to perform the charging process for the load process that transmits the replay data or the play history data to the game device or the relay device.

20. The server system as defined in claim 19,

the load process further transmitting unloaded replay data or unloaded play history data other than the replay data or the play history data that has been loaded into the game device or the relay device to the game device or the relay device;

and

the processor further configured to perform the charging process for the load process that transmits the unloaded replay data or the unloaded play history data to the game device or the relay device.

21. The server system as defined in claim 1,

the load process further transmitting ranking data or advertisement information about the game operating entity to the game device or a relay device that is installed in the game operating entity;

and

the processor further configured to perform the charging process for the load process that transmits the ranking data or the advertisement information to the game device or the relay device.

9. A server system that is communicably connected to a game device that is installed in a game operating entity, the server system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor that is configured to;

perform a load process and a save process, the load process reading user data from the server system about a player who plays a game using the game device installed in the game operating entity and transmitting the user data and charging session identification information that is linked to the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving the charging session identification information and game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

perform a charging process that charges the game operating entity using the received charging session identification information, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

10. The server system as defined in claim 9, wherein:

the game device transmits temporary charging session identification information that is linked to the game result data to the server system during the save process when the game device has failed to receive the charging session identification information transmitted from the server system;

the charging process generating new charging session identification information indicating that charging started and ended at the same time when the server system receives the temporary charging session identification information; and

performing the charging process based on the generated new charging session identification information.

11. The server system as defined in claim 9,

the charging process generating charging session data as charging data for charging the game operating entity, the charging session data including the charging session identification information and charging information that is linked to the charging session identification information.

12. The server system as defined in claim 11,

the charging process generating the charging session data so that the charging information includes at least one of:

an execution time of the load process and an execution time of the save process.

22. A game device that is communicably connected to a server system, the game device comprising:

a memory and at least one processor, the processor configured to;

receive user data from the server system;

perform a game process using the received user data;

transmit game result data obtained by the game process to the server system; and

interface between the game device and a player'"'"'s storage device; and

the server system comprising;

a memory and at least one processor that is configured to;

perform at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading from the server system the user data about a player who plays a game using the game device installed in the game operating entity and transmitting the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving the game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

perform a charging process that charges the game operating entity for at least one of the reading from the server system during the load process and the writing to the server system during the save process, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

23. The game device as defined in claim 22,

the game process using user data stored in the player'"'"'s storage device when the game device has failed to receive the user data transmitted from the server system.

24. The game device as defined in claim 22,

the processor of the game device further configured to stack the game result data when the game device has failed to transmit the game result data to the server system, and transmitting the stacked game result data to the server system via background communication when the game device has failed to transmit the game result data to the server system.

25. The game device as defined in claim 22,

the processor further configured to restrict removal of the player'"'"'s storage device until the game result data is completely written to the player'"'"'s storage device after the player has finished playing the game.

26. A control method that is implemented by a server system that is communicably connected to a game device that is installed in a game operating entity, the method comprising:

performing at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading user data about a player who plays a game using the game device installed in the game operating entity from the server system and transmitting the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

performing a charging process that charges the game operating entity for at least one of the reading from the server system during the load process and the writing to the server system during the save process, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

27. A control method that is implemented by a server system that is communicably connected to a game device that is installed in a game operating entity, the method comprising:

performing at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading user data about a player who plays a game using the game device installed in the game operating entity from the server system and transmitting the user data and charging session identification information that is linked to the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving the charging session identification information and game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

performing a charging process that charges the game operating entity using the received charging session identification information, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

28. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program, the program causing a computer to:

perform at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading user data about a player who plays a game using a game device installed in a game operating entity from a server system and transmitting the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

perform a charging process that charges the game operating entity for at least one of the reading from the server system during the load process and the writing to the server system during the save process, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

29. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program, the program causing a computer to:

perform at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading user data about a player who plays a game using a game device installed in a game operating entity from a server system and transmitting the user data and charging session identification information that is linked to the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving the charging session identification information and game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

perform a charging process that charges the game operating entity using the received charging session identification information, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing a program that when executed by at least one processor performs the following processes:

at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading user data about a player who plays a game using a game device installed in a game operating entity from a server system and transmitting the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

a charging process that charges the game operating entity for at least one of the reading from the server system during the load process and the writing to the server system during the save process, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing a program that when executed by at least one processor performs the following processes:

at least one of a load process and a save process, the load process reading user data about a player who plays a game using a game device installed in a game operating entity from a server system and transmitting the user data and charging session identification information that is linked to the user data to the game device before the player starts playing the game, the save process receiving the charging session identification information and game result data about the player obtained by the game device from the game device after the player has finished playing the game and writing the received game result data to the server system; and

a charging process that charges the game operating entity using the received charging session identification information, wherein;

the user data comprises at least one of;

a team ID, a team name, a grade ID, an experience value, a team emblem ID, a title ID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a mobile member determination flag, and team points; and

the game result data comprises at least one of;

a game device ID, a game operating entity ID, a team ID, a character DBID, a player-versus-player win count, a player-versus-player loss count, a player-versus-ghost win count, a player-versus-ghost loss count, a player-versus-CPU win count, a player-versus-CPU loss count, a grade ID, an experience value, a play time, user points, team points, a player-versus-CPU clear time.