Game system for changing a difficulty level of a game

• US 9,649,568 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Wada, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US13/483,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1, 463 25, 463 42, 463 27
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• 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 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a high-preference game system that can reduce a game development burden of a game system operator, can increase the desire of a player to iteratively play a game, and enables a player to play a game without aversion.

When a player requests a game open in a dungeon, 5 points among the points retained by the player is consumed, and 3 points are temporarily pooled in the dungeon. When the player succeeds in satisfying a clear condition of the dungeon, a total of 13 temporarily-pooled and not pooled points is added to a retention point of the player. Also, when the player fails to satisfy the clear condition of the dungeon, the temporarily pooled points are pooled in the dungeon.

Claims

1. A server apparatus that is connectable to a plurality of client apparatuses by network communication, the server apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores a game program for progressing a game, the game program for progressing the game not being stored in the plurality of client apparatuses;

a game progress controller that controls a progress of the game according to the game program when receiving a game open request from one of the plurality of client apparatuses, the plurality of client apparatuses being operated by players, the game open request being received from the one of the plurality of client apparatuses via a network, the game configured to be executed by the plurality of client apparatuses in a same time period; and

an interface for transmitting data of the progress of the game from the server to the one of the plurality of client apparatuses via the network when the game open request is received from the one of the plurality of client apparatuses,

wherein the game progress controller controls the progress of the game by changing a difficulty level of the game for all of the plurality of client apparatuses according to a number of times of playing the game or an accumulated play time of the game by the players operating the plurality of client apparatuses,

as the number of times of playing the game increases or the accumulated play time of the game increases, the difficulty level of the game becomes higher,

when plural client apparatuses from among the plurality of client apparatuses execute the game in the same time period, the game is separately progressed by the server apparatus for each of the plural client apparatuses, and

when a first client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses causes the difficulty level of the game to become higher, the difficulty level of the game for a second client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses which executes the game during the same time period as the first client apparatus does not change in real time.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an amenity storage that stores an amenity that is given to one of the players which progresses the game;

a condition determiner that determines whether the game progressed by the game progress controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

an amenity reserver that reserves an accumulated amenity by adding the amenity stored in the amenity storage, when the condition determiner determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied; and

an amenity adder that gives an award amenity stored in the amenity storage to the one of the players, when the condition determiner determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an amenity storage that stores an amenity that is given to one of the players which progresses the game;

a condition determiner that determines whether the game progressed by the game progress controller satisfies a predetermined condition; and

an amenity adder that gives an award amenity stored in the amenity storage to the one of the players, when the condition determiner determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied,

wherein the amenity adder increases the award amenity that is given to the one of the players, as the number of times of playing the game increases.

4. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a retention point storage that stores retained points accumulated by the players operating the plurality of client apparatuses;

wherein the game open request consumes a predetermined number of the retained points accumulated by a corresponding one of the players and stored in the retention point storage.

5. The server apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a temporary point storage that stores consumed points consumed by the players during the progress of the game,

wherein at least a portion of the predetermined number of the retained points are transferred from the retention point storage to the temporary point storage when the game progress controller receives the game open request, and

the consumed points are transferred from the temporary point storage to the retention point storage in response to a predetermined condition being satisfied by the players during the progress of the game.

6. The server apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a pool point storage that stores pooled points of a plurality of characters, the pooled points accumulating when any of the plurality of characters fails to satisfy the predetermined condition during the progress of the game,

wherein the pooled points are transferred from the pool point storage to the retention point storage in response to the predetermined condition being satisfied by the players during the progress of the game, and

the consumed points are transferred from the temporary point storage to the pool point storage when the players fail to satisfy the predetermined condition during the progress of the game.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

an item associated with the predetermined condition in the game is configured to be purchased by the players with the retained points accumulated by the players.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

a total number of the pooled points stored in the pool point storage is available to only the players owning the item associated with the predetermined condition.

9. The server apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

a portion of the pooled points stored in the pool point storage are transferred to the retention point storage in response to each of the players owning the item associated with the predetermined condition.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

an ownership period of the item associated with the predetermined condition is variable, and

a purchase price of the item increases in accordance with the ownership period.

11. The server apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

a portion of the predetermined number of the retained points is lost when being transferred from the retention point storage to the temporary point storage when the game progress controller receives the game open request.

12. The server apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a currency converter that converts the retained points accumulated by the players operating the plurality of client apparatuses into money in the real world.

13. The server apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

wherein progressing the game by the plurality of client apparatuses consumes additional points of the retained points accumulated by the players and stored in the retention point storage, and

at least a portion of the additional points is transferred from the retention point storage to the temporary point storage during the progress of the game.

14. The server apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the predetermined number of the retained points consumed by the game open request increases in accordance with the difficulty level of the game.

15. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the game progress controller changes the difficulty level of the game by varying a depth of a map of the game.

16. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the game progress controller changes the difficulty level of the game further according to a lapse of time.

17. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory that stores the difficulty level of the game;

a clock that measures time;

wherein the difficulty level of the game increases whenever any of the plurality of client apparatuses closes the game,

the difficulty level of the game further increases during the progress of the game in accordance with the accumulated play time of the game, and

the game progress controller changes the difficulty level of the game in accordance with the difficulty level stored in the memory every predetermined period of time measured by the clock, and does not change the difficulty level of the game in real time.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program for causing a client apparatus which is connectable to a server apparatus by network communication to function as:

a communication interface that transmits a game open request to the server apparatus via a network;

wherein the server apparatus comprises;

a memory that stores a game program for progressing a game, the game program for progressing the game not being stored in the client apparatus;

a game progress controller that controls a progress of the game according to the game program when receiving the game open request from the client apparatus, the game configured to be executed by a plurality of client apparatuses in a same time period, the plurality of client apparatuses being operated by players; and

an interface for transmitting data of the progress of the game from the server to the client apparatus via the network when the game open request is received from the client apparatus,

the game progress controller controls the progress of the game by changing a difficulty level of the game for all of the plurality of client apparatuses according to a number of times of playing the game or an accumulated play time of the game by the players operating the plurality of client apparatuses,

as the number of times of playing the game increases or the accumulated play time of the game increases, the difficulty level of the game becomes higher,

when plural client apparatuses from among the plurality of client apparatuses execute the game in the same time period, the game is separately progressed by the server apparatus for each of the plural client apparatuses, and

when a first client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses causes the difficulty level of the game to become higher, the difficulty level of the game for a second client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses which executes the game during the same time period as the first client apparatus does not change in real time.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program for causing a server apparatus which is connectable to a plurality of client apparatuses by network communication, to function as:

a memory that stores a game program for progressing a game, the game program for progressing the game not being stored in the plurality of client apparatuses;

a game progress controller that controls a progress of the game according to the game program when receiving a game open request from one of the plurality of client apparatuses via a network, the plurality of client apparatuses being operated by players, the game configured to be executed by the plurality of client apparatuses in a same time period; and

an interface for transmitting data of the progress of the game from the server to the one of the plurality of client apparatuses via the network when the game open request is received from the one of the plurality of client apparatuses,

wherein the game progress controller controls the progress of the game by changing a difficulty level of the game for all of the plurality of client apparatuses according to a number of times of playing the game or an accumulated play time of the game by the players operating the plurality of client apparatuses,

as the number of times of playing the game increases or the accumulated play time of the game increases, the difficulty level of the game becomes higher,

when plural client apparatuses from among the plurality of client apparatuses execute the game in the same time period, the game is separately progressed by the server apparatus for each of the plural client apparatuses, and

when a first client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses causes the difficulty level of the game to become higher, the difficulty level of the game for a second client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses which executes the game during the same time period as the first client apparatus does not change in real time.

20. A game system that is connectable between a plurality of client apparatuses and a server apparatus by network communication, the game system comprising:

a memory that stores a game program for progressing a game, the game program for progressing the game not being stored in the plurality of client apparatuses;

a game progress controller that controls a progress of the game according to the game program, the game configured to be executed by the plurality of client apparatuses in a same time period, the plurality of client apparatuses being operated by players; and

an interface for transmitting data of the progress of the game from the server to the one of the plurality of client apparatuses via a network when the game open request is received from the one of the plurality of client apparatuses,

wherein each of the plurality of client apparatuses comprises a communication interface that transmits a game open request to the server apparatus via the network when receiving a game open request from a corresponding one of the players,

the game progress controller controls the progress of the game in each of the plurality of client apparatuses when the server apparatus receives the game open request, by changing a difficulty level of the game for all of the plurality of client apparatuses according to a number of times of playing the game or an accumulated play time of the game by the players operating the plurality of client apparatuses,

as the number of times of playing the game increases or the accumulated play time of the game increases, the difficulty level of the game becomes higher,

when plural client apparatuses from among the plurality of client apparatuses execute the game in the same time period, the game is separately progressed by the server apparatus for each of the plural client apparatuses, and

when a first client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses causes the difficulty level of the game to become higher, the difficulty level of the game for a second client apparatus of the plural client apparatuses which executes the game during the same time period as the first client apparatus does not change in real time.