Systems and methods for setting priority for a notification list in a gaming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9283486-B2
Application number	US-201314070846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2013
Priority date	Nov 6, 2012
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

There is presented a means of making a player more likely to receive a notification notifying the occurrence of a game event. The server device includes: a storage unit; an acceptance processing unit that accepts from a corresponding player terminal a priority display request for displaying a player on a priority basis in a notification candidate list; an update processing unit that performs, when the priority display request is accepted, an update by subtracting data on a consideration charged for the priority display request from data on player information about the player requesting for priority display; a probability setting unit that sets a probability of the player requesting for priority display being selected as a player displayed in the notification candidate list higher than probabilities of other players not requesting for priority display being selected; and a list creating unit that creates the notification candidate list.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server device connected to a plurality of player terminals through a network and controlling a game that causes an event where a plurality of players can participate to occur, the server device comprising:
a storage unit that stores data on player information including information about an amount of virtual currency possessed by each player in the game;
an acceptance processing unit that accepts from a corresponding player terminal a priority display request for displaying a player on a priority basis in a notification candidate list in which are displayed players serving as candidates for notification destinations to notify of occurrence of an event;
an update processing unit that performs, when the priority display request is accepted, an update by subtracting data on a consideration charged for the priority display request from data on player information about the player requesting for priority display, and allowing the storage unit to store the data on the player information;
a probability setting unit that sets a probability of the player requesting for priority display being selected as a player displayed in the notification candidate list higher than probabilities of other players not requesting for priority display being selected; the probability set based on a selection from a plurality of probabilities for being selected as the player displayed in the notification candidate list, each of the plurality of probabilities associated with a magnitude for the consideration charged for the priority display request; and
a list creating unit that creates the notification candidate list in which a plurality of players selected based on the probabilities set by the probability setting unit are displayed as players serving as candidates for notification destinations.

2. The server device according to claim 1 , wherein the probability setting unit changes the probability of the player requesting for priority display being selected as a player displayed in the notification candidate list, according to a selection of the magnitude of consideration charged for the priority display request.

3. The server device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the player requesting for priority display is selected as a player displayed in the notification candidate list by paying the consideration,
the list creating unit changes one or both of a display position and a display mode for when the player requesting for priority display is displayed in the notification candidate list, according to a magnitude of consideration charged for the priority display request.

4. The server device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the player requesting for priority display is selected as a player displayed in the notification candidate list by paying the consideration,
the acceptance processing unit provides a prize for having been selected in the notification candidate list, to the player requesting for priority display.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a game program that causes an information processing device to perform a game causing an event where a plurality of players can participate to occur, and that causes the information processing device to perform:
a process of storing, in a storage unit, data on player information including information about an amount of virtual currency possessed by each player in the game;
a process of accepting from a player terminal a priority display request for displaying a player on a priority basis in a notification candidate list in which are displayed players serving as candidates for notification destinations to notify of occurrence of an event;
a process of performing, when the priority display request is accepted, an update by subtracting data on a consideration charged for the priority display request from data on player information about the player requesting for priority display, and allowing the storage unit to store the data on the player information;
a process of setting a probability of the player requesting for priority display being selected as a player displayed in the notification candidate list higher than probabilities of other players not requesting for priority display being selected, the probability set based on a selection from a plurality of probabilities for being selected as the player displayed in the notification candidate list, each of the plurality of probabilities associated with a magnitude for the consideration charged for the priority display request; and
a process of creating the notification candidate list in which a plurality of players selected based on the set probabilities are displayed as players serving as candidates for notification destinations.

Assignees

• Dena Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morioka Takashi

Classifications

• A63F13/12

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F13/10 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F2300/556

  Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list · CPC title

• A63F13/69

  by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions · CPC title

• A63F13/45

  Controlling the progress of the video game · CPC title