Game system for encouraging communication between users

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452352-B2
Application number	US-201213717443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Apr 2, 2012
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

One object is to provide a game that encourages the interaction between users forming a group and enhances the bond between the users. In accordance with one aspect, a server device of the present disclosure which is connected to terminal devices operated by the users via a communication network to provide a game to the terminal devices. The server device includes: an assignment unit for assigning, to each of the users belonging to the group, a certain event as a specific event from a plurality of events; and a notification unit for notifying, on occurrence of the specific event to an object user belonging to the group, the fact that the specific event has occurred, to the terminal device of at least one of the users belonging to the group, regardless of the intention of the object user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for providing a game via a communication network to a plurality of terminals, the device comprising:
a central processing unit configured to execute machine-readable instructions;
memory storage configured to store machine-readable instructions, when executed, causing the central processing unit to provide the game to the plurality of terminals associated with a group of users playing the game, wherein providing the game to the plurality of terminals comprises:
assigning a specific event selected from a plurality of events to the group of users;
monitoring whether the specific event has occurred to a first user of the group;
when it is determined that the specific event has occurred to the first user,
determining a number of times of notifying the group of users a fact of the occurrence based on a frequency of interactions between the first user and the game; and
notifying the group of users by sending the fact of the occurrence to the plurality of terminals in the number of times, which causes at least one of the plurality of terminals associated with a second user to send an inquiry to the terminal associated with the first user for content of the fact in response to the notification.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein providing the game to the plurality of terminals further comprises:
increasing the number of times of notifying the group of users the fact of the occurrence if the frequency of interactions between the first user and the game is low.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein providing the game to the plurality of terminals further comprises:
decreasing the number of times of notifying the group of users the fact of the occurrence if the frequency of interactions between the first user and the game is high.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein providing the game to the plurality of terminals further comprises:
assigning one or more events to each user in the group, wherein a number of the one or more events assigned to each user is determined based on a respective frequency of the each user interacting with the game.

5. A device for providing a game via a communication network to a plurality of terminals, the device comprising:
a central processing unit configured to execute machine-readable instructions;
memory storage configured to store machine-readable instructions, when executed, causing the central processing unit to provide the game to the plurality of terminals associated with a group of users playing the game, wherein providing the game to the plurality of terminals comprises:
assigning a specific event selected from a plurality of events to the group of users;
monitoring whether the specific event has occurred to a first user of the group;
when it is determined that the specific event has occurred to the first user,
determining for each other user in the group, a time period from a point of the occurrence to a point of notifying the each other user a fact of the occurrence based on a frequency of interactions between the each other user and the game; and
notifying the each other user the fact of the occurrence in accordance with the time period, which causes at least one of the plurality of terminals associated with a second user to send an inquiry to the terminal associated with the first user for content of the fact in response to the notification.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein notifying the each other user the fact of the occurrence in accordance with the time period further comprises:
posting the fact of the occurrence on a user page of the each other user in accordance with the time period.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein notifying the each other user the fact of the occurrence in accordance with the time period further comprises:
sending the fact of the occurrence to the each other user in accordance with the time period.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the time period with respect to the each other user in the group varies in accordance with the respective frequency of interactions between the each other user and the game.

Assignees

• Ikeda Ryuji
• Dena Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ikeda Ryuji

Classifications

• A63F13/12 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F13/87

  Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat · CPC title

• A63F2300/5533

  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 title

• A63F13/45

  Controlling the progress of the video game · CPC title

• A63F13/847 Primary

  Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal · CPC title