Game server, control method therefor, and computer readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9779586-B2
Application number	US-201414262206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2014
Priority date	Oct 26, 2011
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A game server provides a second game after a ranking of players is determined based on results of a first game in which plural players have participated is provided with an allocator that allocates a first option of plural first options to each of a predetermined number of high-order players in the ranking of the first game, the first option allocated to one of the high-order players differing from the first option allocated to another of the high-order players; a low-order player entry receiver that receives an entry for participation in the second game from a low-order player other than the predetermined number of high-order players, the entry for participation being received when one of the plural first options is selected; a determination unit that determines one of options including the plural first options; and a benefit awarder that awards benefit to a player having selected the first option determined by the determination unit.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A game server for providing a second game after a ranking of a plurality of players is determined based on a result of a first game in which the plurality of players have participated, comprising:
at least one non-transitory computer readable medium that stores program code; and
at least one processor that reads said program code and executes the program code to implement:
an allocator that fixedly assigns an individual option from a plurality of unique options respectively for each of a predetermined number of high-order players who ranked as top players in the ranking of the plurality of players of the first game, the individual option from the plurality of unique options being allocated to each of the high-order players being respectively different;
a display controller configured to cause at least one of said at least one processor to generate a computer controlled display screen for providing a Graphic User Interface (GUI) arranged to:
display, at least one piece of information on each of the plurality of unique options, in one of a plurality of locations in an options situation display region;
display, at least one piece of information on each of the predetermined number of high-order players, in one of the plurality of locations in the options situation display region corresponding to the individual option fixedly assigned to the respective high-order player; and
dynamically and repeatedly display an updated characteristic of the at least one piece of information on each of the plurality of unique options based on a total amount of bet game values by the plurality of players participating in the second game, in response to the total amount of the bet game values being updated;

a low-order player entry receiver that receives an entry for participation in the second game from a low-order player in the ranking of the first game other than the predetermined number of high-order players, the entry for participation being received when the low-order player selects one of the predetermined number of high-order player and bets a game value on the selected high-order player;
a determination unit that simulates the second game after a time period for placing a bet by the plurality of players participating in the second game has elapsed and determines one of the plurality of unique options as winning option; and
a benefit awarder that awards a benefit to any player who selected the high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option.

2. The game server of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor executes the program code to further implement:
a high-order player entry receiver that receives an entry for participation in the second game from the high-order players.

3. The game server of claim 2 ,
wherein the high-order player entry receiver receives an entry for participation in the second game during a predetermined high-order player entry period,
wherein the low-order player entry receiver receives an entry for participation in the second game during a low-order player entry period that ends after the high-order player entry period ends, and
wherein the determination unit determines the winning option from the plurality of unique options after the low-order player entry period.

4. The game server of claim 2 ,
wherein the high-order player entry receiver accepts a bet of a game value by each of the high-order players for their assigned individual option, and
wherein the benefit awarder awards the high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option determined by the determination unit, the benefit depending on an amount of the game value of the bet by the high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option or the low-order players who selected the high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option.

5. The game server of claim 4 ,
wherein the determination unit sets a drawing probability respectively for each of the plurality of unique options to be determined by the determination unit based on a ratio of a amount of game values bet on each of the plurality of unique options to the total amount of the bet games values.

6. The game server of claim 5 , wherein the display controller causes the at least one of said at least one processor to dynamically change a size of the at least one piece of information on each of the plurality of unique options depending on the respective drawing probability set for each of the unique options by the determination unit.

7. The game server of claim 6 ,
wherein the display controller causes the at least one of said at least one processor to display the at least one piece of information on each of the plurality of unique options in a size in a unit of a predetermined section.

8. The game server of claim 6 ,
wherein the determination unit obtains the amount of game values bet on each of the plurality of unique options over a plurality of times, to again set each drawing probability of the plurality of unique options based on the obtained amount of game values, and
wherein the display controller causes the at least one of said at least one processor to dynamically change a size of the at least one piece of information on each of the plurality of unique options depending on each drawing probability set again for each of the unique options by the determination unit.

9. The game server of claim 7 ,
wherein the determination unit obtains the amount of game values bet on each of the plurality of unique options over a plurality of times, to again set each drawing probability of the plurality of unique options of the winning option based on the obtained amount of game values, and
wherein the display controller causes the at least one of said at least one processor to dynamically change a size of the at least one piece of information on each of the plurality of unique options depending on each drawing probability set again for each or the unique options by the determination unit.

10. The game server of claim 4 ,
wherein the plurality of unique options, from which the winning option is determined by the determination unit, includes a set of options other than the individual option fixedly assigned for each the predetermined number of high-order players
wherein, when the determination unit determines an option from the set of options as the winning option, the benefit awarder adds at least a part of a total amount of game values accepted by the high-order player entry receiver and the low-order player entry receiver to the benefit to be awarded in a subsequent second game.

11. The game server of claim 3 ,
wherein the high-order player entry receiver accepts a bet of a game value by each of the high-order players for their assigned individual option and
wherein the benefit awarder awards, to any high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option or low-order player who has selected that high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option, the benefit depending on an amount of the game value of the bet by the high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option or the low-order players who selected the high-order player who is assigned the individual option corresponding to the winning option.

12. The game server of claim 11 ,
wherein the determination unit sets a drawing probability respectively for the plurality of unique options of the winning option to be determined by the determination unit based on a ratio of an amount of game va

Assignees

• Saruta Masayuki
• Yamane Kiyohiko
• Kimura Teruhiko
• Hanaoka Saori
• Nagashima Ryu
• Yoshioka Toshio
• Konami Digital Entertainment Co Ltd

Inventors

• Saruta Masayuki
• Yamane Kiyohiko
• Kimura Teruhiko
• Hanaoka Saori
• Nagashima Ryu
• Yoshioka Toshio

Classifications

• G07F17/32

  for games, toys, sports, or amusements · CPC title

• A63F13/335

  using Internet · CPC title

• A63F13/798

  for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame · CPC title

• G07F17/3267

  Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games · CPC title

• A63F13/2145

  the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens · CPC title