Server system and method for controlling computer system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9808718-B2
Application number	US-201414499468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A server system and the like allow the users who play asynchronous games to perceive each other's presence to prompt the users to communicate with each other and feel a sense of solidarity. When the progress of a first game played by one player has changed to be advantageous to the player due to the use of an AP recovery item or the like, a parameter in the first game is incremented (e.g., action points AP are recovered). A parameter in a second game played by a friend user of the player is also incremented (e.g., the action points AP are recovered) through an extension control process. An activation notification W12 that notifies to that effect is displayed on a user terminal of the player who plays the first game.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server system that asynchronously controls a process of a game played by each player on external devices, the server system comprising:
at least one microprocessor; and
a communication section that communicates with an external device;
the at least one microprocessor is configured to
change by a parameter change control section, a parameter of a first player when a given activation condition has been satisfied, the activation condition being a condition whereby a process that changes the parameter of the first player is performed;
perform, by an extension control section, an extension control process that changes a parameter of a second player who relates to the first player when the second player has logged in after the activation condition has been satisfied;
receive, over the communication section from the external device, an indication that the second player logs in; and
adjust, by a change width adjustment section, responsive to receipt of the indication that the second player logs in, a change width of the parameter of the second player that is changed by the extension control process corresponding to an elapsed time until the second player logs in after the activation condition has been satisfied.

2. The server system as defined in claim 1 ,
the at least one microprocessor is further configured to determine that the activation condition is satisfied in response to an instruction operation input by the first player for using a given item or implementing a given action.

3. The server system as defined in claim 1 ,
the at least one microprocessor is further configured to determine that the activation condition is satisfied in response to the process of the game played by the first player having satisfied a given condition.

4. The server system as defined in claim 1 ,
the change width adjustment section of the at least one microprocessor is further configured to adjust the change width of the parameter of the second player to be smaller than a change width of the parameter of the first player that is changed by the parameter change control section.

5. The server system as defined in claim 1 ,
the change width adjustment section of the at least one microprocessor is further configured to change the change width of the parameter of the second player using a degree of friendship between the first player and the second player.

6. The server system as defined in claim 1 ,
the change width adjustment section of the at least one microprocessor is further configured to change the change width of the parameter of the second player using a number of the second players.

7. The server system as defined in claim 1 ,
the extension control section of the at least one microprocessor is further configured to temporarily change, by a time limit control section, the parameter of the second player for a given period, in response to the activation condition being satisfied.

8. The server system as defined in claim 7 ,
the time limit control section of the at least one microprocessor is further configured to change a time limit up to which the parameter of the second player is changed, using a degree of friendship between the first player and the second player.

9. The server system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one microprocessor is further configured to:
select, by an extension target selection section, an extension target player, the extension target player being a related player among a plurality of related players of the first player that is subjected to the extension control process performed by the extension control section,
the extension control section is further configured to perform the extension control process on the extension target player selected by the extension target selection section as the second player.

10. The server system as defined in claim 9 ,
the extension target selection section of the at least one microprocessor is further configured to select the extension target player using a degree of friendship between the first player and the related player.

11. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microprocessor is further configured to
control an external device on which a first game is played by the first player, to display an activation notification announcing that the parameter of the second player is adjusted; and
control an external device on which a second game is played by the second player, wherein the process of the first game and the process of the second game are controlled asynchronously by the server system, to display an extension attainment notification announcing that the parameter of the second player is adjusted.

12. A method, implemented on a server, for controlling a computer system that asynchronously controls a process of a game played by each player on external devices, the method comprising:
at the server,
changing a parameter of a first player when a given activation condition has been satisfied, the activation condition being a condition whereby a process that changes the parameter of the first player is performed;
performing an extension control process that changes a parameter of a second player who relates to the first player when the second player has logged in after the activation condition has been satisfied;
receiving, over a communication section of the server, from the external device, an indication that the second player loss in; and
responsive to receipt of the indication that the second player logs in, adjusting a change width of the parameter of the second player that is changed by the extension control process corresponding to an elapsed time until the second player logs in after the activation condition has been satisfied.

13. A network game system, the network game system comprising external player devices and a server system that is connected to the external player devices via a communication network, the server system asynchronously controls a process of a game played by each player on the external player devices, the server system comprising:
at least one microprocessor; and
a communication section that communicates with an external player device;
the at least one microprocessor is configured to
change, by a parameter change control section, a parameter of a first player on a first external player device when a given activation condition has been satisfied, the activation condition being a condition whereby a process that changes the parameter of the first player is performed, and transmit the parameter that was changed to the first external player device;
perform, by an extension control section, an extension control process that changes a parameter of a second player who relates to the first player when the second player has logged in on a second external player device after the activation condition has been satisfied;
receive, over the communication section from the second external player device, an indication that the second played logs in; and
adjust, by a change width adjustment section, responsive to receipt of the indication that the second player logs in, a change width of the parameter of the second player that is changed by the extension control process corresponding to an elapsed time until the second player logs in after the activation condition has been satisfied, and transmit the parameter that with the adjusted change width to the second external player device.

Assignees

• Bandai Namco Games Inc
• Dena Co Ltd
• Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Okabayashi Hideyuki
• Shimooka Sokichi
• Hishinuma Yuui
• Kanematsu Terukazu
• Katsutani Yuya
• Umetani Shinichirou
• Onishi Yasumichi
• Otani Atsushi

Classifications

• A63F13/58

  by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level · CPC title

• A63F13/69 Primary

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

• A63F2300/575

  for trading virtual items · CPC title

• A63F2300/556

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

• A63F13/35 Primary

  Details of game servers · CPC title