U.S. Pat. No. 10,621,813

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS

100: information processing apparatus110: reception unit120: display unit130: determination unit140: storage unit150: increasing/decreasing unit160: communication unit

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

First, an example of an information processing apparatus will be described in detail referring to the drawings.

FIG. 1is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of an information processing apparatus according to one example. As illustrated inFIG. 1, an information processing apparatus100is an information processing apparatus which processes the progress of a game using a game content, and includes a reception unit110, a display unit120, and a determination unit130.FIG. 1illustrates an example where the information processing apparatus100connects to one or more player terminals20through a network10.

The game content is a general term for electronic data used by a player for the progress of a game and can include, for example, a card, an item, a character, an avatar or the like.

In this example, although when the game is a game in which the player battles with another player or a computer-controlled character using the game content has been described, this disclosure is not limited thereto.

The reception unit110receives a stop operation to stop a plurality of slots sequentially replacing and providing predetermined symbols to the player of the game from the player. The player may be one player (single-play) or may be a plurality of players (multi-play). The details will be described below.

FIG. 2schematically illustrates an example of a game screen generated by the information processing apparatus100. The game screen can be displayed on a display of a player terminal20.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, a displaying region for an opponent30, a displaying region for a game content information40, and a displaying region for slots50can be displayed on the game screen.

A game content of another player or a computer-controlled character who becomes an opponent can be displayed on the displaying region for an opponent30.

A game content disposed by the player and information thereof can be displayed on the displaying region for a game content information40. InFIG. 2, in a single-play, a plurality of game contents disposed by one player and a residual rate of a health point of each game content as information of these game contents are displayed.

A slot associated with each of the game contents displayed on the displaying region for a game content information40can be displayed on the displaying region for slots50. Specifically, a displayed game content and a slot displayed directly below the game content are associated with each other.

As illustration inFIG. 2, the slot can be a slot which has predetermined symbols drawn thereon and is rotated to sequentially replace and to provide the symbols to the player.

InFIG. 2, although the symbols are fruits, numerals, or characters, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and arbitrary patterns such as animals or characters, or colors may be used.

The stop operation can be, for example, an operation to touch each slot by the player on the displaying region for slots50which is an operation area. Alternatively, the stop operation may be an operation to press a key corresponding to each slot.

The display unit120displays a combination of the predetermined symbols provided to the player according to the timing of the reception of the stop operation by the reception unit110.

InFIG. 2, a combination of predetermined symbols provided to the player is surrounded by a frame60. InFIG. 2, although a combination of symbols arranged in a row is provided, the number of slots may be adjusted and a combination of symbols obliquely arranged may be provided.

The determination unit130(seeFIG. 1) determines an action of the game content for the progress of the game according to the combination of the predetermined symbols displayed by the display unit120.

The action determined in the determination unit130can be, for example, an action of attack or defense against another player or a computer-controlled character. The action may be an action of a game content involved in the progress of a quest or the accomplishment of a mission. For example, the action can be an action to determine a quest to be selected among a plurality of quests, to determine a treasure chest to be acquired and opened during a guest, to determine a branch road to be selected during a quest, to place a quest in a completion state, to increase the progress speed of a quest or the like by a combination of symbols.

In this way, according to the information processing apparatus100, an action of the game content for the progress of the game is determined according to the displayed combination of the predetermined symbols. In other words, an action of a character of a player in the game is determined according to the result of the slots, whereby the interest in the game can be improved.

The effect of the action can be changed according to a combination of symbols. Specifically, when all symbols surrounded by the frame60are the same, an effect of 120% can be exhibited, and when a part of the symbols is the same, an effect of 80% can be exhibited. When the symbols are arranged in a specific combination, a special action including a special attack such as invocation of a skill may be performed.

As illustrated inFIG. 1, the information processing apparatus100of this disclosure can further include a storage unit140.

The storage unit140stores each of a plurality of slots in association with a game content. The storage unit140stores a plurality of game contents. The storage unit140can have, for example, at least one of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk device, and an optical disk device. The storage unit140stores various programs and data which are used to control the information processing apparatus100of this disclosure. The storage unit140stores, for example, a program which executes a game and outputs the result thereof. The storage unit140also stores a program to execute event processing. The storage unit140may temporarily store temporary data pertaining to predetermined processing.

FIG. 3is a diagram illustrating an example of a table which is managed in the storage unit140and in which an ID of a player is associated with a game content held by the player. In the example illustrated inFIG. 3, the ID of the player is associated with a character drawn on a game content. As illustrated inFIG. 3, the storage unit140can have data in the form of a table. The number of game contents held by the player may not be limited.

Predetermined symbols in each of a plurality of slots can be constituted based on information set in the associated game content.

Information set in the game content can be information regarding the name of the game content, rarity, attribute, level, attack power, health point, speed, required ability point (AP), special move, support skill and the like.

The attribute can be, for example, three kinds of ice, water, and thunder, and the superiority and inferiority relationship of water>ice, ice>thunder, and thunder>water can be set.

FIG. 4is a diagram illustrating an example of a table which is managed in the storage unit140and in which a game content is associated with information set in the game content. As illustrated inFIG. 4, the storage unit140can have data in the form of a table.

FIG. 5is a diagram illustrating an example of a table which is managed in the storage unit140and in which a slot is associated with the symbols of the slot. As illustrated inFIG. 5, the storage unit140can have data in the form of a table.

In this example, predetermined symbols in each of a plurality of slots can be constituted based on information of the attribute set in the associated game content.

Specifically, when the attribute of a game content is ice, as illustrated inFIG. 6A, a slot associated with the game content can include a symbol representing ice. Similarly, when the attribute of a game content is water, or when the attribute of a game content is thunder, as illustrated inFIG. 6B or 6C, the game content can include a symbol representing the attribute thereof.

With this configuration, the game contents having the same attribute are used, whereby the slots are easily arranged. If the game contents having different attributes are used, the slots are not easily arranged, but a special action can be achieved by a special combination.

As illustrated inFIG. 1, the information processing apparatus100can further include an increasing/decreasing unit150.

The increasing/decreasing unit150can increase and decrease at least one of the number of slots to be provided and the speed at which the slots replace the predetermined symbols.

For example, when the number of slots to be provided is increased, the symbols of the slots are not easily arranged, but the power and effect of an action executed when the symbols are arranged can be increased. When the number of slots is decreased, the symbols of the slots are easily arranged, but even if the symbols are arranged, the power and effect of an action to be executed can be decreased.

Similarly, when the speed of replacing the symbols is increased, the symbols of the slots are not easily arranged, and when the speed of replacing the symbols is decreased, the symbols of the slots are easily arranged. For example, the increasing/decreasing unit150can increase the speed of replacing the symbols when an enemy becomes stronger and the level of the player becomes higher. The increasing/decreasing unit150can decrease the speed of replacing the symbols when the player uses a specific item.

The difficulty of the game for the player can be changed by the increasing/decreasing unit150.

As described above, the reception unit110can receive the stop operation corresponding to each of the plurality of slots from each of a plurality of players (multi-play).

FIG. 7schematically illustrates an example of a game screen in the multi-play.

As illustrated inFIG. 7, players a to e can perform a stop operation for each of corresponding slots A to E.

As illustrated inFIG. 1, the information processing apparatus100can further include a communication unit160.

The communication unit160communicates a message enabling communication relating to an intended combination of symbols among the plurality of players.

For example, as illustrated inFIG. 8, the communication relating to the intended combination of symbols is a message, such as “7 will be arranged!”, a response message thereto, or the like.

The message is preferably displayed such that a player who gives the message is understood. For example, as indicated by an arrow in the drawing, a display method can be used such that a message occurs near a slot of a player who gives the message and flows to the upper side of the screen.

The message can be arbitrarily input by the player or can be selected from a message list set in advance and input.

The information processing apparatus100can process the progress of a game in which a plurality of game contents including a game content corresponding to one player terminal20perform a battle.

The game is a game which is called a guild vs guild (GvG) battle and in which groups having a plurality of players perform a battle. For example, in a game in which a battle between one player and a character operated by a computer is mainly performed, it is assumed that a GvG battle is held as an event.

The information processing apparatus100can receive an instruction from the player terminal20which is a smart device with a touch panel as a main user interface.

The information processing apparatus100can receive an instruction from the player terminal with a physical key-equipped panel in which the physical key floats to the touch panel when the player gives an instruction. The physical key-equipped panel can be configured such that liquid disposed in the panel can be expanded at an appropriate timing in response to an instruction of a processing apparatus to make a physical key appear.

The information processing apparatus100may function as a server apparatus connected to the player terminal20through the network10, or the player terminal20itself may include the information processing apparatus100. In the former case, a game which is processed by the information processing apparatus100functions as a browser game, and in the latter case, the game functions as a native game.

When the information processing apparatus100functions as a server apparatus connected to the player terminal20through the network10, a hybrid game in which the server apparatus and the player terminal carry out a part of processing to perform browser display in which the progress screen of the game is displayed in the player terminal20based on data generated by the server apparatus and native display in which other menu screens and the like are displayed by a native application installed on the player terminal20.

Although when the player terminal20is an electronic device such as a smartphone has been described, a home video game machine which is a game dedicated machine, or a consumer machine such as a portable game machine may be used.

Subsequently, a game processing method will be described referring to the drawings.

FIG. 9is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of the game processing method. As illustrated inFIG. 9, the game processing method can process the progress of a game using a game content and causes a computer to process a reception step (S110), a display step (S120), and a determination step (S130). In the reception step (S110), a stop operation to stop a plurality of slots sequentially replacing and providing predetermined symbols to the player of the game is received from the player. This step can be processed by the reception unit110.

In the display step (S120), a combination of the predetermined symbols provided to the player is displayed according to the timing of the reception of the stop operation in the reception step. This step can be processed by the display unit120.

In the determination step (S130), an action of the game content for the progress of the game is determined according to the combination of the predetermined symbols displayed in the display step. This step can be processed by the determination unit130.

Finally, a game program will be described.

The game program can process the progress of a game using a game content and causes a computer to realize a reception function, a display function, and a determination function.

The reception function receives a stop operation to stop a plurality of slots sequentially replacing and providing predetermined symbols to the player of the game from the player. This function can be realized by the reception unit110.

The display function displays a combination of the predetermined symbols provided to the player according to the timing of the reception of the stop operation by the reception function. This function can be realized by the display unit120.

The determination function determines an action of the game content for the progress of the game according to the combination of the predetermined symbols displayed by the display function. This function can be realized by the determination unit130.

The game program can be provided in a state of being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited, and a computer-readable recording medium, such as a CD-ROM or a DVD, may be used.

The game program can be created in, for example, a script language such as ActionScript or JavaScript (Registered Trademark), or an object-oriented programming language such as Objective-C or Java (Registered Trademark).

Alternatively, the game program may be created in, for example, a markup language such as HTML5.

The above-described configuration and operation is a representative example, and this disclosure is not limited to the example.