Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-28
2004-11-23
Harrison, Jessica J. (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C463S040000, C463S029000, C463S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06821205
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server device for net games (or network games) which is communicably connected via a network to a plurality of terminal devices used by users so that the users manage a game played in a game space using the terminal devices, a net game management method, a net game management program used in this device and a recording medium which stores a net game management program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, as the Internet becomes popular and data transfer speeds increase, net games (or network games) using server devices for net games and terminal devices used by users which are connected via the Internet are commonly played. With such net games, various competitive games, including sports and physical combat, are played.
In the case of these competitive games, an unspecified number of general users can participate in a game since the Internet is used. When unknown users match in this way, the abilities and so on of an opponent in a game are unknown, so unexpectedness is added to the progress of a game, and a constant level of excitement can be added to a game compared with normal games which use a standalone game machine, where a game is played with the game machine as the opponent.
However, when merely competing with an unspecified number of general players, as mentioned above, it is difficult to acquire information about an opponent, or to make friends with an opponent. In other words, even if the user participates in the same net game a plurality of times, in most cases the opponent is different each time, and becoming acquainted with individuals through net games is impossible. Therefore sufficient excitement cannot be provided to the user compared with the case when the user plays consecutive games with a specific opponent.
Also a net game has a characteristic in that a user can participate voluntarily, so even if a user accesses to play a net game, another user to be an opponent may not access, and the user may have to wait for a long time until starting the game, and in some cases the other user to be the opponent may never access. In such a case, the enthusiasm of the user participating in net games wanes, and net games cannot run smoothly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a server device for net games which can increase the number of acquaintances of the user through not games, provide sufficient excitement to the user, and can run net games smoothly by improving the enthusiasm of the user to participate in the net games, and to provide a net game management method, and a net game management program using this device.
The present invention relates to a server device for net games which is communicably connected via a network to a plurality of terminal devices used by users so that the users manage a game played in a game space using the terminal devices. The server device comprises acquiring means for acquiring profile information of the user which is transmitted from the terminal device, and exchanging means by which profile information of one user acquired by the acquiring means can be read at the terminal device of the other user, and profile information of the other user acquired by the acquiring means can be read at the terminal device of the first user when the users play a game with profile exchange where profiles are invariably exchanged using the terminal devices.
According to the present invention described above, the server device for net games which is communicably connected via a network to a plurality of terminal devices used by users and manage a game played in a game space by the users using the terminal devices, comprises acquiring means for acquiring user profile information which is transmitted from the terminal device, and exchanging means by which the profile information of one user acquired by the acquiring means can be read at the terminal device of the other user, and the profile information of the other user acquired by the acquiring means can be read at the terminal device of the first user when the users play a game with profile exchange where profiles are invariably exchanged using the terminal devices.
In other words, when the user profile information which is sent from the terminal device is acquired and a game with profile exchange where the users invariably exchange profile information using the terminal devices is played, the acquired profile information of one user can be read at the terminal device of the other user, and the acquired profile information of the other user can be read at the terminal device of the first user.
In this way, the profile information of the opponents can be exchanged and read between the users who play the game with profile exchange, so that the users can know the profile information of each other. Also a player can be specified based on the profile information, so games can be played consecutively with a specified player. Also even if the opponent player has not accessed when one user accesses to play the net game, the user can request another user to play the game with whom he/she is acquainted through profile exchange, so the enthusiasm of the user to participate in net games can be improved.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description along with the accompanied drawings.
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Ishikawa Tatsuya
Namba Kazuhiro
Takahashi Hidehisa
Harrison Jessica J.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Konami Computer Entertainment Osaka, Inc.
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