Server apparatus, control method for server apparatus, and program

1. A server apparatus for providing to a user of a terminal apparatus, over a network, a game that uses game content, the server apparatus comprising:

a storage unit, the storage unit configured to store a lottery history database, a plurality of identifiers and game content, each of the plurality of identifiers and the game content being in association with each other;

an identifier obtaining unit, the identifier obtaining unit configured to obtain, from the terminal apparatus, an identifier not stored in the lottery history database and selected through a user operation of the user of the terminal apparatus, the identifier obtaining unit further being configured to store the obtained identifier in the lottery history database;

a game content output unit, the game content output unit configured to obtain a game content associated with the identifier obtained by the identifier obtaining unit and configured to output the game content to the terminal apparatus;

a reset unit, the reset unit configured to reset associations between each of the plurality of identifiers and the game content by performing a resetting step comprising resetting a game content database comprising associations between identifier content and game content, and further comprising deleting contents of the lottery history database,

wherein the terminal apparatus is configured to display each of the plurality of identifiers in a manner that obfuscates the corresponding game content.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a hint providing unit, the hint providing unit configured to provide one or more hints about an association between an identifier and the game content, wherein the identifier obfuscates the game content associated with the identifier from the user such that the user is unable to identify the game content by using the identifier;

wherein the one or more hints that are provided to the user are displayed on the terminal apparatus of the user; and

wherein the hint providing unit relates a hint to the identifier based on an input provided by the user.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the hint providing unit is configured to provide the one or more hints in a case where the user of the terminal apparatus interacts with another user.

4. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the hint providing unit is configured to provide the one or more hints in accordance with a state of participation of the user of the terminal apparatus in a game or in an event in a game.

5. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the hint providing unit is configured to provide a plurality of hints, the plurality of hints including hints that have been previously provided.

6. The server apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the hint providing unit is configured to provide a list of the hints that have been previously provided.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the hints are classifiable according to specific subjects, and wherein the specific subjects include at least one of item, value, and attribute.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the hint provided by the hint providing unit is sharable between the user of the terminal apparatus and a user associated with the user of the terminal apparatus.

9. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the hint providing unit is configured to provide the one or more hints only in a case where the game content output by the game content output unit is a specific game content.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more hints that are provided to the user are customized based on a level of status information of the user or a level of activity of the user.

11. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the user of the terminal apparatus is prompted to select a subject corresponding to a particular game content, and wherein the hint providing unit provides a hint relating to a subject selected by the user of the terminal apparatus.

12. The server apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the hint providing unit determines whether a game content output by the game content output unit is the subject selected by the user of the terminal apparatus, and wherein the hint providing unit is configured to provide the one or more hints when it is determined that the game content output by the game content output unit is not the subject selected by the user of the terminal apparatus.

13. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an identifier output unit configured to obtain identifiers from the storage unit and configured to output the identifiers to the terminal apparatus, wherein the identifier obtaining unit is configured to obtain an identifier selected through a user operation from among the identifiers that have been output.

14. The server apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the identifier output unit is configured to select a certain identifier on the basis of at least one of: a hint that has been provided and a game content that has been output, and wherein the identifier output unit outputs the identifier, and wherein the identifier is input to an input field.

15. The server apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the identifier output unit is configured to output identifiers that have not been obtained by the identifier obtaining unit.

16. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier obtaining unit is configured to receive an output request for outputting a certain number of game content together with the identifier selected through a user operation, and wherein the game content output unit is configured to output game content that are associated with the certain number of identifiers including the selected identifier and an additional game content.

17. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier selected through the user operation of the user of the terminal apparatus is expressed by at least one of: a numeric character, a kanji character, an alphabetic character, a hiragana character, a katakana character, and a symbol, or a combination thereof.

18. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the hint providing unit is configured to provide a plurality of hints, wherein the user of the terminal apparatus selects a first identifier, a first hint is provided to the user of the terminal apparatus, the user of the terminal apparatus selects a second identifier, and a second hint is provided to the user of the terminal apparatus;

wherein the first hint is a limited set of identifiers in the plurality of identifiers, an identifier in the limited set of identifiers being associated with an inferredly-desirable game content;

wherein the hint providing unit determines if the second identifier is within the limited set of identifiers, and, when the second identifier is within the limited set of identifiers, provides the second hint associated with the inferredly-desirable game content.

19. A control method for a server apparatus for providing to a user of a terminal apparatus, over a network, a game that uses game content, the control method comprising:

storing, in a storage unit, a lottery history database, a plurality of identifiers and game content, each of the plurality of identifiers and the game content being in association with each other;

obtaining, using an identifier obtaining unit, from the terminal apparatus, an identifier not stored in the lottery history database and selected through a user operation of the user of the terminal apparatus;

storing, with the identifier obtaining unit, the obtained identifier in the lottery history database;

determining, using a game content output unit, a game content associated with the identifier obtained by the identifier obtaining unit;

outputting, to the terminal apparatus, the game content associated with said identifier;

resetting, by a reset unit, associations between each of the plurality of identifiers and the game content, the resetting step comprising resetting a game content database comprising associations between identifier content and game content, and further comprising deleting contents of the lottery history database;

wherein the terminal apparatus is configured to display each of the plurality of identifiers in a manner that obfuscates the corresponding game content.

20. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and containing instructions that, when executed, cause a computer that provides to a user of a terminal apparatus, over a network, a game using game content, to perform steps of:

storing, in a storage unit, a lottery history database, a plurality of identifiers and game content, each of the plurality of identifiers and the game content being in association with each other;

obtaining, using an identifier obtaining unit, from the terminal apparatus, an identifier not stored in the lottery history database and selected through a user operation of the user of the terminal apparatus;

storing, with the identifier obtaining unit, the obtained identifier in the lottery history database;

determining, using a game content output unit, a game content associated with the identifier obtained by the identifier obtaining unit;

outputting, to the terminal apparatus, the game content associated with said identifier;

resetting, by a reset unit, associations between each of the plurality of identifiers and the game content, the resetting step comprising resetting a game content database comprising associations between identifier content and game content, and further comprising deleting contents of the lottery history database;

wherein the terminal apparatus is configured to display each of the plurality of identifiers in a manner that obfuscates the corresponding game content.