Granted Patent B2

US 12,427,401 · App. 17/943,734 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Inventor: Yoshiyuki Higo (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: GREE HOLDINGS, Inc.

A63F13/00A63F13/35A63F13/822A63F13/69

Abstract

Claims (67)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising executing on a processor the steps of:

storing, in a memory, a plurality of game areas each associated with one of a plurality of players, the plurality of players including a first player and a second player, the first player being associated with a first player game area and the second player being associated with a second player game area;

transmitting map information relating to the subject player game area to a display terminal of the second player;

adding, to a map of the second player, the subject player game area;

enabling access, by the second player, to the subject player game area, on the display terminal of the subject player, wherein enabling access comprises adjusting a display state of the subject player game area from a non-enabled state to an enabled state;

generating, with the processor, for each of the plurality of players, a map for the plurality of game areas;

providing, to the second player, a game in the first player game area;

receiving, with the processor, a status of progress of the first player through a game of the first player in the first player game area;

determining whether the status of progress of the first player through the game of the first player in the first player game area is at least a predetermined level of progress;

based on the status of progress being at least the predetermined level of progress, causing a user interface of the first player to display a prompt to update the first player game area;

based on the selection, by the first player, of the prompt, updating the first player game area based on the status of progress of the first player through the game in the first player game area;

providing a second prompt to the first player after receiving the selection, the second prompt providing the first player with an option to continue progress in the first player game area and a second option to terminate progress of the game; and

in response to a further request by the second player, providing, to the second player, a game in an updated first player game area.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined level of progress comprises completion of the first player game area by the first player.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined level of progress comprises completion of a plurality of subareas within the first player game area; and

wherein updating the first player game area comprises adding a further subarea within the first player game area.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein updating the first player game area comprises adding the further subarea by adding a connection to the further subarea, within the first player game area, to a final subarea in the plurality of subareas.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing the user interface of the first player to display the prompt to update the first player game area comprises displaying, to the first player, a resource cost to update the first player game area; and

wherein updating the first player game area comprises deducting resources equal to the resource cost from a set of stored resources associated with the first player.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein receiving, with the processor, the status of progress of the first player through the game of the first player in the first player game area further comprises receiving, with the processor, an indication of at least one resource acquired by the first player in the first player game area, and adding the at least one resource to the set of stored resources associated with the first player.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein adding the at least one resource to the set of stored resources comprises incrementing a number of resources, and deducting resources equal to the resource cost comprises decrementing the number of resources.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, after updating the first player game area:

continuing to provide the game of the first player in the first player game area; and

receiving, with the processor, a status of further progress through the game of the first player in the first player game area.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

after receiving, with the processor, the status of further progress through the game of the first player in the first player game area, performing a second update of the first player game area based on the status of further progress of the first player through the game in the first player game area.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:

terminating the game of the first player in the first player game area after performing a plurality of updates of the first player game area during the game of the first player in the first player game area.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein updating the first player game area comprises adding a further subarea within the first player game area; and

wherein performing the second update of the first player game area comprises adding a second further subarea by adding a connection to the second further subarea, within the first player game area, to the further subarea.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein performing the second update of the first player game area based on the status of further progress of the first player through the game in the first player game area further comprises determining whether the first player has completed the first player game area including the further subarea.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the second update of the first player game area comprises adding at least one decorative element to the first player game area.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a second update of the first player game area based on operation input information from the first player.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the operation input information of the first player is provided independently of the status of progress of the first player through the game in the first player game area.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein updating the first player game area based on the status of progress of the first player through the game in the first player game area comprises adding a further subarea within the first player game area; and

wherein the second update of the first player game area comprises adjusting an existing subarea within the first player game area.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the selection, by the first player, of the prompt, and on the updating of the first player game area, triggering and storing an update to the first player game area in the memory.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , further comprising:

following generation of the map for the plurality of game areas, receiving an indication that the first player game area has been selected by the second player; and

wherein providing, to the second player, the game in the first player game area comprises, following the indication that the first player game area has been selected by the second player, accessing the update to the first player game area stored in the memory, and providing an updated first player game area to the second player.

19. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising code executable by a computer arranged to operate a computer game, to cause the computer to carry out steps of:

storing, in a memory, a plurality of game areas each associated with one of a plurality of players, the plurality of players including a first player and a second player, the first player being associated with a first player game area and the second player being associated with a second player game area;

transmitting map information relating to the subject player game area to a display terminal of the second player;

adding, to a map of the second player, the subject player game area;

enabling access, by the second player, to the subject player game area, on the display terminal of the subject player, wherein enabling access comprises adjusting a display state of the subject player game area from a non-enabled state to an enabled state;

generating, with a processor, for each of the plurality of players, a map for the plurality of game areas;

providing, to the second player, a game in the first player game area;

receiving, with the processor, a status of progress of the first player through a game of the first player in the first player game area;

determining whether the status of progress of the first player through the game of the first player in the first player game area is at least a predetermined level of progress;

based on the status of progress being at least the predetermined level of progress, causing a user interface of the first player to display a prompt to update the first player game area;

based on the selection, by the first player, of the prompt, updating the first player game area based on the status of progress of the first player through the game in the first player game area;

providing a second prompt to the first player after receiving the selection, the second prompt providing the first player with an option to continue progress in the first player game area and a second option to terminate progress of the game; and

in response to a further request by the second player, providing, to the second player, a game in an updated first player game area.

20. A system comprising at least one processor, at least one memory including computer program code, and at least one display terminal of a player having a graphical user interface, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system to perform steps of:

storing, in the at least one memory, a plurality of game areas each associated with one of a plurality of players, the plurality of players including a first player and a second player, the first player being associated with a first player game area and the second player being associated with a second player game area;

transmitting map information relating to the subject player game area to a display terminal of the second player;

adding, to a map of the second player, the subject player game area;

enabling access, by the second player, to the subject player game area, on the display terminal of the subject player, wherein enabling access comprises adjusting a display state of the subject player game area from a non-enabled state to an enabled state;

generating, with the at least one processor, for each of the plurality of players, a map for the plurality of game areas;

providing, to the second player, a game in the first player game area;

receiving, with the at least one processor, a status of progress of the first player through a game of the first player in the first player game area;

determining whether the status of progress of the first player through the game of the first player in the first player game area is at least a predetermined level of progress;

based on the status of progress being at least the predetermined level of progress, causing a user interface of the first player to display a prompt to update the first player game area;

based on the selection, by the first player, of the prompt, updating the first player game area based on the status of progress of the first player through the game in the first player game area;

providing a second prompt to the first player after receiving the selection, the second prompt providing the first player with an option to continue progress in the first player game area and a second option to terminate progress of the game; and

in response to a further request by the second player, providing, to the second player, a game in an updated first player game area.

Assignments (3)

Priority Claims (3)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (80)