Granted Patent B2

US 12,440,764 · App. 18/071,032 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Inventors: Kouhei Maeda (Kyoto, JP); Yuji Ohashi (Kyoto, JP); Junichi Iida (Kyoto, JP); Shingo Matsushita (Kyoto, JP)

Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.

A63F13/57A63F13/35

Abstract

Claims (93)

1. An information processing system that determines participating users of a competitive game, the information processing system comprising:

a server, and

a plurality of terminal apparatuses communicable with the server,

each of the terminal apparatuses being configured to at least:

designate, based on an operation input performed by a user to the terminal apparatus, a use object to be used in the competitive game from among a plurality of objects that are each associated with an object parameter;

designate, based on an operation input performed by the user to the terminal apparatus, a designation parameter that includes version data for the use object; and

transmit, to the server, a matching request including information regarding the designated use object and information regarding the designated designation parameter,

the server being configured to at least:

receive, from a plurality of terminal apparatuses, matching requests in which a value of the object parameter of the use object corresponds to version data of the designation parameter;

based on the matching requests, match, as the participating users for an instance of the competitive game, users of two terminal apparatuses, among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, which are in such a relationship that a value of the object parameter of the use object included in the matching request of each terminal apparatus corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter included in the matching request of the other terminal apparatus; and

transmit, to the two terminal apparatuses, first data for conducting the competitive game on each of the respective two terminal apparatuses,

wherein each of the terminal apparatuses are further configured to at least:

execute, based on the first data, the competitive game that includes a virtual game space that includes a plurality of virtual characters that are associated with an object parameter that corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter; and

process operation input received from the user of a respective terminal apparatus and based on the operation input, move at least one of the plurality of virtual characters within the virtual game space.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a version of the application that includes the use object.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a time when the use object has become usable in the application.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

an application of the competitive game includes a plurality of games different from the competitive game,

each of the plurality of objects appears in any of the plurality of games, and

the version data which one of the plurality of games in which the use object appears.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the plurality of objects belongs to any of a plurality of groups, and

the version data which one of the plurality of groups the use object belongs.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the competitive game can be executed in at least one of a first mode and a second mode,

a rate associated with the user varies according to a result of the competitive game in the first mode, and the rate does not vary according to the result of the competitive game in the second mode, and

the server, in the second mode, performs determination of participating users based on the designation parameter, and in the first mode, does not perform determination of participating users based on the designation parameter.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the terminal apparatus, based on an operation input performed by the user to the terminal apparatus, further designates game setting information including: (a) first information indicating game setting regarding a rule of the competitive game and indicating that the game setting is applied; or (b) second information indicating that game setting designated by another user to be an opponent is applied,

the matching request includes the designated game setting information, and

the server determines the participating users, based on the game setting information included in the matching request.

8. The information processing system according to claim 7 , wherein

the server determines, as the participating users, a user of the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the matching request including the game setting information including the first information, and a user of the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the matching request including the game setting information including the second information, and determines the game setting in the competitive game to be performed by the terminal apparatuses, based on the game setting information including the first information.

9. The information processing system according to claim 7 , wherein

the server determines, as the participating users, users of two terminal apparatuses that have transmitted the matching requests including the game setting information including the second information, and automatically determines the game setting in the competitive game to be performed by the terminal apparatuses.

10. The information processing system according to claim 7 , wherein

the server determines, as the participating users, users of two terminal apparatuses that have transmitted matching requests including the game setting information including the first information, under a condition that the game settings indicated by the first information are the same, and determines the game setting in the competitive game to be performed by the terminal apparatuses, based on the game setting information.

11. A server that determines participating users who participate in a competitive game from among a plurality of users, the server comprising:

a processor and a memory coupled thereto, the processor being configured to control the server to at least:

receive a matching request from a terminal apparatus of each of the users, the matching request including information regarding (1) an object that is designated, based on an operation input performed by a user to the terminal apparatus, a use object to be used in the competitive game from among a plurality of objects that are each associated with an object parameter, (2) a designation parameter that includes version data for the use object; and

when receiving, from a plurality of terminal apparatuses, matching requests in which a value of the object parameter of the use object corresponds to version data of the designation parameter;

based on the matching requests, match, as the participating users for an instance of the competitive game, users of two terminal apparatuses, among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, which are in such a relationship that a value of the object parameter of the use object included in the matching request of each terminal apparatus corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter included in the matching request of the other terminal apparatus; and

transmit, to the two terminal apparatuses, first data for conducting the competitive game on each of the respective two terminal apparatuses,

wherein each of the terminal apparatuses are caused to execute, based on the transmitted first data, the competitive game that includes a virtual game space that includes a plurality of virtual characters that are associated with an object parameter that corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter.

12. The server according to claim 11 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a version of the application that includes the use object.

13. The server according to claim 11 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a time when the use object has become usable in the application.

14. The server according to claim 11 , wherein

an application of the competitive game includes a plurality of games different from the competitive game,

each of the plurality of objects appears in any of the plurality of games, and

the version data indicates which one of the plurality of games in which the use object appears.

15. The server according to claim 11 , wherein

each of the plurality of objects belongs to any of a plurality of groups, and

the version data indicates which one of the plurality of groups the use object belongs.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor of a server that determines participating users who participate in a competitive game from among a plurality of users, cause the server to perform operations comprising:

receiving a matching request from a terminal apparatus of each of the users, the matching request including information regarding (1) an object that is designated, based on an operation input performed by a user to the terminal apparatus, a use object to be used in the competitive game from among a plurality of objects that are each associated with an object parameter, (2) a designation parameter that includes version data for the use object; and

when receiving e, from a plurality of terminal apparatuses, matching requests in which a value of the object parameter of the use object corresponds to version data of the designation parameter,

based on the matching requests, matching, as the participating users for an instance of the competitive game, users of two terminal apparatuses, among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, which are in such a relationship value of the object parameter of the use object included in the matching request of each terminal apparatus corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter included in the matching request of the other terminal apparatus; and

transmitting, to the two terminal apparatuses, first data for conducting the competitive game on each of the respective two terminal apparatuses,

wherein each of the terminal apparatuses are caused to execute, based on the transmitted first data, the competitive game that includes a virtual game space that includes a plurality of virtual characters that are associated with an object parameter that corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a version of the application that includes the use object.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a time when the use object has become usable in the application.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein

an application of the competitive game includes a plurality of games different from the competitive game,

each of the plurality of objects appears in any of the plurality of games, and

the version data indicates which one of the plurality of games in which the use object appears.

20. An information processing method executed on a server computer system that is configured to communicate with a plurality of terminal apparatuses of participating users who participate in a competitive game from among a plurality of users, the information processing method comprising:

receiving a matching request from a terminal apparatus of each of the users, the matching request including information regarding (1) an object that is designated, based on an operation input performed by a user to the terminal apparatus, a use object to be used in the competitive game from among a plurality of objects that are each associated with an object parameter, (2) a designation parameter that includes version data for the use object; and

when receiving, from a plurality of terminal apparatuses, matching requests in which a value of the object parameter of the use object corresponds to version data of the designation parameter;

based on the matching requests, matching, as the participating users for an instance of the competitive game, users of two terminal apparatuses, among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, which are in such a relationship that a value of the object parameter of the use object included in the matching request of each terminal apparatus corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter included in the matching request of the other terminal apparatus; and

transmitting, to the two terminal apparatuses, first data for conducting the competitive game on each of the respective two terminal apparatuses,

wherein each of the terminal apparatuses are caused to execute, based on the transmitted first data, the competitive game that includes a virtual game space that includes a plurality of virtual characters that are associated with an object parameter that corresponds to the version data of the designation parameter.

21. The information processing method according to claim 20 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a version of the application that includes the use object.

22. The information processing method according to claim 20 , wherein

the terminal apparatus executes an application of the competitive game, and

the version data indicates a time when the use object has become usable in the application.

23. The information processing method according to claim 20 , wherein

an application of the competitive game includes a plurality of games different from the competitive game,

each of the plurality of objects appears in any of the plurality of games, and

the version data indicates which one of the plurality of games in which the use object appears.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (24)