JP7502692B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

Conventionally, there are known games, such as online games, in which a user is given an object (e.g., a character or item that can be used in the game) when the user participates in an event such as a lottery or a quest.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses holding a lottery in response to a user request and granting the user one or more characters randomly selected from a group of characters selected by the lottery, and granting the user an item, character, or the like as a reward for clearing a battle game against an enemy character, called a quest.

Patent No. 6617813

However, as in Patent Document 1, many events such as lotteries and quests have a set period during which the user can participate (hereinafter referred to as the event period), and the objects that can be obtained often differ for each event. Therefore, it may be difficult for the user to determine which of multiple events to participate in to obtain an object that is convenient for the user (for example, an object that makes it easier to play the game according to the user's play style). Even if the user is able to determine an event that allows the user to obtain an object that is convenient for the user, that event is not always held. Therefore, even if the event is held, the event period may end without the user noticing, and the user may miss the opportunity to obtain an object that is convenient for the user. In this way, it may be a burden for the user to determine the optimal event and to keep track of the event period, which may reduce the user's satisfaction with the game.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program that can reduce the burden on users regarding games as described above and improve users' game satisfaction.

An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a designation receiving unit that receives a designated quest designated by a user from among quests to be played using an object in a game, and a notification unit that notifies the user when an event occurs in which the user can obtain a related object associated with the designated quest.

When an event occurs that allows the user to obtain an object associated with a specified quest, the user can be notified and informed, reducing the burden on the user regarding the game and improving the user's satisfaction with the game.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a game system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of an information processing device and a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions of a server constituting an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of an event notification process. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of an associated character determination process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
The embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Naturally, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.
In addition, in the following description, examples of screens displayed on the terminal are not shown, but examples of screen configurations, displayed information, and specific contents of the GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc., can be freely designed and changed according to design specifications and user preferences.

<About the game>
The communication system shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as game system S) is a communication system including an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as server 30), and provides a game to a user U.

A "game" refers to an online game provided using the game system S, and is an electronic game in which a user U uses objects within the game to play events such as lotteries or quests. In this embodiment, an example of a game is one in which a user U forms a team of multiple characters (for example, a group of four), controls the characters using specified actions to fight enemy characters, and progresses by sequentially challenging and clearing multiple quests provided within the game.

"Objects" include, for example, characters that move in response to user U's operations in the game, and items that give an advantage in the game. The number of objects possessed increases as a result of logging in to the game, lottery results, rewards for clearing quests, or purchases. The number of objects possessed decreases as a result of consumption, synthesis, sale, or disposal in the game.

Characters, which are a type of object, each have their own personality, and each character has a different rank, name, appearance, attributes, and various parameters (setting data related to level, stamina, attack power, speed, luck, special abilities, etc.). User U can also train and develop these characters by accumulating experience points, using items, and combining them with other characters.

"Rank" is an index showing the value of an object such as a character, and is determined based on the values of the various parameters mentioned above. Generally, objects with a high rank are difficult to obtain due to a low probability of winning in a lottery, are highly rare, and have a low circulation in the game or a low amount of use by user U in the past.

"Development" refers to strengthening or evolving a character by consuming items or other materials for that character. Development also includes, for example, using multiple characters (e.g., Character A and Character B) as materials and synthesizing those materials to turn them into one special character (Character C).

"Growth" refers to changes in the abilities, etc. of a character as a result of training. Examples include the following changes. Note that, while these changes are basically those that are advantageous to the user U, they do not exclude changes that are disadvantageous to the user U, or changes that have no effect on advantages or disadvantages.
(a) Various parameters possessed by the character are improved.
(b) The predefined upper limit (maximum value) of each parameter of the character is improved.
(c) A special ability (technique, etc.) is added to the character.
(d) The special abilities possessed by the character change.
(e) The character's name, appearance, attributes, etc. are changed.
(f) A character changes into a special character of a higher rank than that character.

A "lottery" is a type of event that constitutes the game, and is an event in which user U can obtain objects such as the characters described above. The lottery is held in response to a request for an object from user U while playing the game (hereinafter referred to as a lottery application). In the lottery, multiple objects with different winning probabilities are prepared as candidates, and one or a predetermined number of objects are selected from the multiple candidate objects, and user U can obtain the selected objects as lottery result objects.

Each lottery has a set period, and various lotteries are held as the game progresses. That is, lotteries occur sequentially over time, and user U can enter those lotteries during the holding period. The probability of winning each candidate object, as well as the types and number of objects included as candidates, may differ for each lottery holding period. Therefore, depending on the lottery holding period, a particular object may have a high probability of winning and be easily selected as a lottery result object, or a particular object may not be included as a candidate at all.

Note that there are various types of lotteries, including, for example, a "single type" lottery that is conducted only once, and an "N-type" lottery in which N lotteries (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 2) are conducted in succession. There are also various conditions for conducting a lottery, including a lottery that can be conducted by consuming a lottery item obtained for free, a lottery that can be conducted by consuming a lottery item obtained for a fee (purchased), a lottery that can be conducted by consuming a lottery item obtained as a reward for clearing a quest (described below), and a lottery that can be conducted as a reward for clearing a quest (when the right to conduct a lottery is granted as a reward for clearing a quest), etc.

A "quest" is a type of event that constitutes a game, and is a mission given to the user U in the game, i.e., an event that is the core of the game and is played using the above-mentioned characters and other objects. Specifically, it includes events in which the user U fights enemy characters using characters owned by the user U, events in which the user encounters various characters, whether friend or foe, events in which the objective is to reach a certain point, and events in which objects such as items can be obtained. Each of these quests has a set period and achievement conditions, and various types occur as the game progresses, and the user U selects any quest to play from among these multiple quests. For example, the user U plays a quest during the period and completes the quest by satisfying preset achievement conditions such as defeating an enemy character, and when the quest is completed, the user U can obtain the above-mentioned characters and other objects, which differ for each quest, as a completion reward.

In addition, a quest has an object (hereafter referred to as a related character) associated with it. Furthermore, the related character has a quasi-related character associated with it.

"Related characters" refer to characters associated with the quest and recommended for use when playing the quest (for example, characters recommended for inclusion in a team). In this embodiment, the related characters are determined based on characters used in the quest by other users U who have played and cleared the quest in the past. Specifically, the characters are ranked based on the number of times they have been used by other users U, and the top few (for example, 10) characters are selected as related characters. At this time, the characters may be ranked in consideration of the clearing success rate when using the character, in addition to the number of times the character has been used. Note that the related characters may change each time the number of times the character has been used by other users U is tallied. The number of times a character has been used may be tallied for each specified period, or may be tallied for each character attribute or acquisition route (whether the character was acquired as a lottery result object or as a clearing reward, etc.).

"Quasi-related characters" refers to characters that are not completely identical to the related characters, but have some kind of relationship with the related characters. Specifically, this includes characters before or after the related characters grow, characters that are the raw material for the related characters, characters with variations (facial expressions, hairstyles, postures, clothing, equipment, etc.) that differ from the related characters, or characters that are special versions of the related characters that are time-limited or region-limited (for example, a Christmas version or an Okinawa version).

Note that a related character may be a character that is set in the game to have an advantageous effect on the user U, such as making it easier to clear a quest or increasing the amount of clearing rewards obtained, when the character is included in a team and played, regardless of the number of times the character has been used by other users U.

In this embodiment, when a user U designates a specific quest while playing a game, if an event occurs in which the user can obtain a related character (or a quasi-related character) to the designated quest (hereinafter referred to as the designated quest) from among the many events such as lotteries or quests, the user U who designated the designated quest is notified.

"Notification" refers to informing the user U of the occurrence of an event. Specifically, in addition to displaying an icon or message (not shown) on the screen of the user terminal 10 (for example, part of the game's home screen) while the user U is playing the game, the user U may also be notified each time an event occurs, such as by displaying a dialog box on the screen of the user terminal 10 even when the user U is not playing the game (push notification).

At this time, the quests that can be specified may be limited to those for which the user U has not yet collected the completion reward, i.e., those quests that the user U has not yet completed (hereinafter referred to as "uncompleted quests"). Furthermore, among the uncompleted quests, the quests may be limited to those that the user U has attempted in the past and failed to complete. Furthermore, the quests may be limited to those of a certain level of difficulty or higher.

It may be possible to specify multiple designated quests, and it may be possible to change or cancel a designated quest once it has been specified. Furthermore, if a long period of time has passed since the designated quest was specified without the designated quest being changed or canceled, or if the quest was an incomplete quest when it was specified but the user U has already cleared it in the meantime, the designation may be automatically cancelled and no notification may be sent even if an event occurs.

Also, if the event in which related characters (or quasi-related characters) can be obtained is a lottery, as described above, the probability of winning each object may differ depending on the lottery. For this reason, notification may be limited to or prioritized when a lottery (second lottery) in which the probability of winning a related character (or quasi-related character) is set higher than another lottery (first lottery) is held. Note that the second lottery mentioned here also includes a lottery in which the probability of winning a related character (or quasi-related character) is set higher than the probability of winning a character of the same rank as the related character (or quasi-related character), that is, a lottery in which a related character (or quasi-related character) is picked up as a featured (popular) item with a high chance of winning.

In addition, when the related character is determined based on the number of times the character has been used by other users U who have cleared the designated quest, the related character may be determined based on the number of times the character has been used during a period corresponding to the time when the user U designated the designated quest, such as by tallying up the number of times the character has been used at a timing specified by the user U. The period corresponding to the time when the designated quest was designated may be, for example, the period from when the quest was held to when the quest was designated as the designated quest, a predefined period such as several hours, days, weeks, months, or years prior to when the quest was designated as the designated quest, or any period selected by the user U prior to when the quest was designated as the designated quest.

Notification may also be limited to cases where an event occurs in which user U can acquire a related character (or quasi-related character) that he or she does not possess. In addition, special characters available for a limited time in collaboration with other works such as manga or movies, other artists, or other companies may be excluded from the related characters (or quasi-related characters) that are the subject of notifications.

In this way, in this embodiment, user U can be notified when an event occurs in which a related character (or a quasi-related character) for a specified quest can be acquired. As a result, user U does not have to worry about which event to participate in in order to acquire a related character (or a quasi-related character), i.e., a character that is convenient for him/her, and he/she will not miss an opportunity to acquire a character that is convenient for him/her by not realizing that the relevant event is being held.

In this embodiment, not only can a user U play alone, but multiple users U can also operate their own user terminals 10 to play a common quest simultaneously in what is known as multiplay (hereafter referred to as cooperative play). In this cooperative play, a cooperative relationship is formed between a user U (hereafter referred to as a host) who hosts a cooperative play for a specific quest and recruits companions, and a user U (hereafter referred to as a guest) who responds to the recruitment and participates in the cooperative play, and the progress of the play is synchronized between the users playing cooperatively.

Cooperative play is conducted through the communication function of the user terminal 10 of each user U. Specifically, when a user U applies to participate in a cooperative play invited by a host and the host accepts the application, a communication path for cooperative play is established between the user U as a guest and the host. The qualifications for applying for cooperative play are not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily. For example, a friend user who has a friendship with a user U and has been mutually approved by the users U may apply.

Then, various data required for the cooperative play is sent and received according to a known communication method. The data at this time may be sent in a client-server manner via the server 30, or in a P2P (peer-to-peer) manner without the server 30. The cooperative play style is classified into a fully synchronous type and an asynchronous type, but either style may be adopted. The fully synchronous type includes a key input synchronization type and a command input type, and the asynchronous type includes a server-centralized processing type and a client-distributed processing type.

Note that games that support cooperative play include cooperative play games in which multiple users U cooperate, and competitive games in which users U compete against each other, but either type is acceptable. Also, the upper limit (maximum number of players) on the number of users U that can play in one cooperative play session is not particularly limited and may be set to any number, but it is recommended to set it to a maximum of about four people, for example.

<Configuration of Game System S>
Next, the configuration of a game system S for providing the above game to the user U will be described.
1, the game system S is constructed so that a user U can play a game, and is composed of an information terminal (hereinafter referred to as a user terminal 10) operated by the user U, and a server 30. The user terminal 10 and the server 30 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network N such as the Internet.

The user terminal 10 is equipped with a program stored therein and a processor that executes the program, and is carried by its owner, the user U, who operates the user terminal 10 when playing. The user terminal 10 may be any known device used as a gaming terminal, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, laptop PC, tablet terminal, wearable terminal, or dedicated gaming device with communication functions. The number of user terminals 10 constituting the game system S is not particularly limited and may be any number, but in FIG. 1, for convenience of illustration, the number of user terminals 10 is shown as three.

The server 30 is a computer constituting the information processing device of the present invention. For example, it is constituted by a server computer managed by a game provider, and is responsible for game progress processing. Specifically, it manages the game account and status of each user U, and distributes data related to game progress processing (hereinafter referred to as game progress data) to each user U. Furthermore, the server 30 is not limited to a server device consisting of a single computer that performs a specific function on its own, but may be constituted by a group of server devices consisting of multiple computers that are distributed and work together to perform a specific function.

The network N may be any network that connects the user terminal 10 and the server 30 in a state that enables data communication. It may be wired or wireless, and includes the Internet, mobile communication networks, LANs (Local Area Networks), WANs (Wide Area Networks), intranets, Ethernet (registered trademark), and the like. In addition, the user terminals 10 may communicate with each other via the network N, or may communicate directly without going through the network N via Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wifi-Direct, etc.

In the game system S of this embodiment, the game progresses as a result of the user terminal 10 and the server 30 working together in the above configuration. Specifically, part of the game progress processing is performed on the server 30 side, and part of the graphic processing, etc. is executed on the user terminal 10 side. For example, the server 30 side executes a program including certain rules, logic, and algorithms. Meanwhile, the user terminal 10 side synchronizes with the server 30 and generates various quests according to the same rules, logic, and algorithms as the program executed on the server 30, thereby progressing the game.

<Configuration of User Terminal 10>
Next, the configuration of the user terminal 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
As shown in Figure 2, the user terminal 10 has, as its hardware configuration, a processor 11, a memory device 12, a communication interface (referred to as communication I/F in Figure 2) 13, an input device 14 and an output device 15, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus not shown.

The processor 11 includes, for example, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit, or a digital signal processor, and executes various types of arithmetic processing based on programs or data stored in the storage device 12, and controls each part of the user terminal 10. The programs executed by the processor 11 include an OS (Operating System), which is system software for controlling the entire user terminal 10, and application programs for games, and the functions of the user terminal 10 that constitutes the game system S are fulfilled by reading and executing these various programs by the processor 11.

The storage device 12 includes, for example, a memory or storage, and stores various programs and data.
The memory is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and provides a working area for the processor 11 by temporarily storing programs and data, and temporarily stores various data generated by the processing executed by the processor 11.
The storage stores various data related to the game, and may be composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disc), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), and USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory).

The communication interface 13 is, for example, configured with a network interface card (NIC) or the like, and controls the communication processing of the user terminal 10. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used by the communication interface 13, and any public communication standard can be applied without restrictions. In addition, the communication method used by the communication interface 13 may be a wireless method or a wired method.

The input device 14 is a device that receives operations by the user U and generates data indicating the contents of the received operations. Examples that can be used include operation keys, operation buttons, a microphone for collecting sound, and a camera for taking pictures that are provided on the user terminal 10.

The output device 15 is a device that draws a screen to display images and character string information, and plays audio. As an example, a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display provided in the user terminal 10, a head-mounted display, and a speaker can be used. In this embodiment, the output device 15 has at least a display. The display may have the functions of both the input device 14 and the output device 15, such as a touch panel display.

Next, the configuration of the user terminal 10 will be described again from a functional perspective with reference to FIG.
3, the user terminal 10 includes a plurality of functional units, specifically, an operation identification unit 16, a terminal-side storage unit 17, a terminal-side generation unit 18, a terminal-side transmission/reception unit 19, and a display processing unit 20. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices of the user terminal 10 and programs stored in the user terminal 10 as software.

[Operation identification unit 16]
The operation identification unit 16 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the input device 14, and identifies the content of various operations performed by the user U through the input device 14 of the user terminal 10. The operations identified by the operation identification unit 16 include operations for progressing the game and operations related to cooperative play. Operations for progressing the game include operations for moving a character by a predetermined action, as well as operations for designating a specified quest and operations for conducting a lottery. Operations related to cooperative play include operations related to soliciting participation in cooperative play, applying for cooperative play, and whether or not the application is accepted.

[Terminal side storage unit 17]
The terminal-side memory unit 17 is realized mainly by the processor 11 and the storage device 12, and stores various data related to the progress of the game (for example, video data, image data, audio data, etc.).

[Terminal side generation unit 18]
The terminal-side generating unit 18 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the storage device 12, and generates game operation data and the like according to the operation content of the user U identified by the operation identifying unit 16. The game operation data generated here includes character operation data based on an operation of moving a character by a predetermined action, designated quest data based on an operation of designating a designated quest, lottery execution data based on an operation of conducting a lottery, and joint play data based on an operation related to joint play. The generated data is transmitted to the server 30 by the terminal-side transmitting/receiving unit 19.

[Terminal side transmitting/receiving unit 19]
The terminal-side transmitting/receiving unit 19 is mainly realized by the processor 11, the storage device 12, and the communication interface 13, and transmits and receives data and information between the server 30 and the user terminals 10 of other users U. For example, while playing a game, the terminal-side transmitting/receiving unit 19 receives game progress data sent from the server 30 and transmits game operation data to the server 30. Furthermore, when a game is being played jointly, the terminal-side transmitting/receiving unit 19 may transmit and receive joint play data (specifically, game operation data of each user U) between the user terminals 10 of other users U.

[Display Processing Unit 20]
The display processing unit 20 is mainly realized by the processor 11, the storage device 12, and the output device 15, and executes a display process to display data and information received by the terminal-side transmitting/receiving unit 19 on the display by a browsing function. Specifically, the display processing unit 20 draws a game screen when the game starts, and during game play, expands game progress data received by the terminal-side transmitting/receiving unit 19 from the server 30, and displays images and other information on the game screen. During game play, the display processing unit 20 also displays images that change according to game operation data generated by the terminal-side generating unit 18 (specifically, images that move according to the operation of the user U) on the game screen.

<Configuration of Server 30>
Next, the configuration of the server 30 according to the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the server 30 has the same hardware configuration as a typical server computer, and includes a processor 31, a storage device 32, and a communication interface (referred to as communication I/F in FIG. 2) 33, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus not shown.

The processor 31 is composed of a CPU, MPU, GPU, DSP, etc., and executes various processes by executing programs installed in the server 30. The programs executed by the processor 31 include an OS, which is system software for controlling the entire server 30, and application programs for causing the server 30 to function as the information processing device of the present invention.

The storage device 32 includes, for example, a memory or storage, and stores various programs and data.
The memory is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM and RAM, and provides a working area for the processor 31 by temporarily storing programs and data, and temporarily stores data generated by various processes executed by the processor 31.
The storage stores various data related to the user U and games, etc., and is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD, an SSD, an FD, an MO disk, a CD, a DVD, an SD card, a USB memory, etc. Note that a server computer for a database connected to the server 30 via the network N may be used as the storage.

The communication interface 33 is, for example, configured with a network interface card or the like, and controls the communication processing of the server 30. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used by the communication interface 33, and any public communication standard can be applied without restrictions. In addition, the communication method used by the communication interface 33 may be a wireless method or a wired method.

Next, the configuration of the server 30 will be described again from the functional aspect with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the server 30 has a plurality of functional units, specifically, a server-side storage unit 34, a server-side transmission/reception unit 35, a server-side generation unit 36, a designation reception unit 37, a notification unit 38, and a determination unit 39. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices of the server 30 and programs as software stored in the server 30. Note that when the server 30 is configured by a plurality of computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the plurality of computers performs a different function.

[Server-side storage unit 34]
The server-side memory unit 34 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and stores various data including data regarding the user U and data for game progress.
The data relating to user U includes an identifier (user ID or terminal ID) that identifies user U or the user terminal 10 used by user U, and various information associated with that identifier (personal information of user U, model of user terminal 10, login history, payment history, and game progress such as status, etc.).
The game progression data includes information regarding related characters associated with each quest, information regarding quasi-related characters associated with the related characters, information regarding objects such as characters and items possessed by user U, and various information regarding quests set for each user U (including a history of clearing and failing to clear a quest, etc.).

[Server side transmitting/receiving unit 35]
The server-side transmitting/receiving unit 35 is mainly realized by the processor 31, the storage device 32, and the communication interface 33, and transmits and receives data and information to and from the user terminal 10. For example, during game play, the server-side transmitting/receiving unit 35 transmits game progress data to the user terminal 10 of the user U, and receives game operation data from the user terminal 10. Also, during joint play of the game, the server-side transmitting/receiving unit 35 receives joint play data from each of the user terminals 10 of the multiple users U who are playing jointly, and transmits data for synchronizing between the users U (game progress data in a broad sense) to each user terminal 10.

[Server-side generation unit 36]
The server-side generation unit 36 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and generates data to be transmitted by the server-side transmission/reception unit 35. The data generated here specifically includes game progress data corresponding to the game operation data received from the user terminal 10, and the like.
The game progress data also includes data notifying the occurrence of an event that allows the user to obtain a related character (or a quasi-related character) for a specified quest, data for displaying on the user terminal 10 a screen for designating a specified quest, data for displaying on the user terminal 10 a screen for playing a quest, data for displaying on the user terminal 10 a screen for conducting a lottery, and data for synchronizing between multiple users U playing together during collaborative play.

[Designation reception unit 37]
The designation receiving unit 37 is mainly realized by the processor 31, the storage device 32, and the communication interface 33, and identifies a designated quest based on the designated quest data received by the server-side transmitting/receiving unit 35 from the user terminal 10, and accepts the quest designation from the user U. The designation receiving unit 37 also accepts changes to or cancellations of the designated quest. The designated quests accepted by the designation receiving unit 37 may be uncompleted quests, or may be limited to uncompleted quests that the user U has attempted and failed to clear in the past.

[Notification unit 38]
The notification unit 38 is mainly realized by the processor 31, the storage device 32, and the communication interface 33, and when an event such as a lottery or quest occurs in which the user U can obtain a related character associated with a specified quest, the notification unit 38 cooperates with the server-side transceiver unit 35 to transmit information related to the event that has occurred to the user terminal 10 to notify the user. At this time, the notification may be controlled to be limited to or prioritized in the case where a second lottery is held in which the probability of winning a related character (or a quasi-related character) that the user U does not possess is set high. Also, if the user U has already cleared the specified quest after specifying the quest, the designation may be automatically cancelled, and control may be performed so that no notification is given even if the corresponding event occurs.

[Decision unit 39]
The determination unit 39 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and determines for each quest the related characters that are recommended for use when playing the quest. Specifically, for each quest, the characters used by other users U who have played and cleared the quest in the past are ranked based on the number of times they have been used, and the top several characters in the ranking are determined as related characters. The number of times used may be tallied each time the user U specifies a specified quest, or may be tallied periodically (for example, once a day) or irregularly. In that case, if the ranking of the characters changes each time the ranking is tallied, the related characters will also be changed each time.

In general, the user terminal 10 and the server 30 have various functions other than those described above, but here we will only explain the characteristic functions that provide the desired effect in the game system S of the present invention, and will not illustrate or explain other known functions, etc.

<Processing flow of game system S>
Next, the flow of processing executed in the game system S configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
The information processing method of this embodiment is realized by using a game system S that functions as a computer system; in other words, the information processing method of this embodiment is applied in the information processing performed by the game system S.

The information processing executed by the game system S in this embodiment is broadly divided into two processes: [event notification processing] and [related character determination processing]. Each process will be explained separately below.

[Event notification processing]
First, the recommended quest notification process will be described with reference to FIG.
The "event notification process" is a process executed on the server 30, which notifies the user U of information regarding an event that occurs in which the user U can acquire a related character associated with a specified quest.
Note that, here, a case will be described in which the processing is performed under the assumption that a notification is given when the user U does not possess a related character and the designated quest is an uncompleted quest.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the server 30 receives the specified quest data from the user terminal 10 and accepts the specification of the specified quest from the user U (S101), it identifies the related characters associated with the specified quest (S102).

Then, when an event occurs in which the identified related character can be acquired (S103: YES), the server 30 compares the related character with characters already possessed by the user U, and if the user U does not possess the related character (S104: YES) and the specified quest is an uncompleted quest (S105: YES), the server 30 notifies the user U of the occurrence of the event by sending information related to the event that has occurred to the user terminal 10 (S106), and ends the process.

On the other hand, if the specified quest has already been cleared by the user U and is no longer an uncleared quest at the time the above event occurs (S105: NO), the server 30 cancels the designation of the specified quest (S107) and ends the process. Also, if no event has occurred in which the identified related character can be acquired (S103: NO) and if the user U possesses the related character (S104: NO), the server 30 simply ends the process.

The events to be notified may be limited to lotteries, or if the event is a lottery, it may be limited to or prioritized as a second lottery in which the probability of winning the related character (or quasi-related character) is set high. Also, if the notification is to be given regardless of whether the user U has a related character or whether the specified quest has not been cleared or not, the above steps (S104 or S105) may be omitted.

5 ends, the event notification process ends. After that, the above-mentioned series of steps is repeatedly performed while the user U is playing the game, or periodically or irregularly according to the passage of time even when the user U is not playing the game.
The above is an example of the event notification process.

[Related character determination process]
Next, the related character determination process will be described with reference to FIG.
The "related character determination process" is a process executed on the server 30, which determines related characters for each specified quest based on the number of times a character has been used by other users U in that specified quest.

As shown in FIG. 6, the server 30 identifies characters used by other users U who have played and cleared the quest in the past from the play history stored for each quest (S201), and tally up the number of times each character was used for each quest (S202).
The number of times a character is used may be counted for the entire period, or may be counted for each predetermined period. The number of times a character is used may be counted separately according to the attributes of the character, the route of acquisition, etc.

Next, the server 30 ranks the characters according to the number of times they have been used for each quest (S203), and determines the top N characters as related characters (S204). The server 30 then associates these related characters with the quest and stores them (S205), and ends the process.

6 is completed, the associated character determination process is completed. Thereafter, the above-described series of steps is repeated each time the user U specifies a specified quest, or periodically or irregularly, and if the ranking of the characters changes each time, the associated characters are changed in accordance with the ranking.
The above is an example of the related character determination process.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.
For example, in the above embodiment, a character is given as an example of an object that can be acquired in an event. However, the object that can be acquired in an event, i.e., the related object associated with the designated quest, is not limited to a character and may be an item or the like.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the server 30 executes the program of the present invention and functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but some or all of the functions of the server 30 as an information processing device may be provided in the user terminal 10. For example, functions equivalent to the notification unit 38 and the determination unit 39, etc. may be provided in the user terminal 10.

In the above embodiment, an online game that utilizes data communication between the user terminal 10 operated by the user U and the server 30 has been described as an example of a game. However, the type of game is not particularly limited, and the game may be an offline game that does not require data communication. Also, for example, the game may be a social game that can be used with only a web browser and an SNS (Social Networking Service) account.

<Summary>
The main features of the information processing device, information processing method, and program according to the above-described embodiment are as follows.

[1] The information processing device according to this embodiment includes a designation receiving unit that receives a designated quest designated by a user from among quests to be played using objects within a game, and a notification unit that notifies the user when an event occurs in which the user can acquire a related object associated with the designated quest.
According to the information processing device, the user can be notified when an event such as a lottery or a quest occurs in which a related object associated with a specified quest can be acquired. This eliminates the user's confusion about which event to participate in in order to acquire an object that is convenient for the user, and also prevents the user from missing an opportunity to acquire an object that is convenient for the user by not realizing that the corresponding event is being held. This reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[2] In the above information processing device, the notification unit notifies when a second lottery is held in which the probability of winning the related object is higher than that of the first lottery.
As described above, the user can be notified when a second lottery is held, in which the probability of winning a related object is higher than that of the first lottery, among other events, and thus the user will not miss an opportunity to obtain an object that is convenient for the user with a higher probability. This further reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and further improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[3] The information processing device described above may further include a determination unit, and the determination unit may determine the related object based on the number of times an object has been used by another user in a specified quest.
As described above, when an event occurs in which a user can obtain a related object determined based on the number of times an object used in a specified quest by other users occurs, the user can be notified and informed, and thus the user can obtain event information for more efficiently obtaining an object that is convenient for the user. This further reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and further improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[4] In the above information processing device, the determination unit determines the related object based on the number of times it is used during a period corresponding to the time when the user designated the specified quest.
As described above, when an event occurs in which the user can acquire a related object determined based on the number of times other users used the specified quest during the period corresponding to the time when the user designated the specified quest, the user can be notified and informed, and thus the user can obtain event information for acquiring an object that is convenient for the user more efficiently. This further reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and further improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[5] In the above information processing device, the designation receiving unit receives, as a designated quest, a quest that the user played and failed to complete.
As described above, when an event occurs in which a user can obtain an object related to a quest that the user failed to clear, the user can receive a notification and be informed of the event, and can obtain event information for obtaining an object that is convenient for the user more efficiently. This further reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and further improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[6] In the above information processing device, when the user clears the designated quest, the notification unit cancels the designation of the designated quest and does not provide a notification even if an event occurs.
As described above, once a user has cleared a specified quest, the user will no longer receive notifications that are no longer necessary, and can more efficiently obtain event information for obtaining objects that are convenient for the user. This further reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and further improves the user's game satisfaction.

[7] In the above information processing device, the notification unit notifies, when an event occurs in which the user can acquire an object that the user does not possess among the related objects.
As described above, when an event occurs in which an object that the user does not have can be acquired, the user can be notified and informed, and can obtain event information for acquiring an object that is convenient for the user more efficiently. This further reduces the burden on the user in regards to the game, and further improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[8] Furthermore, according to the information processing method of this embodiment, the computer accepts a designated quest designated by the user from among quests to be played using objects within the game, and notifies the user when an event occurs in which the user can obtain a related object associated with the designated quest.
According to the above information processing method, the user can be notified when an event such as a lottery or a quest occurs in which an object associated with the specified quest can be acquired. This eliminates the user's confusion about which event to participate in to acquire an object that is convenient for the user, and also prevents the user from missing an opportunity to acquire an object that is convenient for the user by not realizing that the corresponding event is being held. This reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[9] Furthermore, according to the program of this embodiment, the program is executed by a computer, and causes the computer to accept a designated quest designated by the user from among quests to be played using objects within the game, and notify the user when an event occurs in which the user can obtain a related object associated with the designated quest.
According to the above program, the user can be notified when an event such as a lottery or quest occurs in which an object associated with the specified quest can be acquired. This eliminates the user's confusion about which event to participate in to acquire an object that is convenient for the user, and also prevents the user from missing an opportunity to acquire an object that is convenient for the user by not realizing that the corresponding event is being held. This reduces the user's burden in playing the game, and improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

10 User terminal 11 Processor 12 Storage device 13 Communication interface 14 Input device 15 Output device 16 Operation identification unit 17 Terminal side storage unit 18 Terminal side generation unit 19 Terminal side transmission/reception unit 20 Display processing unit 30 Server 31 Processor 32 Storage device 33 Communication interface 34 Server side storage unit 35 Server side transmission/reception unit 36 Server side generation unit 37 Designation reception unit 38 Notification unit 39 Determination unit N Network S Game system U User

Claims (3)

a processor, the processor comprising:
Associate objects with quests that other users have used to play the quest,
When an event occurs in which the user can obtain a related object associated with a quest that the user previously failed to complete, notifying the user of the occurrence of the event ;
Information processing device. The processor associates with the quest an object that other users have used in playing the quest;
the processor notifies the user of the occurrence of an event that allows the user to obtain a related object associated with a quest that the user has previously failed to complete, when the event occurs ;
Information processing methods. causing the processor to associate with the quest an object that has been used by another user in playing the quest;
causing the processor to notify the user of the occurrence of an event in which the user can obtain a related object associated with a quest that the user previously failed to complete,
A program that executes a process.