Game system

Abstract

The present invention provides a game system with enhanced interest of a game in consideration of exchange of a message with a virtual player. A game system 1 arranges a predetermined number of players necessary for a game by obtaining, as virtual player information, player information 10 of a player excluding real players participating in the game from a player storage device 2 a , determines a combination of players participating in the game including the virtual player, who exchange the message information, associates message information 114 of one of the players combined as obtained message information 117 with another player and, when an operation for outputting the obtained message information 117 is executed by the player in a game machine 3, outputs the obtained message information 117 associated with the player.

1 . A game system comprising:
 a plurality of game machines;   a game server for executing a process related to a game executed by the plurality of game machines; and   an exchange server for executing a process related to exchange of message information prepared by players,   the plurality of game machines, the game server, and the exchange server capable of communicating data with each other via a network,   each of the game server and the exchange server capable of referring to a player information storing device that stores player information including player identification information for identifying the players, game information used for the players in the game, and the message information prepared by the players, and   the game executed by the plurality of game machines being a game executed by a predetermined number or more of players,   wherein the game server comprises:   a device for adjusting the number of players, that accepts participation of a player to the game, when the number of players whose participation is accepted is less than a predetermined number, arranges at least the predetermined number of players by obtaining as virtual player information from the player information storing device, the player information corresponding to players other than the players whose participation is accepted;   a participation player notifying device that notifies the exchange server of, as participating player information, the player identification information related to the players arranged by the device for adjusting the number of players; and   a virtual operation determining device that makes a player corresponding to the virtual player information as a virtual player participate in the game and determines an operation of the virtual player in the game,   the exchange server comprises:   an exchange player determining device that determines a combination of players included in the participating player information for exchanging the message information;   an exchange device that, among the players combined based on the determined combination of the players, generates obtained information having transmitter identification information and obtaining message information which is the player identification information and the message information included in the player information of the player respectively, and adds the obtained information to the player information of the other player; and   a message providing device that provides the obtained information to the game machine operated by the player corresponding to the obtained information, and   each of the game machines comprises:   an output device that outputs predetermined information; and   a message output device that, when a predetermined message output request operation is performed by a player, outputs the obtained message information included in the obtained information provided from the exchange server via the output device.   
   
   
       2 . The game system according to  claim 1 , wherein the exchange device of the exchange server, when the obtained information has been already added in the player information to which the generated obtained information is to be added, deletes the obtained information which has been already added. 
   
   
       3 . The game system according to  claim 2 , wherein the exchange device of the exchange server, when the player information is the virtual player information, and the obtained information which has been already added is not yet output via the output device, does not delete the obtained information which has been already added and does not add the generated obtained information to the player information. 
   
   
       4 . The game system according to  claim 3 , wherein the player information includes state information indicative of a state of the obtained message information,
 the message output device, when the obtained message information is output, sets the state information corresponding to the obtained message to an output state,   the device for adjusting the number of players of the game server adds virtual notification information indicative of virtual play information to player information to be used as the virtual player information which has been obtained, and   the exchange device of the exchange server determines the player information to which the virtual information is added as the virtual player information, and determines whether the obtained information is output via the output device or not depending on the state information corresponding to the player information including the obtained information.   
   
   
       5 . The game system according to  claim 4 , wherein the exchange device of the exchange server sets the state information in the player information to which the obtained information is added to a new state, and
 the game machine comprises a new obtained notification device that, when the new notification is set to the state information of the player information corresponding to the player operating the game machine, notifies via the output device the player of a fact that the obtained message information is newly obtained.   
   
   
       6 . The game system according to  claim 1 , wherein the exchange device of the exchange server deletes the message information which is set as the obtained message information in the player information. 
   
   
       7 . The game system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a registration server having a registration device for registering as a master game machine, the game machine functioning as the game server,
 wherein each of the game machines comprises:   a game master portion having function as the game server;   a game master activation device for, in a predetermined case, activating the game master portion and setting the game machine itself as the master game machine to function as the game server; and   an inquiry device for inquiring the registration server of the master game machine registered as the game master,   the registration device of the registration server, when the inquiry is received from the game machine, transmits to the game machine which has sent the inquiry, a master registration notification for notifying of the registered master game machine and, when the registered master game machine does not exist, registers the game machine which has sent the inquiry as the master game machine, and notifies the game machine which has sent the inquiry of the master registration notification of notifying of the registered master game machine, and   the game master activating device of the game machine, when the master registration notification from the registration server indicates the game machine itself, activates its own function as the game master.