Game server system, game element providing method, game device, and program product

Abstract

There are stored in a database stored in a host server ( 12 ) of a server system ( 10 ), a portable phone terminal ID, a player ID, a card ID, and individual information in association with one another. The card ID is identical to a card ID stored in a card ( 28 ) carried by a player. A course data set contained in the individual information specifies an order and names of music pieces to be played by a game device ( 18 ) capable of communicating with the game server system ( 10 ). A player uses a portable information terminal ( 26 ) to execute an application to specify a card ID and generate a course data set, the generated course data set is registered in the database together with a portable telephone terminal ID of the portable information terminal ( 26 ), as individual information corresponding to the card ID. When a player inserts his/her own card ( 28 ) in a game device ( 18 ), the game device ( 18 ) transmits to the game device ( 18 ) a course data set corresponding to the card ID by accessing host server ( 12 ).

1 . A game server system capable of communicating with a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of game devices, and capable of transmitting, individually to said game devices, element-specifying information specifying game elements for use by said game devices to execute games, the game server system comprising:
 a storage that stores player-correspondent identifiers corresponding respectively to game players who will use said game devices;   an information-processing-device registrar that, upon receiving, from one of said information processing devices, an information-processing-device-registration request containing an information-processing-device identifier unique to said one information processing device and one of said player-correspondent identifiers, stores in said storage said received information-processing-device identifier and said player-correspondent identifier in association with each other;   an element-specifying-information registrar that, upon receiving from an information processing device, element-specifying information edited by the information processing device, with its information-processing-device identifier having been stored in said storage, stores the element-specifying information in said storage in association with the information processing identifier and an associated player-correspondent identifier; and   an element-specifying-information supplier that, upon receiving a player-correspondent identifier from one of said game devices, reads from said storage device element-specifying information associated with said received player-correspondent identifier, for transmission to said one game device, so as to enable said game device to execute a game using a game element specified by said element-specifying information.   
     
     
         2 . The game server system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said player-correspondent identifier corresponding to one of said game players includes one player identifier and one or more recording-medium identifiers, said player identifier identifying each of said game players and said recording-medium identifier identifying each of portable recording media that can be carried by each of said game players, with said player identifier and said recording-medium identifier corresponding to said player identifier being stored in said storage in association with each other;   wherein the game server system further comprises a recording-medium-identifier-candidate presenter that, upon receiving an access request indicating an information-processing-device identifier from one of said information processing devices, with its information-processing-device identifier having been stored in said storage by said one information-processing-device registrar, transmits, to said one information processing device, one or more recording-medium identifiers being player-correspondent identifiers associated with said information-processing-device identifier;   wherein said element-specifying-information registrar, upon receiving, from said information processing device, a recording-medium-specification notification and element-specifying information, stores said element-specifying information in association with a recording-medium identifier being selected from among said one or more recording-medium identifiers notified by said recording-medium-identifier-candidate presenter and being specified in said recording-medium-specification notification; and   wherein said element-specifying-information supplier, upon receiving from one of said game devices a recording-medium identifier of a portable recording medium, transmits to said one game device element-specifying information associated with said recording-medium identifier, said recording-medium identifier being read by said one game device before a game player plays a game at said one game device.   
     
     
         3 . The game server system of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising an element candidate provider that provides, in response to a request received from one of said information processing devices, to said one information processing device, element-candidate-specifying information specifying candidates for game elements to be selected by a game player. 
     
     
         4 . A game element providing method for use in a game server system capable of communicating with a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of game devices to transmit, individually to said game devices, element-specifying information specifying game elements used by said game devices in executing games, said method comprising:
 storing, in a storage, player-correspondent identifiers corresponding to game players who will use said game devices;   receiving, from one of said information processing devices, an information-processing-device-registration request indicating an information-processing-device identifier unique to said one information processing device and one of said player-correspondent identifiers;   storing in said storage said information-processing-device identifier and said player-correspondent identifier indicated by said information-processing-device-registration request in association with each other;   receiving, from one of said information processing devices, element-specifying information edited using said one information processing device, with an information-processing-device identifier of said one information processing device having been stored in said storage;   storing in said storage said element-specifying information received from said one information processing device in association with said information-processing-device identifier of said one information processing device and an associated player-correspondent identifier; and   reading, from said storage, element-specifying information associated with a player-correspondent identifier received from one of said game devices, for transmission to said one game device, so as to enable said one game device to execute a game using a game element specified by said element-specifying information.   
     
     
         5 . A game device that receives element-specifying information associated with one of a plurality of game players, from a game server system having stored element-specifying information specifying a game element edited by said game players using a plurality of information processing devices being different devices than said game device, said game element enabling execution of a game,
 said game device comprising:   a reader that reads a recording-medium identifier identifying a portable recording medium, said recording-medium identifier being recorded in each of portable recording media that can be carried by each of said game players;   a notifier that notifies, via a communication network, said game server system of a recording-medium identifier read by said reader;   a receiver that receives, from said game server system, element-specifying information associated with said recording-medium identifier; and   a game executer that executes a game using a game element specified by said element-specifying information received by said receiver.   
     
     
         6 . The game device of  claim 5 , further comprising a registration requester that transmits to said game server system a registration request indicating a recording-medium identifier read by said reader and a player-correspondent identifier input by one of said game players, so as to register said portable recording medium in said game server system. 
     
     
         7 . A program product for causing an information processing device to execute processes for registering in a game server system element-specifying information associated with said information processing device after causing a user of said information processing device to edit said element-specifying information specifying a game element for executing a game, said information processing device being a different device than a game device that executes said game,
 said processes comprising:   accessing via a communication network said game server system, so that said game server system is caused to recognize an information-processing-device identifier unique to said information processing device;   receiving, from said game server system, element-candidate-specifying information specifying candidates for game elements to be selected by said information processing device;   notifying said user of said candidates for game elements to prompt said user to select a game element said user uses in a game; and   transmitting to said game server system a result of game element selection by said user together with said information-processing-device identifier.   
     
     
         8 . The program product of  claim 7 , for causing said information processing device to execute further processes of:
 receiving from said game server system a plurality of recording-medium identifiers corresponding respectively to a plurality of portable recording media that can be carried by a single game player who is said user of said information processing device;   notifying said user of said plurality of recording-medium identifiers, to prompt said user to select one recording-medium identifier from among said plurality of recording-medium identifiers; and   transmitting to said game server system a recording-medium-specification notification that specifies said recording-medium identifier selected by said user.