Game system, game terminal therefor, and server device therefor

Abstract

The present invention provides a game system 100 , a game terminal 10 , and a server device 40 . Game system 100 allows players to play a game in a unit of a group constituting one game terminal 10 that has been selected as a parent node requiring a larger bandwidth during the game and at least two game terminals 10 that have been selected as child nodes requiring a smaller bandwidth during the game. The selection of the nodes is performed by server device 40 . A parent node is selected from a game terminal 10 that has transmitted a grouping request containing ability data indicating that the terminal has the ability to be selected as a parent node.

1 . A game terminal for use in a game system having a server device comprising:
 a communicator that communicates with the server device that forms a player group of game terminals that will play a multiple-player game in a unit of a group by selecting, from among plural game terminals of plural communication groups, one game terminal as a parent node requiring a larger amount of bandwidth during a game and at least two game terminals as child nodes, each requiring a smaller amount of bandwidth;   an inputter that receives an instruction input by a player;   a grouping request transmitter that generates, upon a predetermined instruction being input via the inputter, a grouping request for requesting the forming of the player group and that transmits the grouping request to the server device via the communicator;   a player group data receiver that receives, via the communicator, player group data indicating the configuration of the player group; and   a controller that determines, on the basis of the player group data, whether the game terminal has been selected as a parent node and that controls communication during the game based on a result of the determination;   the grouping request transmitter comprising:
 an entitlement determiner that determines, upon receiving the predetermined instruction, whether the game terminal can exercise entitlement to function as a parent node; and 
 a generator that generates, in a case in which the entitlement determiner has determined that the exercise of the entitlement is possible, the grouping request containing ability data indicating that the game terminal has an ability to be selected as a parent node and that otherwise generates the grouping request not containing the ability data, 
 wherein the server device comprises: an ability detector that detects whether the grouping request contains the ability data upon receiving the grouping request; a selector that selects, as a parent node, one of the game terminals from among the game terminals that have transmitted the grouping request containing the ability data and that selects at least two game terminals as child nodes from among game terminals that have transmitted the grouping requests other than the one game terminal selected as the parent node; and a player group data transmitter that transmits, to each of the game terminals configuring the player group grouped through the selection by the selector, the player group data of the player group; and 
 wherein each of the plural communication groups has plural game terminals, the plural communication groups having been allocated different communication paths from one another, the plural game terminals of each of the communication groups sharing a communication path allocated to the communication group. 
   
     
     
         2 . A server device for use in a game system having plural communication groups each including plural game terminals,
 wherein the plural communication groups have been allocated different communication paths from one another, and the plural game terminals of each of the communication groups share a communication path allocated to the each communication group, the server device comprising:   a communicator that communicates with each of the plural game terminals; and   a grouper that forms a player group of game terminals that will play a multiple-player game in a unit of a group by selecting, from among the plural game terminals of the plural communication groups, one game terminal as a parent node requiring a larger amount of bandwidth during a game and at least two game terminals as child nodes, each requiring a smaller amount of bandwidth,   wherein each of the plural game terminals of the plural communication groups comprises: an inputter that receives an instruction input by a player; a grouping request transmitter that generates, upon a predetermined instruction being input via the inputter, a grouping request for requesting the forming of the player group and that transmits the grouping request to the server device via the communicator; a player group data receiver that receives player group data indicating the configuration of the player group via the communicator; and a controller that determines, on the basis of the player group data, whether the game terminal has been selected as a parent node and that controls communication during the game based on a result of the determination, with the grouping request transmitter comprising: an entitlement determiner that determines, upon receiving the predetermined instruction, whether the game terminal can exercise an entitlement to function as a parent node; and a generator that generates, in a case in which the entitlement determiner has determined that the exercise of the entitlement is possible, the grouping request containing ability data indicating that the game terminal has an ability to be selected as a parent node and that otherwise generates the grouping request not containing the ability data,   wherein the grouper of the server device comprises:   an ability detector that detects whether the grouping request contains the ability data upon receiving the grouping request via the communicator;   a selector that selects, as a parent node, one of the game terminals from among game terminals that have transmitted the grouping request containing the ability data and that selects at least two game terminals as child nodes from among game terminals that have transmitted the grouping requests other than the one game terminal selected as the parent node; and   a player group data transmitter that transmits, to each of the game terminals configuring the player group grouped through the selection by the selector, the player group data of the player group.   
     
     
         3 . A game terminal for use in a game system having a server device comprising:
 a hardware processor including at least one CPU;   a communicator that communicates with the server device that forms a player group of game terminals that will play a multiple-player game in a unit of a group by selecting, from among plural game terminals of plural communication groups, one game terminal as a parent node requiring a larger amount of bandwidth during a game and at least two game terminals as child nodes, each requiring a smaller amount of bandwidth;   an inputter that receives an instruction input by a player;   a grouping request transmitter that generates, upon a predetermined instruction being input via the inputter, a grouping request for requesting the forming of the player group and that transmits the grouping request to the server device via the communicator;   a player group data receiver that receives, via the communicator, player group data indicating the configuration of the player group; and   a controller that determines, on the basis of the player group data, whether the game terminal has been selected as a parent node and that controls communication during the game based on a result of the determination;   the grouping request transmitter comprising:
 an entitlement determiner that determines, upon receiving the predetermined instruction, whether the game terminal can exercise entitlement to function as a parent node; and 
 a generator that generates, in a case in which the entitlement determiner has determined that the exercise of the entitlement is possible, the grouping request containing ability data indicating that the game terminal has an ability to be selected as a parent node and that otherwise generates the grouping request not containing the ability data, 
 wherein the server device comprises: an ability detector that detects whether the grouping request contains the ability data upon receiving the grouping request; a selector that selects, as a parent node, one of the game terminals from among the game terminals that have transmitted the grouping request containing the ability data and that selects at least two game terminals as child nodes from among game terminals that have transmitted the grouping requests other than the one game terminal selected as the parent node; and a player group data transmitter that transmits, to each of the game terminals configuring the player group grouped through the selection by the selector, the player group data of the player group; and 
 wherein each of the plural communication groups has plural game terminals, the plural communication groups having been allocated different communication paths from one another, the plural game terminals of each of the communication groups sharing a communication path allocated to the communication group. 
   
     
     
         4 . A server device for use in a game system having plural communication groups each including plural game terminals,
 wherein the plural communication groups have been allocated different communication paths from one another, and the plural game terminals of each of the communication groups share a communication path allocated to the each communication group, the server device comprising:   a hardware processor including at least one CPU;   a communicator that communicates with each of the plural game terminals; and   a grouper that forms a player group of game terminals that will play a multiple-player game in a unit of a group by selecting, from among the plural game terminals of the plural communication groups, one game terminal as a parent node requiring a larger amount of bandwidth during a game and at least two game terminals as child nodes, each requiring a smaller amount of bandwidth,   wherein each of the plural game terminals of the plural communication groups comprises: an inputter that receives an instruction input by a player; a grouping request transmitter that generates, upon a predetermined instruction being input via the inputter, a grouping request for requesting the forming of the player group and that transmits the grouping request to the server device via the communicator; a player group data receiver that receives player group data indicating the configuration of the player group via the communicator; and a controller that determines, on the basis of the player group data, whether the game terminal has been selected as a parent node and that controls communication during the game based on a result of the determination, with the grouping request transmitter comprising: an entitlement determiner that determines, upon receiving the predetermined instruction, whether the game terminal can exercise an entitlement to function as a parent node; and a generator that generates, in a case in which the entitlement determiner has determined that the exercise of the entitlement is possible, the grouping request containing ability data indicating that the game terminal has an ability to be selected as a parent node and that otherwise generates the grouping request not containing the ability data,   wherein the grouper of the server device comprises:   an ability detector that detects whether the grouping request contains the ability data upon receiving the grouping request via the communicator;   a selector that selects, as a parent node, one of the game terminals from among game terminals that have transmitted the grouping request containing the ability data and that selects at least two game terminals as child nodes from among game terminals that have transmitted the grouping requests other than the one game terminal selected as the parent node; and   a player group data transmitter that transmits, to each of the game terminals configuring the player group grouped through the selection by the selector, the player group data of the player group.