Video game control server, video game control apparatus, and video game control program product

A video game control server for controlling progress of a video game via a communication network, the video game being carried out by one or more video game control apparatuses, the one or more video game control apparatuses being respectively operated by a plurality of players, the video game control server comprising:

• a progress status information storer for storing progress status information, the progress status information indicating a status of progress of the video game for each of the plurality of players, the plurality of players playing the video game;
• a group arrival determiner for determining, by referring to the status of the progress of the video game for each of the plurality of players belonging to a group, whether the number of players who satisfy a predetermined achievement condition of the plurality of players reaches a predetermined number or not;
• and
• a special game starter for causing a special game to start in a case where the group arrival determiner determines that the number of satisfied players reaches the predetermined number, the special game being played by players of the predetermined number who satisfy at least the predetermined achievement condition of the players belonging to the group.