# US 2019/0314723 A1 · Game control method, server device, game system, and computer-readable recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0314723 A1 - Document ID: US20190314723A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/454,502 - Filed: 2019-06-27 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-21 - Assignees: GREE, Inc. - Applicants: Gree, Inc. - Inventors: Koichi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190314723A1 ## CPC - A63F 13/35: Details of game servers - A63F 13/795: for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list - A63F 13/822: Strategy games; Role-playing games (A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence) - A63F 2300/5566: by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A social game and the like that can increase the fun and amusement of a team battle and enhance players' motivation to participate in or continue a game by suppressing an occurrence of any non-participation team not participating in the battle are provided. A guild status determination unit determines, for each guild, whether the guild is in an inactive state or an active state, based on a result of detecting a login state of each player. A guild integrated control unit forcibly disbands a guild (i.e. an inactive guild) determined to be in the inactive state, based on guild activity information notified from the status determination unit. A disbandment notification unit notifies each player belonging to the inactive guild, of the disbandment of the guild. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a server for providing a battle game between groups, wherein each group comprises a plurality of players, the method comprising: detecting, by the server, an independent player, wherein the independent player does not belong to any of the plurality of groups; if the independent player has never belonged to any group and the independent player satisfies a first condition relating to an activity status of the independent player, acknowledging, by the server, the independent player as a first type of formation wait player who waits for forming of a new group; if the independent player has once belonged to a group and an activity status of the independent player satisfies a second condition relating to an activity status of the independent player, acknowledging, by the server, the independent player as a second type of formation wait player; and creating, by the server, a new group when the independent player satisfies a setting condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the activity status to which the first condition relates differs from the activity status to which the second condition relates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein acknowledging an independent player as a first type of formation wait player comprises: comparing, by the server, the activity status of the independent player with player determination information relating to the independent player; and determining, by the server, whether the independent player is acknowledged as a first type of formation wait player based on the comparison. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein comparing, by the server, the activity status of the independent player with player determination information relating to the independent player comprises comparing at least one of: the player's game score with a predetermined score, and the player's progress with a predetermined progress criterion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein acknowledging an independent player as a second type of formation wait player comprises: comparing, by the server, the activity status of the independent player with player determination information relating to the independent player; and determining, by the server, whether the independent player is acknowledged as a second type of formation wait player based on the comparison. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein comparing, by the server, the activity status of the independent player with player determination information relating to the independent player comprises comparing at least one of: the player's game score with a predetermined score, and the player's progress with a predetermined progress criterion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting condition comprises at least one of: the experience value of the independent player is equal to or greater than a specified number; and the independent player possesses a specified item. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: disbanding, by the server, a group of the plurality of groups determined to be in an inactive state. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein determining, by the server, a group of the plurality of groups to be in the inactive state is carried out based on at least one of the following criteria: (1) the group has no battle against another group for a predetermined period or more; (2) no login to the battle game is performed by any player belonging to the group for a predetermined period or more; and (3) the number of players belonging to the group is below a predetermined number for a predetermined period or more. ### Claim 10 A server for providing a battle game between groups, wherein each group comprises a plurality of players, the server comprising circuitry configured to: detect an independent player, wherein the independent player does not belong to any of the plurality of groups; if the independent player has never belonged to any group and the independent player satisfies a first condition relating to an activity status of the independent player, acknowledge the independent player as a first type of formation wait player who waits for forming of a new group; if the independent player has once belonged to a group and an activity status of the independent player satisfies a second condition relating to an activity status of the independent player, acknowledge the independent player as a second type of formation wait player; and create a new group when the independent player satisfies a setting condition. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a server, cause circuitry of the server, to: detect an independent player, wherein the independent player does not belong to any of a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of groups comprises a plurality of players; if the independent player has never belonged to any group and the independent player satisfies a first condition relating to an activity status of the independent player, acknowledge the independent player as a first type of formation wait player who waits for forming of a new group; if the independent player has once belonged to a group and an activity status of the independent player satisfies a second condition relating to an activity status of the independent player, acknowledge the independent player as a second type of formation wait player; and create a new group when the independent player satisfies a setting condition.