# US 2022/0032201 A1 · Program, control method, and information processing apparatus

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- Number: US 2022/0032201 A1
- Document ID: US20220032201A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/506,086
- Filed: 2021-10-20
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-30
- Assignees: GREE, Inc.
- Applicants: GREE, Inc.
- Inventors: Taku WATANABE; Norifumi OKUMURA; Takayuki ITOH; Kanji UEMURA; Naoko HANADA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220032201A1

## CPC

- A63F 13/80: Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
- A63F 13/33: using wide area network [WAN] connections
- A63F 13/48: Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
- A63F 13/58: by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
- 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 13/92: Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A program, a control method, and an information processing apparatus capable of improving excitement of a game. An information processing apparatus (including a server device and a terminal device) executing a process of a game including game content for performing a battle using a plurality of game media may store the plurality of game media selected by a user of the game in association with the user, display some game media among the plurality of game media in a field area and proceed with the game content, and perform a process for providing a cooperation effect including changing of a parameter of a first game medium included in some game media when the first game medium satisfies a predetermined condition and a second game medium in a predetermined relationship with the first game medium and not included in some game media is included in the plurality of game media.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying program code that, when executed, causes an information processing apparatus executing a process of a game including a plurality of game media associated with a user of the game, the plurality of game media comprising a standard game medium and a helper game medium, to execute:
a step of storing the plurality of game media selected by the user of the game in association with the user;
a step of determining when the standard game medium has satisfied a predetermined condition;
upon determining that the standard game medium has satisfied the predetermined condition, a step of determining that the helper game medium, said helper game medium being in a predetermined relationship with the standard game medium, is eligible to provide a cooperation effect;
upon determining that the helper game medium is eligible to provide the cooperation effect, determining a trigger timing, wherein determining the trigger timing comprises determining a game situation associated with the cooperation effect from among a predetermined set of game situations, retrieving a game situation ID associated with the game situation, and matching the game situation ID to the trigger timing associated with the game situation ID; and
at the trigger timing, executing a step of performing a process to provide the cooperation effect.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the standard game medium is owned by the user of the game and the helper game medium is not owned by the user of the game; and
wherein the step of storing the plurality of game media selected by the user of the game in association with the user comprises creating a temporary association between the user of the game and the helper game medium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is further configured to execute, prior to the step of storing the plurality of game media, a selecting step, comprising:
displaying, on a graphical interface of the user, at least one of: a helper game medium owned by another user, and an unowned helper game medium prepared by a game program; and
receiving, from the graphical user interface of the user, from among the helper game medium owned by the another user and the unowned helper game medium prepared by the game program, a selection of the helper game medium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising a step of initiating a match with an enemy character, and wherein the step of storing the plurality of game media selected by the user of the game in association with the user precedes the step of initiating the match with the enemy character.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the cooperation effect is applied to the field area and comprises changing a displayed state of an object on the game field.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the cooperation effect is at least one of:
removing at least one obstacle disposed in the field area between the standard game medium and an enemy character; and
modifying a terrain of the field area.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the cooperation effect comprises a plurality of game effects directed at one or more targets within the game.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein determining that the helper game medium is eligible to provide the cooperation effect comprises determining that the helper game medium is eligible to execute at least one cooperation skill, and executing the cooperation skill, wherein executing the at least one cooperation skill further comprises:
determining a plurality of cooperation skill candidates selected from a broader set of cooperation skill candidates including at least one non-selected member, said plurality of cooperation skill candidates associated with a combination of the standard game medium and the helper game medium; and
selecting at least one of the plurality of cooperation skill candidates to execute as the at least one cooperation skill.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the at least one cooperation skill comprises a plurality of cooperation skills, and at least two of the plurality of cooperation skill candidates are executed as the plurality of cooperation skills.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the at least one cooperation skill triggers a plurality of game effects directed at one or more targets within the game.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of game effects is an adjustment comprising at least one of a temporary or a permanent adjustment to a parameter of the standard game medium, wherein said adjustment is resolved prior to the remainder of the plurality of game effects.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising a step of, prior to the step of determining when the standard game medium has satisfied the predetermined condition, displaying at least one on-field game medium among the plurality of game media in a field area and proceeding with the game;
wherein the step of displaying the at least one on-field game medium among the plurality of game media in the field area and proceeding with the game comprises selecting the at least one on-field game medium as an operation target game medium, and applying one or more user inputs to the operation target game medium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein performing the process to provide the cooperation effect further comprises designating a different game medium as an operation target game medium.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein performing the process to provide the cooperation effect further comprises removing the at least one on-field game medium from the field area and adding the different game medium to the field area.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising:
associating the cooperation effect with at least one game situation in the predetermined set of game situations; and
storing a second cooperation effect, said second cooperation effect associated with a different plurality of game situations from among the predetermined set of game situations.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising:
storing a second cooperation effect, said second cooperation effect associated with at least the game situation; and
determining that the cooperation effect should be executed instead of the second cooperation effect based on a priority order associated with the cooperation effect and the second cooperation effect.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising:
storing a second cooperation effect, said second cooperation effect associated with at least the game situation;
determining that the cooperation effect should be executed prior to the second cooperation effect based on a priority order associated with the cooperation effect and the second cooperation effect; and
following execution of the cooperation effect, executing the second cooperation effect.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising:
storing a second cooperation effect, said second cooperation effect associated with at least the game situation;
determining an execution probability associated with the cooperation effect and a second execution probability associated with the second cooperation effect;
determining, based on a random number generation and the second execution probability, not to execute the second cooperation effect; and
after determining not to execute the second cooperation effect, determining, based on the execution probability, to execute the cooperation effect.

### Claim 19

A method of controlling an information processing apparatus executing a process of a game including a plurality of game media associated with a user of the game, the plurality of game media comprising a standard game medium and a helper game medium, the method comprising:
a step of storing the plurality of game media selected by the user of the game in association with the user;
a step of determining when the standard game medium has satisfied a predetermined condition;
upon determining that the standard game medium has satisfied the predetermined condition, a step of determining that the helper game medium, said helper game medium being in a predetermined relationship with the standard game medium, is eligible to provide a cooperation effect;
upon determining that the helper game medium is eligible to provide the cooperation effect, determining a trigger timing, wherein determining the trigger timing comprises determining a game situation associated with the cooperation effect from among a predetermined set of game situations, retrieving a game situation ID associated with the game situation, and matching the game situation ID to the trigger timing associated with the game situation ID; and
at the trigger timing, executing a step of performing a process to provide the cooperation effect.

### Claim 20

An information processing apparatus configured to execute a process of a game including a plurality of game media associated with a user of the game, the plurality of game media comprising a standard game medium and a helper game medium, the information processing apparatus comprising:
a step of storing the plurality of game media selected by the user of the game in association with the user;
a step of determining when the standard game medium has satisfied a predetermined condition;
upon determining that the standard game medium has satisfied the predetermined condition, a step of determining that the helper game medium, said helper game medium being in a predetermined relationship with the standard game medium, is eligible to provide a cooperation effect;
upon determining that the helper game medium is eligible to provide the cooperation effect, determining a trigger timing, wherein determining the trigger timing comprises determining a game situation associated with the cooperation effect from among a predetermined set of game situations, retrieving a game situation ID associated with the game situation, and matching the game situation ID to the trigger timing associated with the game situation ID; and
at the trigger timing, executing a step of performing a process to provide the cooperation effect.
