Server apparatus and game system

A game system comprising:

• a server apparatus communicable with each of a plurality of game devices that is operated by a plurality of players, respectively, and
• a plurality of terminals communicable with the server apparatus, each terminal being different from the plurality of game devices,
• the server apparatus comprising:
• a memory unit comprising a personal data area for storing data written therein and a personal relationship data area for storing data written therein;
• a personal data writer that writes into the personal data area nonpublic identifiers identifying the plurality of players, public identifiers identifying the plurality of players, and play status data elements indicating results of plays on at least one of the game devices, in such a manner that a nonpublic identifier for an individual player is associated with a public identifier for the individual player and a play status data element indicating a result of play by the individual player;
• a self-public-identifier transmitter that transmits to a first player an information element imparting a first public identifier of the first player;
• a personal relationship data writer that, upon receiving the first public identifier from a terminal used by a second player, the first public identifier identifying the first player writes into the personal relationship data area the received first public identifier of the first player in association with a nonpublic or public identifier for the second player;
• a transmitter that transmits to the terminal used by the second player an information element indicating a play status data element of the first player stored in the personal data area and identified by the first public identifier of the first player associated with the nonpublic or public identifier for the second player in the personal relationship data area;
• and
• a public identifier changer for changing the first public identifier of the first player stored in the personal data area upon receiving a request for changing the first public identifier of the first player from a terminal used by the first player,
• wherein upon changing the first public identifier for the first player in the personal data area, the public identifier changer transmits to the first player an information element imparting a second public identifier of the first player different from the first public identifier, and wherein the public identifier changer does not update the first public identifier for the first player stored in the personal relationship data area with the second public identifier;
• each of the terminals comprising:
• a friend-public-identifier input unit into which a player inputs a public identifier for another player;
• a friend registration processor that transmits to the server apparatus the public identifier input into the friend-public-identifier input unit;
• a receiver that receives information destined for the terminal from the server apparatus;
• a self-public-identifier-change-instruction input unit into which the player inputs an instruction for changing a public identifier for the player;
• and
• a public-identifier-change-processor that, upon inputting the instruction into the self-public-identifier-change-instruction input unit, transmits to the server apparatus a request for changing the public identifier for the player.

A game system comprising:

• a plurality of game devices that can be operated by a plurality of players, respectively, and
• a server apparatus communicable with each of the game devices,
• each of the game devices comprising:
• a play data generator that generates a play data element indicating a result of a game whenever a player plays on the game device;
• a reader that reads a recording medium identifier from an information recording medium of a player used for playing on the game device, the recording medium identifier being recorded in the information recording medium for identifying the information recording medium;
• and
• a transmitter that transmits the generated play data element together with the read recording medium identifier whenever a player plays using the recording medium of the player;
• the server apparatus comprising:
• a memory unit comprising a personal data area for storing data written therein and a personal relationship data area for storing data written therein;
• a play status data generator that generates a play status data element for a first player on the basis of a play data element whenever receiving a play data element together with a recording medium identifier from one of the game devices;
• a personal data writer that writes into the personal data area the recording medium identifier, the play status data element for the first player, and a public identifier identifying the first player, in such a manner that the recording medium identifier is associated with the public identifier and the play status data element;
• a self-public-identifier transmitter that transmits to the first player an information element imparting a first public identifier of the first player;
• a personal relationship data writer that, upon receiving the first public identifier from a second player, the first public identifier identifying the first player, writes into the personal relationship data area the received first public identifier of the first player in association with the recording medium identifier for the information recording medium of the second player or a public identifier for the second player;
• a transmitter that transmits to the second player an information element indicating a play status data element of the first player stored in the personal data area and identified by the first public identifier of the first player associated with the recording medium identifier for the information recording medium of the second player or public identifier for the second player in the personal relationship data area;
• and
• a public identifier changer for changing the first public identifier of the first player stored in the personal data area upon receiving a request for changing the first public identifier of the first player from the first player,
• wherein upon changing the first public identifier for the first player in the personal data area, the public identifier changer transmits to the first player an information element imparting a second public identifier of the first player different from the first public identifier, and wherein the public identifier changer does not update the first public identifier for the first player stored in the personal relationship data area with the second public identifier.