Patent ID: 7934996
Filing Date: 2011-05-03
Classification: A63F

Abstract:
1. An online video game control server that controls progress of a video game via a communication network, the video game being played in a player terminal, the player terminal being operated by a player, the online video game control server comprising: a game information storage database that stores game information on the video game, the game information being utilized to control the progress of the video game, the game information including player information on player characters and area information on at least one game area of the video game, the player information including player character progress information specifying a stage of progress of the video game for each of the player characters, a shared area and an unshared area being provided in the game area, wherein, in the shared area, both a first player character whose action is controlled by operations from the player terminal and other player characters whose actions are respectively controlled by operations from player terminals other than the player terminal exist together, and the video game proceeds while the first player character and the other player characters share various kinds of data in the shared area and, in the unshared area, the video game for the first player character proceeds independently or proceeds while sharing information with the other player characters which belong to a first party to which the first player character belongs, while the first player character and other belonging player characters belonging to parties other than the first party cannot share any information, the other belonging player characters being player characters other than the first player character and the other player characters belonging to the first party to which the first player character belongs; a controller that controls the progress of the video game based on the game information, and an instance information storage that stores an instance information table specifying instance information for the first player character that is prepared when the first player character moves from the shared area to the unshared area, wherein the area information includes player character specific information specifies the player character, the player character existing in a game area of the at least one game area, the game area including the shared area and the unshared area, wherein when the first player character moves from the shared area to the unshared area, the controller creates the instance information including area specifying information that specifies the unshared area, character identification information that identifies the first player character, and unshared object information with which information on a position of an unshared object and a status of the unshared object is associated, the unshared object information is at least one necessary object needed in a process with which the unshared area is associated, the unshared object information supplying the unshared object that the first player character cannot share with other belonging player characters, wherein the instance information, which specifies the at least one necessary object needed in the process with which the unshared area is associated, is erased when the at least one necessary object is cleared by the first player character, and the unshared object information being used to supply the unshared object that the first player character cannot share with the other belonging player characters, the controller storing the instance information in the instance information table and breaking communication between the first player character and the other belonging player characters, and wherein the controller updates the instance information whenever at least one of the position and the status of the unshared object changes due to an action of the first player character.