Patent ID: 8708813

Claim:
A network game system comprising a plurality of game apparatuses and a server, where each of the plurality of game apparatuses are capable of communicating with the server via a network, wherein the plurality of game apparatuses includes a first game apparatus having a released version game program for executing a predetermined game and a second game apparatus having a trial version game program corresponding to said released version game program, said first game apparatus includes: a connection accepting programmed logic circuitry for performing a connection acceptance to permit a connection from said second game apparatus on said server, said second game apparatus includes: a connection requesting programmed logic circuitry for performing a first connection request to said first game apparatus on said server by executing said trial version game program, a connection information receiving programmed logic circuitry for receiving connection permission information from said server, and a communication game processing programmed logic circuitry for, when the connection permission information is received by said connection information receiving programmed logic circuitry, performing a communication game on the basis of said trial version game program by making communications with the first game apparatus indicated by said connection permission information, said server includes: connection acceptance determining programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not said first game apparatus performs the connection acceptance when the first connection request is received from said second game apparatus, connection permission information transmitting programmed logic circuitry for, when it is determined by said connection acceptance determining programmed logic circuitry that the connection acceptance is performed, transmitting the connection permission information relating to said first game apparatus which at least performs said connection acceptance to said second game apparatus which has preformed said first connection request, and a game version determination programmed logic circuitry that, in response to a second connection request from the second game apparatus, determines a game version associated with the second connection request, and when the game version for a third game apparatus, that is not the second game apparatus, associated with the second connection request is determined to be the trial version game program, denies the second connection request from the second game apparatus to the third game apparatus that is associated with the second connection request.