Patent ID: 7645195

Claim:
A game device comprising: an input/output control unit configured to receive operation commands inputted by at least one player; a network communication unit connected to a first internal network at a first location and an external network such that the game device receives a communication address of at least one other game device connected to a second internal network at a second location via the network communication unit and the external network, the game device being configured to designate the communication address of the at least one other game device as a communication address of an opponent, and execute an online game; a calculation unit configured to calculate a first master priority Mp 1 based on a status of the first location, the status of the first location including a communication band of a communication line at the first location connecting the network communication unit to the external network, and a ratio of master terminal devices to slave terminal devices at the first location, the first master priority Mp 1 representing a priority for determining which game device is to be designated as a master terminal device that manages the progress of the online game, the game device being designate-able as a master terminal device or a slave terminal device; a transmission unit configured to transmit the first master priority Mp 1 to the opponent via the external network to the at least one other game device; a receiving unit configured to receive via the external network a second master priority Mp 2 that represents a priority of the at least one other game device for determining which game device is to be designated as a master terminal device, where the second master priority Mp 2 is calculated by the at least one other game device based on a status at the second location including a communication band of a communication line at the second location connecting the at least one other game device to the external network, and a ratio of master terminal devices to slave terminal devices at the second location; and a determination unit configured to compare the first master priority Mp 1 with the second master priority Mp 2 , and determine which of the game device and the at least one other game device will be designated the master terminal device or the slave terminal device based on the comparison result, which includes at least one of: comparing status of the communication band at the first location with status of the communication band at the second location; and comparing the ratio of master terminal devices to slave terminal devices at the first location with the ratio of master terminal devices to slave terminal devices at the second location of the at least one other name device.