Apparatus and method for displaying player character showing special movement state in network game

• US 10,016,680 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Fujisawa, Jin, Anzai, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason
• Application Number:
  US15/648,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20170304728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

In a network game, player characters manipulated by individual players of video game apparatuses belong to the same party to battle with an opponent character. When a player character making a special move is not present in the party, the display screen of each video game apparatus becomes a screen focusing on the player character of the player who uses this video game apparatus. When one of the player characters makes a special move, not only the display screen of the video game apparatus corresponding to this player, but also the display screens of the video game apparatuses corresponding to the other player characters in the party become screens focusing on the player character which makes the special move.

Claims

1. A network game system in which a plurality of players participates, each of the players who respectively use a plurality of terminal apparatuses manipulating player characters to participate in a game, the game being a two-dimensional game which displays a part of the two-dimensional game, the network game system comprising:

a first receiver that receives movement information transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

a central processor that progresses with the game on the basis of the movement information received by the first receiver;

a first transmitter that transmits game information according to a progress state of the game progressed by the central processor to at least one of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

a display;

an input;

a second receiver that receives the game information;

a graphics processor that causes the display to display an image based on the game information, and

a second transmitter that transmits movement information on movement of a player character according to a player input by a player from the input,

wherein the central processor;

determines whether the player input by the player from the input includes a predetermined input instruction for the player character; and

makes the player character a special player character showing a predetermined special movement state when the player input includes the predetermined input instruction, and

the graphics processor;

causes the display to display a normal image based on the player character of the player who uses the terminal apparatus and a progress state of the game in a case where the special player character showing the special movement state does not exist; and

causes the display to display a special image based on the special player character showing the special movement state and the progress state of the game in a case where the special player character showing the special movement state exists, the special image showing a region with a given area of the two-dimensional space specified based on a position of the special player character.

2. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein the special image shows the region with the given area being around the special player character.

3. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein the normal image shows a region with a given area around the player character of the player who uses the terminal apparatus.

4. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein each of the player characters other than the special player character is configured to send a message to other player characters, the other player characters including the special player character showing the special movement state.

5. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein the input is disabled for a predetermined period of time in a case where the special player character showing the special movement state exists.

6. A method for progressing a game in which a plurality of players participate, each of the players who respectively use a plurality of terminal apparatuses manipulating player characters to participate in the game, the game being a two-dimensional game which displays a part of the two-dimensional game, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first receiver, movement information transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

progressing, by a central processor, the game on the basis of the movement information received by the first receiver;

transmitting, by a first transmitter, game information according to a progress state of the game progressed by the central processor to at least one of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

receiving, by a second receiver of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the game information;

causing, by a graphics processor of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, a display to display an image based on the game information received by the second receiver; and

transmitting, by a second transmitter of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, movement information on a movement of a player character according to a player input by a player from an input,

wherein the central processor of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

determines whether the player input by the player from the input includes a predetermined input instruction for the player character; and

makes the player character a special player character showing a predetermined special movement state when the player input includes the predetermined input instruction, and

the graphics processor of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses causes the display to display;

a normal image based on the player character of the player who uses the terminal apparatus and a progress state of the game in a case where the special player character showing the special movement state does not exist; and

a special image based on the special player character showing the special movement state and the progress state of the game in a case where the special player character showing the special movement state exists, the special image showing a region with a given area of the two-dimensional space specified based on a position of the special player character.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program for progressing a game in which a plurality of players participate, each of the players who respectively use a plurality of terminal apparatuses manipulating player characters to participate in the game, the game being a two-dimensional game which displays a part of the two-dimensional game, the program being executable by a computer and causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a first receiver, movement information transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

progressing, by a central processor, the game on the basis of the movement information received by the first receiver;

transmitting, by a first transmitter, game information according to a progress state of the game progressed by the central processor to at least one of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

receiving, by a second receiver of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the game information;

causing, by a graphics processor of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, a display to display an image based on the game information received by the second receiver; and

transmitting, by a second transmitter of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the movement information on a movement of a player character according to a player input by a player from an input,

wherein the central processor of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

determines whether the player input by the player from the input includes a predetermined input instruction for the player character; and

makes the player character a special player character showing a predetermined special movement state when the player input includes the predetermined input instruction, and

the graphics processor of each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses causes the display to display;

a normal image based on the player character of the player who uses the terminal apparatus and a progress state of the game in a case where the special player character showing the special movement state does not exist; and

a special image based on the special player character showing the special movement state and the progress state of the game in a case where the special player character showing the special movement state exists, the special image showing a region with a given area of the two-dimensional space specified based on a position of the special player character.