Program product and system

• US 10,118,098 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Takahiro, Arahari, Takunori
• Primary Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US15/363,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20170151503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets

Abstract

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program product for causing a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game that proceeds in a three-dimensional virtual space in which a virtual camera is arranged is provided. The functions include to: generate first output information on the basis of information obtained by the virtual camera; generate second output information regarding a selection object configured to be able to be selected and indicating a target object being a target of an action; generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object which is the target object existing within an angle of view of the virtual camera and not displayed on an output device; and output a game image containing the selection object to the output device on the basis of the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program product for causing a user terminal to control progress of a video game, the video game proceeding in a first three-dimensional virtual space, a first virtual camera being arranged in the first three-dimensional virtual space, the program product, when executed, causing the user terminal to:

generate first output information based on information obtained by the first virtual camera;

generate second output information regarding a selection object, the selection object indicating a target object, the selection object being configured to be selected, the target object being a target of an action when the video game proceeds;

generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object based on a position of the first virtual camera and a position of the hidden object, the hidden object being the target object existing within an angle of view of the first virtual camera and not displayed on an output device; and

output a game image to the output device on the basis of the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information, the game image containing the selection object,

wherein the selection object indicates the position of the hidden object and is generated by superimposing a second layer image on a first layer image, the first layer image being generated based on the first output information obtained by photographing the first three-dimensional virtual space by the first virtual camera, the second layer image being generated based on the second output information and the arrangement information obtained by photographing a second three-dimensional virtual space by a second virtual camera.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the arrangement information is generated so as to be associated with a spot where the hidden object exists when viewed from the position of the first virtual camera in the first three-dimensional virtual space.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the video game is a video game in which at least one character object operates, in response to an operation of the user, within the first three-dimensional virtual space in which objects are arranged, and

wherein the target object indicated by the selection object is the target of the action of the character object when the video game proceeds.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the program product, when executed, further causes the user terminal to:

generate third output information regarding a map image, the map image indicating a bird'"'"'s-eye image of the first three-dimensional virtual space; and

generate fourth output information regarding a second selection object, the second selection object indicating a position of the map image corresponding to the position of the target object in the first three-dimensional virtual space, the second selection object being configured to be selected, and

wherein, on the basis of the third output information and the fourth output information, the game image is output containing the map image in which the second selection object is displayed.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein a player character object and a field object are arranged in the first three-dimensional virtual space, and

wherein the second three-dimensional virtual space is generated based on coordinate information of the selection object in the second three-dimensional space.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the program product, when executed, further causes the user terminal to:

obtain information regarding a conquest status of the target object, and

wherein the second output information is generated in which a form of the selection object is determined based on the conquest status.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the selection object indicates the target object of target objects that exist within an angle of view of the virtual camera, the target object being displayed on the output device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the selection object is generated at the position of the hidden object by superimposing the second layer image on the first layer image.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the position of the first virtual camera in the first three-dimensional virtual space is equal to a position of the second virtual camera in the second three-dimensional virtual space.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the position and an angle of view of the first virtual camera arranged in the first three-dimensional virtual space are equal to a position and an angle of view of the second virtual camera in the second three-dimensional virtual space.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the program product, when executed, further causes the user terminal to:

generate third output information regarding a map image, the map image indicating a bird'"'"'s-eye image of the first three-dimensional virtual space;

generate fourth output information regarding a second selection object, the second selection object indicating a position of the map image corresponding to the position of the target object in the first three-dimensional virtual space, the second selection object being configured to be selected;

generate a third layer image based on the third output information and the fourth output information; and

superimpose, on the first layer image and the second layer image, the third layer image.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the game image includes a plurality of selection objects displayed based on the second output information and the arrangement information.

13. A system for controlling progress of a video game, the video game proceeding in a first three-dimensional virtual space, a first virtual camera being arranged in the first three-dimensional virtual space, the system comprising:

a communication network;

a server; and

a user terminal connected to the server via the communication network,

wherein the server is configured to generate first output information based on information obtained by the first virtual camera,

wherein the server is configured to generate second output information regarding a selection object, the selection object indicating a target object, the selection object being configured to be selected, the target object being a target of an action when the video game proceeds,

wherein the server is configured to generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object based on a position of the first virtual camera and a position of the hidden object, the hidden object being the target object existing within an angle of view of the virtual camera and not displayed on an output device of the user terminal,

wherein the server is configured to transmit output information for outputting a game image based on the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information, the game image containing the selection object,

wherein the user terminal is configured to output the game image to the output device based on the output information, and

wherein the selection object indicates the position of the hidden object and is generated in the game image by superimposing a second layer image on a first layer image, the first layer image being generated based on the first output information obtained by photographing the first three-dimensional virtual space by the first virtual camera, the second layer image being generated based on the second output information and the arrangement information obtained by photographing a second three-dimensional virtual space by a second virtual camera.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program product for causing a server and a user terminal to control progress of a video game, the video game proceeding in a first three-dimensional virtual space, a first virtual camera being arranged in the first three-dimensional virtual space,

wherein the program product, when executed, causes the server to:

generate first output information based on information obtained by the first virtual camera;

generate second output information regarding a selection object, the selection object indicating a target object, the selection object being configured to be selected, the target object being a target of an action when the video game proceeds;

generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object based on a position of the first virtual camera and a position of the hidden object, the hidden object being the target object existing within an angle of view of the first virtual camera and not displayed on a display screen of an output device of the user terminal; and

transmit, to the user terminal, information for causing the output device to output a game image based on the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information, the game image containing the selection object,

wherein the program product, when executed, causes the user terminal to;

receive, from the server, information for outputting the game image on the display screen of the output device of the user terminal, and

wherein the selection object indicates the position of the hidden object and is generated in the game image by superimposing a second layer image on a first layer image, the first layer image being generated based on the first output information obtained by photographing the first three-dimensional virtual space by the first virtual camera, the second layer image being generated based on the second output information and the arrangement information obtained by photographing a second three-dimensional virtual space by a second virtual camera.