Storage medium having stored therein game program, game apparatus, game system, and game processing method

• US 10,179,278 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Hirosawa, Teruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): LIDDLE, JAY TRENT
• Application Number:
  US13/763,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 463 32, 463 35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation

Abstract

An input of a user is received from an input unit, and in accordance with the input of the user, an operation object displayed on a display screen moves in a predetermined movement-allowed range. A plurality of sound objects appear and move in the display screen, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with a composition to be performed. Then, if the operation object and each sound object have made contact with each other, the sound set for the sound object is output.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display screen;

a touch panel configured to receive a touch input on the display screen; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the display screen and the touch panel, the at least one processor being configured to at least;

control the display screen to display an operation object that is movable in a movement-allowed region corresponding to a portion of the display screen;

control the display screen to cause a plurality of sound objects to appear in accordance with a musical composition outside of the movement-allowed region, and to automatically move the plurality of sound objects along a plurality of movement paths that cross the movement-allowed region, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with the musical composition to be performed;

in accordance with a touch input on the display screen received by the touch panel, move the operation object in the movement-allowed region;

determine whether or not the operation object, responsive to movement made in accordance with the received touch input, makes contact with one of the sound objects automatically moving along one of the movement paths crossing the movement-allowed region; and

upon determining that the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects and that the touch input on the display screen is maintained when the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects, generate sound data based on the sound set for the sound object determined to contact the operation object and control output of sound based on the generated sound data, wherein the operation object includes at least a first region and a second region, and the sound data differs in accordance with which of the first region or the second region of the operation object has made contact with the sound object,

wherein (1) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object when the sound object has made contact with the first region of the operation object, and (2) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object with a change in loudness, pitch, and/or timbre, from when contact is made in the first region, when the sound object has made contact with the second region of the operation object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movement-allowed region is a circular movement path and the sound objects are moved so as to cross the circular movement path.

3. A game system, including a plurality of apparatuses configured to communicate with each other, for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game system comprising:

a display screen;

a touch panel configured to receive a touch input on the display screen; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the display screen and the touch panel, the at least one processor being configured to at least;

control the display screen to display an operation object that is movable in a movement-allowed region corresponding to a portion of the display screen;

control the display screen to cause a plurality of sound objects to appear in accordance with a musical composition outside of the movement-allowed region, and to automatically move the plurality of sound objects along a plurality of movement paths that cross the movement-allowed region, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with the musical composition to be performed;

in accordance with a touch input on the display screen received by the touch panel, move the operation object in the movement-allowed region;

determine whether or not the operation object, responsive to movement made in accordance with the received touch input, makes contact with one of the sound objects automatically moving along one of the movement paths crossing the movement-allowed region; and

upon determining that the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects and that the touch input on the display screen is maintained when the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects, generate sound data based on the sound set for the sound object determined to contact the operation object and control output of sound based on the generated sound data, wherein the operation object includes at least a first region and a second region, and the sound data differs in accordance with which of the first region or the second region of the operation object has made contact with the sound object,

wherein (1) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object when the sound object has made contact with the first region of the operation object, and (2) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object with a change in loudness, pitch, and/or timbre, from when contact is made in the first region, when the sound object has made contact with the second region of the operation object.

4. A game processing method to be executed by a processor or a cooperation of a plurality of processors, the processor and the plurality of processors contained in a system including at least one information processing apparatus for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game processing method comprising:

controlling a display screen to display an operation object that is movable in a movement-allowed region corresponding to a portion of the display screen;

controlling the display screen to cause a plurality of sound objects to appear in accordance with a musical composition outside of the movement-allowed region, and to automatically move the plurality of sound objects along a plurality of movement paths that cross the movement-allowed region, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with the musical composition to be performed;

in accordance with a touch input on the display screen, moving the operation object in the movement-allowed region;

determining whether or not the operation object, responsive to movement made in accordance with the touch input, makes contact with one of the sound objects automatically moving along one of the movement paths crossing the movement-allowed region; and

upon determining that the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects and that the touch input on the display screen is maintained when the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects, generating sound data based on the sound set for the sound object determined to contact the operation object and outputting sound based on the generated sound data, wherein the operation object includes at least a first region and a second region, and the sound data differs in accordance with which of the first region or the second region of the operation object has made contact with the sound object,

wherein (1) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object when the sound object has made contact with the first region of the operation object, and (2) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object with a change in loudness, pitch, and/or timbre, from when contact is made in the first region, when the sound object has made contact with the second region of the operation object.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program to be executed by a computer of an apparatus for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game program, when executed, causing the computer to at least:

display, on a display screen, an operation object that is movable in a movement-allowed region corresponding to a portion of the display screen;

cause a plurality of sound objects to appear, on the display screen, in accordance with a musical composition outside of the movement-allowed region, and automatically move the plurality of sound objects along a plurality of movement paths that cross the movement-allowed region, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with the musical composition to be performed;

in accordance with a touch input received by a touch panel, move the operation object in the movement-allowed region;

determine whether or not the operation object, responsive to movement made in accordance with the received touch input, makes contact with one of the sound objects automatically moving along one of the movement paths crossing the movement-allowed region; and

upon determining that the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects and that the touch input on the display screen is maintained when the operation object makes contact with one of the sound objects, generate sound data based on the sound set for the sound object determined to contact the operation object and control output of sound based on the generated sound data, wherein the operation object includes at least a first region and a second region, and the sound data differs in accordance with which of the first region or the second region has made contact with the sound object,

wherein (1) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object when the sound object has made contact with the first region of the operation object, and (2) the sound data includes the set sound for the sound object contacting the operation object with a change in loudness, pitch, and/or timbre, from when contact is made in the first region, when the sound object has made contact with the second region of the operation object.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 5, wherein

the plurality of sound objects are formed of a plurality of types of sound objects differing in accordance with steps of sounds set for the respective sound object.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 6, wherein

the plurality of movement paths are set in accordance with the steps of the respective sounds to be output, and the sound objects move along the movement paths based on the steps set for the respective sound objects.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 7, wherein

the movement-allowed region is provided so as to extend in a left-right direction or an up-down direction in a virtual world displayed on the display screen;

and

the sound objects move along the plurality of movement paths provided orthogonal to the movement-allowed region of the operation object.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 5, wherein

if the sound object has made contact with the second region of the operation object, an amount of change in a pitch of a sound is set and/or an amount of change in a loudness of a sound is set in accordance with a distance between the first region and the contact position, and a sound obtained by changing the pitch and/or the loudness of the sound set for the sound object by the set amount is output.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 5, wherein

a sound obtained by changing loudness, pitch, and/or timbre of the sound set for the sound object is output in accordance with a time when the operation object and the sound object have made contact with each other.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 5, further causing the computer to execute

evaluating an operation of the user in accordance with a state of contact of the operation object and the sound object, wherein

the evaluation differs in accordance with a time when the operation object and the sound object have made contact with each other.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 5, wherein

in a virtual space displayed on the display screen, a movement-allowed path provided on a plane parallel to the display screen is set as the movement-allowed region, and the operation object moves along the movement-allowed path;

and

the sound objects move along the plurality of movement paths provided so as to extend in a depth direction in the virtual space.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 5, wherein the movement-allowed region is a circular movement path and the plurality of sound objects are moved so as to cross the circular movement path.