Method, video game device, and program for controlling game character

• US 20010039207A1
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Yosuke, Horigami, Atsushi, Mukai, Shinsuke
• Granted Patent: US 6,544,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car

Abstract

A method and a video game device are provided which makes a game character perform different actions according to a moving range or a moving speed of an analog button manipulated by a game player. When the analog button is moved to an adjacent point, the game character is controlled to change a posture of holding a sword. When the analog button is moved to a non-adjacent point, the game character is controlled to change a posture of holding the sword or attack enemies by slashing the sword, according to the moving speed of the analog button.

Claims

1. A video game device which controls operations of a game character according to manipulations of a button by a game player, comprising:

a measuring unit which measures a moving time from a time instant at which the button leaves a first position to another time instant at which the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player; and

a character control unit which controls to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.

2. The video game device of

claim 1

further comprising a position determining unit which determines a position relationship between the first position and the second position, wherein the character control unit controls to make the game character perform operations according to a combination of the measured moving time and the determined position relationship.

3. The video game device of

claim 2

, wherein the position determining unit which determines whether or not the second position belongs within a predetermined area adjacent to the first position.

4. The video game device of

claim 3

, wherein positions of the button are collectively expressed as a point, and when the button is moved to a predetermined range, the button is represented by a point corresponding to the predetermined range,

and wherein the position determining unit determines that the second position belongs within a predetermined area adjacent to the first position when a second point corresponding to the second position is adjacent to a first point corresponding to the first position.

5. The video game device of

claim 4

, wherein the points are located on a circumference corresponding to the outskirts of possible moving area of the button or are located on the center point of the circumference,

wherein the position determining unit determines that the second position belongs within a predetermined area adjacent to the first position when the first point is adjacent to the second point on the circumference or on a line connecting between a point on the circumference and the center point.

6. The video game device of

claim 1

, wherein the character control unit controls to make the game character slash a sword when the measured moving time is within a predetermined time, and controls to make the game character change a posture of holding the sword when the measured moving time exceeds the predetermined time.

7. The video game device of

claim 6

, wherein the direction of the slashing of the sword and the direction of the changing the posture of holding the sword are determined according to the moving direction of the button from the first position to the second position.

8. The video game device of

claim 3

further comprising:

(1) a first control unit which makes the game character change a posture of holding a sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is adjacent to the first position;

(2) a second control unit which makes the game character change a posture of holding the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button exceeds a predetermined time;

(3) a third control unit which makes the game character slash the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button is within the predetermined time.

9. The video game device of

claim 8

, wherein the direction of the slashing of the sword and the direction of the changing the posture of holding the sword are determined according to the moving direction of the button from the first position to the second position.

10. A method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player; and

controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.

11. The method of

claim 10

further comprising the step of determining a position relationship between the first position and the second position, wherein the controlling step controls to make the game character perform operations according to a combination of the measured moving time and the determined position relationship.

12. A recording medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player; and

controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.

13. The recording medium of

claim 12

, wherein the method further comprising the step of determining a position relationship between the first position and the second position, wherein the controlling step controls to make the game character perform operations according to a combination of the measured moving time and the determined position relationship.

14. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player; and

controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.

15. A program product comprising, computer readable instructions and a recording medium bearing the computer readable instructions;

the instructions being adaptable to enable a computer to perform a method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player, the method comprising the steps of;

measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player; and

controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.