Game processing apparatus, game processing methods and recording media

• US 20020094854A1
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Inventors: Nishino, Akira, Matsuoka, Yuuichi, Tanaka, Shuntarou, Morita, Masamoto, Shinpo, Akiyoshi, Ohara, Tooru
• Granted Patent: US 6,827,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking

Abstract

Provides a game processing apparatus capable of getting players more excited about playing games.

For that reason, the game processing apparatus of the present invention processes games on the basis of players'"'"' operating signals, and is equipped with processing circuits (10), which process the above-mentioned games on the basis of operating signals supplied from input devices (2b) operated by the players, and which generate the image data for these games. When an operating signal equivalent to a player'"'"'s victory declaration is input from an input device (2b), the processing circuits (10) process subsequent operating signals input by the player as invalid signals until a prescribed condition is achieved.

Claims

1. A game processing apparatus that processes a game on the basis of player operating signals;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which process said game on the basis of operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players, and which generate the image data for this game; and

when an operating signal equivalent to a player'"'"'s declaration of victory is input from said input device, said processing circuits process subsequent operating signals input by that player as invalid signals until a predetermined condition has been met.

2. A game processing apparatus that processes a game, the stages of which are repeated a plurality of times on the basis of operating signals;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which process said game on the basis of operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players, and which generate the image data for this game; and

when a judgement is made as to whether or not the final stage of the game is over, and it is determined that the final stage is over, said processing circuits calculate the number of points corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of the initial stage of the game until the completion of said final stage, and count these as the points earned for the entire game.

3. A game processing apparatus that simultaneously displays a plurality of playing areas, where a game is processed on the basis of independent operating signals;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which process said game on the basis of a plurality of operating signals, including operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players, and which generate the image data for displaying said playing areas;

said processing circuits generate image data for displaying at least three playing areas, which are manipulated on the basis of said plurality of operating signals;

prior to starting the game, out of said plurality of playing areas, the processing circuits interrelate those playing areas which will form cooperative relationships with each other; and

change the processing of the game in playing areas where cooperating relationships have not been formed based on whether or not the results of manipulations in any of the playing areas where cooperating relationships have been formed meet a predetermined condition.

4. A game processing apparatus that processes a game which displays display images arranged in the playing areas and background area;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which generate image data in such a way that the images in the playing areas where said game is processed on the basis of operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players are superimposed on a background image controlled independently from said playing area images, and said background image is visible; and

said processing circuits generate image data that changes said background image in accordance with whether or not the results of manipulations in the playing areas processed on the basis of said operating signals meet with a predetermined condition.

5. The game processing apparatus according to in claim 4, in which said processing circuits process a game in a plurality of playing areas on the basis of mutually independent operating signals, which include operating signals supplied from said input devices;

and

generate image data that changes the method used to display said background image according to whether a playing area, wherein the results of manipulations based on said operating signals meet said condition, corresponds to any of said plurality of playing areas.

6. The game processing apparatus according to claim 4, in which said processing circuits change said background image display method so that the locus of movement of said playing areas relative to said background image emulates the locus of movement of an elastic body that repeatedly jumps up and down on the ground.

7. The game processing apparatus according to claim 4, in which said processing circuits change said background image display method so as to change the color of said background image in accordance with whether or not the results of manipulations based on said operating signals meet said condition.

8. The game processing apparatus according to claim 7, in which said processing circuits change said background image display method based on color change characteristics for color tone change processing stipulated in advance for a plurality of primary colors that determine the color tone of images, and on factors stipulated for the chromaticness of each of the said primary colors;

and

the color change characteristics for the chromaticness of each of the said primary colors are determined based on color tone specific data that indicates the color change characteristics of the chromaticness of a single primary color from the time color change commences until the time color change is complete, and on color tone specific data that indicates the different color change characteristics for the chromaticness of each primary color from the achromatic at the commencement of color changing, through different chromaticness changes until an achromatic is once again achieved upon the completion of color changing.

9. A game processing apparatus that simultaneously displays a plurality of playing areas, within which a game is processed on the basis of independent operating signals;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which process said game on the basis of a plurality of operating signals, including operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players, and which generate image data for displaying said playing areas; and

said processing circuits generate image data that displays a plurality of options capable of being selected by the operator according to whether or not the results of the players'"'"' manipulations in the playing areas processed on the basis of said operating signals meet one or more predetermined conditions.

10. The game processing apparatus according to claim 9, in which said processing circuits hold in advance a plurality of said conditions determined in accordance with the processing of the game, assign points in accordance with whether the processing of the game in one of said playing areas meets any of the plurality of said conditions, and generate image data that displays a plurality of options based on the said number of points scored.

11. A game processing apparatus that makes blocks disappear;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which process said game on the basis of operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players, and which generate the image data for this game; and

said processing circuits determine scores based on the location from which said blocks disappeared.

13. The game processing apparatus according to claim 12, in which said processing circuits change the degree of difficulty of the game in accordance with said character.

19. The game processing method according to claim 18, in which the step that generates image data so that said background image is visible is the step that generates image data for a plurality of said playing areas, in which a game is processed on the basis of mutually independent operating signals;

and

the step that changes said background image generates image data that changes the method used to display said background image according to whether a playing area, wherein the results of manipulations meet said condition, corresponds to any of said plurality of playing areas.

20. The game processing method according to claim 18, in which the step that changes said background image is the step that changes said background image so that the locus of movement of said playing areas relative to said background image emulates the locus of movement of an elastic body that repeatedly jumps up and down on the ground.

21. The game processing method according to claim 18, in which the step that changes said background image is the step that changes the color of said background image in accordance with whether or not the results of said manipulations meet said condition.

22. The game processing method according to claim 21, in which the changing of the color of said background image is what changes said background image display method based on color change characteristics for color tone change processing set in advance for a plurality of primary colors that determine the color tone of images, and on factors stipulated for the chromaticness of each of the said primary colors;

and

the color change characteristics for the chromaticness of each of the said primary colors are determined based on color tone specific data that indicates the color change characteristics of the chromaticness of a single primary color from the time color change commences until the time color change is complete, and on color tone specific data that indicates the different color change characteristics for the chromaticness of each primary color from the achromatic at the commencement of color changing, through different chromaticness changes until an achromatic is once again achieved upon the completion of color changing.

24. The game processing method according to claim 23, characterised in that a plurality of said conditions are determined in advance in accordance with the processing of the game;

and

the step, which presents said options, assigns points in accordance with whether the processing of the game in one of said playing areas meets any of said plurality of conditions, and generates image data that displays a plurality of options based on the said number of points scored.

27. The game processing method according to claim 26, in which the step, which changes game stage processing, changes the degree of difficulty of the game in accordance with said character.

12. A game processing apparatus that processes a game, the stages of which are repeated a plurality of times on the basis of operating signals;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which process said game on the basis of operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players, and which generate the image data for this game;

each time said stage commences, said processing circuits select from among a plurality of types of characters that character which corresponds to that game stage; and

when a new character is selected at a new stage, said processing circuits change the processing of said stage in accordance with how many times a character of the same type as said character has been selected prior to that.

14. A game processing apparatus for a plurality of players to do battle;

the game processing apparatus being characterised in that it is equipped with processing circuits, which process said game on the basis of a plurality of operating signals supplied by a plurality of input devices operated by the players, and which generate the image data for this game; and

when an attack is launched against an opposing player on the basis of operating signals supplied from one of the said input devices, said processing circuits generate image data for warning the opposing player of said attack before the attack takes place.

15. A game processing method that processes a game on the basis of player operating signals;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which, when an operating signal equivalent to a player'"'"'s declaration of victory is input from an input device, nullifies subsequent operating signals input by that player until a predetermined condition is achieved.

29. Machine-readable recording media, which record the program for executing on a computer the game processing methods according to claims 15 through 28.

16. A game processing method that processes a game, the stages of which are repeated a plurality of times on the basis of operating signals;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which judges whether or not the final stage of the game is over; and

a step, which, when it has been determined that said final stage is over, calculates the number of points corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of the initial stage of the game until the completion of said final stage, and counts these as the points earned for the entire game.

17. A game processing method that simultaneously displays a plurality of playing areas, where a game is processed on the basis of independent operating signals;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which, prior to the start of the game, out of a plurality of playing areas that are manipulated on the basis of a plurality of operating signals, interrelates playing areas, which will form cooperative relationships with each other;

a step, which generates image data for displaying at least three of said playing areas; and

a step, which adds changes to the processing of non-cooperating playing areas based on whether or not the results of manipulations in any of the playing areas where cooperating relationships have been formed meet a predetermined condition.

18. A game processing method that processes a game which is equipped with display images arranged in the playing areas and background area;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which generates image data so that the playing areas where a game is processed on the basis of operating signals are superimposed on a background image controlled independently from said playing area images, and which makes said background image visible; and

a step, which changes said background image in accordance with whether or not the results of manipulations in the playing areas processed on the basis of said operating signals meet with a predetermined condition.

23. A game processing method that simultaneously displays a plurality of playing areas, within which a game evolves on the basis of independent operating signals;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which generates image data that displays a plurality of options capable of being selected by the operator according to whether or not the results of the player'"'"'s manipulations in the playing area processed on the basis of said operating signals meet one or more predetermined conditions.

25. A game processing method that makes blocks disappear;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which processes a game on the basis of operating signals supplied by input devices operated by the players; and

a step, which determines scores based on the location from which said blocks disappeared.

26. A game processing method that processes a game, the stages of which are repeated a plurality of times on the basis of operating signals;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which, each time said stage commences, selects from among a plurality of types of characters that character which corresponds to that stage of the game; and

a step, which, when a new character is selected at a new stage, changes the processing of said stage in accordance with how many times a character of the same type as said character has been selected prior to that.

28. A game processing method for a plurality of players to do battle;

the game processing method being characterised in that it comprises a step, which processes said game on the basis of a plurality of operating signals supplied by a plurality of input devices operated by the players; and

a step, which, when an attack is launched against an opposing player on the basis of operating signals supplied from one of the said input devices, warns the opposing player of said attack before the attack takes place.