Game apparatus and storage medium for carrying program therefore

• US 20030139209A1
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Nakayama, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/341,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139209A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/6
• 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 13/5258 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 13/54 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 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• 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 2300/8005 Athletics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/143 electric

Abstract

A plurality of mobile bodies such as bicycles move on a virtual field, and an image and a commentary voice during this movement are reproduced. A running commentary of the moving condition of the mobile bodies is composed of two modes: a normal commentary mode and a specific commentary mode. In the normal commentary mode, an image and a commentary voice are reproduced by a predetermined method. In the specific commentary mode, an image and a commentary voice centered on a specific mobile body of the mobile bodies are created and reproduced. A user can select the specific commentary mode to watch the running commentary directed to the specific mobile body.

Claims

1. A game apparatus which moves a plurality of mobile bodies on a virtual field, displays an image according to a state of the mobile bodies on a screen of a display device, and outputs commentary voice according to the image, comprising:

a normal display output device for displaying the image according to the state and outputting the commentary voice according to the state;

a specific display output device for displaying the image centered on a specific mobile body in the plural mobile bodies and outputting the commentary voice associated with the specific mobile body; and

a switching control device for selectively controlling one of the normal display output device and the specific display output device to function based on a user'"'"'s input.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the image is taken by a virtual camera provided on the virtual field,

the specific display output device sets the virtual camera so that the specific mobile body comes to a center, and an image of the virtual camera at that time is displayed as the image.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

when the switching is made by the user'"'"'s input, the specific display output device judges a positional relationship between a mobile body at the center of the image of the virtual camera and the specific mobile body and changes the image of the virtual camera based on a judged result so that the specific mobile body is positioned at the center.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the specific display output device outputs a message instructing the virtual camera to direct its visual field towards the specific mobile body as the commentary voice, when the judged result indicates that the specific mobile body is not included in the image of the virtual camera.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific mobile body is a mobile body which is selected by the user from the plurality of mobile bodies.

6. A game apparatus which executes a race using a plurality of mobile bodies on a virtual course, displays a race image according to a progressing state on a screen of a display device, and outputs commentary voice according to the race image, comprising:

a normal display output device for displaying the race image according to the progressing state and outputting the commentary voice according to the progressing state;

a specific display output device for displaying the race image centered on a specific mobile body in the plural mobile bodies and outputting the commentary voice associated with the specific mobile body; and

a switching control device for selectively controlling one of the normal display output device and the specific display output device to function based on a user'"'"'s input.

7. A storage medium carrying a computer program executed by a computer to function as a game apparatus which moves a plurality of mobile bodies on a virtual field, displays an image according to a state of the mobile bodies on a screen of a display device, and outputs commentary voice according to the image, comprising:

a normal display output device for displaying the image according to the state and outputting the commentary voice according to the state;

a specific display output device for displaying the image centered on a specific mobile body in the plural mobile bodies and outputting the commentary voice associated with the specific mobile body; and

a switching control device for selectively controlling one of the normal display output device and the specific display output device to function based on a user'"'"'s input.

8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein,

the image is taken by a virtual camera provided on the virtual field,

the specific display output device sets the virtual camera so that the specific mobile body comes to a center, and an image of the virtual camera at that time is displayed as the image.

9. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein,

when the switching is made by the user'"'"'s input, the specific display output device judges a positional relationship between a mobile body at the center of the image of the virtual camera and the specific mobile body and changes the image of the virtual camera based on a judged result so that the specific mobile body is positioned at the center.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the specific display output device outputs a message instructing the virtual camera to direct its visual field towards the specific mobile body as the commentary voice, when the judged result indicates that the specific mobile body is not included in the image of the virtual camera.

11. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the specific mobile body is a mobile body which is selected by the user from the plurality of mobile bodies.

12. A storage medium carrying a computer program executed by a computer to function as a game apparatus which executes a race using a plurality of mobile bodies on a virtual course, displays a race image according to a progressing state on a screen of a display device, and outputs commentary voice according to the race image, comprising:

a normal display output device for displaying the race image according to the progressing state and outputting the commentary voice according to the progressing state;

a specific display output device for displaying the race image centered on a specific mobile body in the plural mobile bodies and outputting the commentary voice associated with the specific mobile body; and

a switching control device for selectively controlling one of the normal display output device and the specific display output device to function based on a user'"'"'s input.