Game machine and data storage medium having game program

• US 20040229689A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishimura, Katsuhito
• Granted Patent: US 7,670,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/30
• 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 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor

Abstract

In the present invention, by evaluating a distance starting from a start point to a unit on the map, the strength of an enemy character to be encountered, the degree of difficulty for an object to pass through a gate, etc., a unit score is calculated for each route. This unit score can be taken as an index of the degree of difficulty for the object to arrive at a unit from the start point. By using this unit score, the game elements can be appropriately disposed on the map in accordance with the degree of difficulty.

Claims

1. A game machine for disposing an additional game element on a game map formed by a plurality of units, comprising:

unit score calculating means which calculates a unit score for each of the units, the unit score being determined based on route information regarding a route starting from a start unit serving as a start point on the game map to each unit;

disposition unit selecting means which selects a unit on which the game element is disposed, based on the unit score calculated by the unit score calculating means; and

game element disposing means which disposes the game element on the unit selected by the disposition unit selecting means.

2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein

the unit score calculating means calculates a distance parameter for each of the units as the unit score, the distance parameter being indicative of a distance of the route starting from the start unit to each unit.

3. The game machine according to claim 2, wherein

each of the units includes at least one connecting portion for connection to another unit, and with the connecting portion being connected to another connecting portion of another unit, the units are combined to form the game map,

the game machine further comprises connecting portion distance data defining means which defines connecting portion distance data indicative of a distance between connecting portions in a unit having a plurality of the connecting portions, and

the unit score calculating means calculates the distance parameter by totaling the connecting portion distance data for connecting portions to be passed through on the route starting from the start unit to each unit.

4. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein

the unit score calculating means calculates the unit score based on game elements located in a unit to be passed through on the route starting from the start unit to each unit.

5. The game machine according to claim 4, further comprising

attribute value setting means which sets a unique attribute value based on a type of each of the game elements, wherein

the unit score calculating means calculates the unit score based on the attribute value set to each of the game elements located in the unit to be passed through.

6. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein

each of the units includes at least one connecting portion for connection to another unit, and with the connecting portion being connected to another connecting portion of another unit, the units are combined to form the game map,

the game machine further includes connecting portion score calculating means which calculates, for each connecting portion, a connecting portion score determined based on route information regarding a route from the start unit to each connecting unit, and

the unit score calculating means calculates the unit score for each of the units based on the connecting portion score calculated for the connecting portion included in a relevant unit.

7. The game machine according to claim 6, wherein

the unit score calculating means calculates the unit score for a unit which includes a plurality of the connecting portions based on a minimum value of the connecting unit scores calculated for the connecting portions.

8. The game machine according to claim 7, further comprising

start unit connecting portion score temporarily setting means which calculates the connecting portion score for each of the connecting portions included in the start unit through a predetermined calculation scheme and temporarily sets the calculated connecting portion score, wherein

the unit score calculating means includes:

minimum connecting portion score determining means which determines a minimum value of the connecting portion scores temporarily set to the connecting portions as the connecting portion score of a connecting portion having the minimum value;

the coupled connecting portion score determining means which determines the minimum value as the connecting portion score of a connecting portion coupled to the connecting portion whose connecting portion score has been determined by the minimum connecting portion score determining means; and

connecting portion score temporarily-setting means which calculates a connecting portion score for a first connecting portion whose connecting portion score has not yet been determined and temporarily sets the calculated connecting portion score, the first connecting portion being included in a unit which also includes a second connecting portion whose connecting portion score has been determined by the minimum connecting portion score determining section or the coupled connecting portion score determining section, and the connecting portion score for the first connecting portion being calculated based on route information regarding a route from the second connecting portion to the first connecting portion included in the unit, and

with a repeat of processes performed by the minimum score determining means, the coupled connecting portion score determining means, and the connecting portion score temporarily-setting means, the unit score calculating means sequentially determines connecting portion scores of the connecting portions on the game map, and calculates the unit score based on the determined connecting portion scores.

9. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein

the disposition unit selecting means selects the unit on which the game element is disposed so that a ratio of a unit score of one unit with respect to a total of the unit scores is equal to a probability of selecting the one unit.

10. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein

the disposition unit selecting means includes transformed unit score calculating means which calculates a transformed unit score by transforming the unit score calculated by the unit score calculating means through a predetermined function, and

the disposition unit selecting means selects the unit on which the game element is disposed so that a ratio of a unit score of one unit with respect to a total of the unit scores is equal to a probability of selecting the one unit.

11. The game machine according to claim 10, wherein

the function used by the transformed unit score calculating means is varied depending on a type of the game element to be disposed by the game element disposing means.

12. The game machine according to claim 9, wherein

the disposition unit selecting means includes:

random number generating means which generates a random number in a predetermined range; and

range assigning means which assigns a part of the predetermined range to each of the units based on a ratio of each unit score with respect to the total of the unit scores or a ratio of each unit score with respect to a total of the transformed unit scores, and

the disposition unit selecting means selects the unit on which the game element is disposed depending on whether the random number generated by the random number generating means is within the part of the range assigned to the unit by the range assigning means.

13. The game machine according to claim 9, wherein

the game map includes at least a unit including a point at which the game element can be disposed,

the disposition unit selecting means includes:

random number generating means which generates a random number within a predetermined range; and

range assigning means which sets the unit score of the unit including the point as a point score of the point, and assigns a part of the predetermined range to each of a plurality of the points based on a ratio of each point score with respect to a total of point scores or a ratio of each point score transformed through a predetermined function with respect to a total of the transformed point scores, and

the disposition unit selecting means selects a point where the game element is disposed depending on whether the random number generated by the random number generating means is within the part of the range assigned to the point by the range assigning means.

14. The game machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

unit storage means which store in advance the plurality of units; and

game map generating means which generates the game map by randomly combining the units stored in the unit storage means.

15. A game machine for disposing an additional game element on a game map which is formed by a plurality of units and defines an area in which an object can move in the course of a game, comprising:

unit score calculating means which calculates a unit score for each of the units, the unit score being a parameter indicative of a degree of difficulty for the object to move from a start unit serving as a start point on the game map to each unit;

disposition unit selecting means which selects, based on the unit score calculated by the unit score calculating means, a unit on which the game element is disposed; and

game element disposing means which disposes the game element on the unit selected by the disposition unit selecting means.

16. A data storage medium having stored therein a game program causing a computer to execute a process of disposing an additional game element on a game map formed by a plurality of units, the game program comprising the steps of:

calculating a unit score for each of the units, the unit score being determined based on route information regarding a route starting from a start unit serving as a start point on the game map to each unit;

selecting, based on the unit score calculated in the unit score calculating step, a unit on which the game element is disposed; and

disposing the game element on the unit selected in the disposition unit selecting step.

17. The data storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 16, wherein

in the unit score calculating step, a distance parameter is calculated for each of the units as the unit score, the distance parameter being indicative of a distance of the route starting from the start unit to each unit.

18. The data storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 16, wherein

in the unit score calculating step, the unit score is calculated based on game elements located in a unit to be passed through on the route starting from the start unit to each unit.

19. The data storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 16, wherein

each of the units includes at least one connecting portion for connection to another unit, and with the connecting portion being connected to another connecting portion of another unit, the units are combined to form the game map,

the game program further includes a step of calculating a connecting portion score for each of connecting portions included in the start unit through a predetermined calculation scheme, and temporarily setting the calculated connecting portion score, wherein

the unit score calculating step further includes the steps of:

determining a minimum value of the connecting portion scores temporarily set to the connecting portions as the connecting portion score of a connecting portion having the minimum value;

determining the minimum value as the connecting portion score of a connecting portion coupled to the connecting portion whose connecting portion score has been determined in the minimum connecting portion score determining step and

calculating a connecting portion score for a first connecting portion whose connecting portion score has not yet been determined and temporarily setting the calculated connecting portion score, the first connecting portion being included in a unit which also includes a second connecting portion whose connecting portion score has been determined in the minimum connecting portion score determining step or in the coupled connecting portion score determining step, and the connecting portion score for the first connecting portion being calculated based on route information regarding a route from the second connecting portion to the first connecting portion included in the unit, and

in the unit score calculating step, with a repeat of the minimum score determining step, the coupled connecting portion score determining step, and the connecting portion score temporarily-setting step, connecting portion scores of the connecting portions on the game map are sequentially determined, and the unit score is calculated based on the determined connecting portion score.

20. The data storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 16, wherein

in the disposition unit selecting step, the unit on which the game element is disposed is selected so that a ratio of a unit score of one unit with respect to a total of the unit scores is equal to a probability of selecting the one unit.

21. The data storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 16, wherein

the disposition unit selecting step includes the steps of:

generating a random number in a predetermined range; and

assigning a part of the predetermined range to each of the units based on a ratio of each unit score with respect to a total of the unit scores or a ratio of each unit score calculated in the unit score calculating step and then transformed through a predetermined function with respect to a total of the transformed unit scores, and

in the disposition unit selecting step, the unit on which the game element is disposed is selected depending on whether the random number generated in the random number generating step is within the part of the range assigned to the unit in the range assigning step.