Game apparatus and method for controlling game machine

• US 20040254016A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.), Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shimazaki, Katsuya
• Application Number:
  US10/840,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/33
• 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 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field

Abstract

To provide a game apparatus that enable notifying a player of a predetermined position by displaying a marker object designating a predetermined position in accordance with the position of an operation target object in a game space, a game apparatus that displays an image related to a three-dimensional game space (50) where a player game character (52) as an operation target object is arranged, includes position control means for controlling the position of the player game character (52) in the three-dimensional game space (50) on the basis of an operation signal, and marker object arrangement means for arranging in the three-dimensional game space (50) a marker object (64) designating a predetermined position (path to another area) in the three-dimensional game space (50) in accordance with the position of the player game character (52).

Claims

1. A game apparatus that displays an image related to a game space where an operation target object is arranged, characterized in that the apparatus includes

operation signal input means for inputting operation signals,

position control means for controlling the position of the operation target object in the game space based on the operation signals, and

marker object arrangement means for arranging, in the game space, a marker object designating a predetermined position in the game space in accordance with the position of the operation target object.

2. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the marker object arrangement means arranges the marker object in the game space in accordance with the distance between the operation target object and the predetermined position.

3. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the marker object arrangement means arranges the marker object in the game space in accordance with the position of the operation target object and an area set in association with the predetermined position.

4. The game apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the apparatus further includes display mode decision means for deciding a display mode of the marker object based on the distance between the operation target object and the predetermined position.

5. A method for controlling a game machine characterized in that the method includes

a step of displaying an image related to a game space where an operation target object is arranged,

a step of controlling the position of the operation target object in the game space based on operation signals, and

a step of arranging, in the game space, a marker object designating a predetermined position in the game space in accordance with the position of the operation target object.

6. A program for causing a computer to function as a game apparatus that displays an image related to a game space where an operation target object is arranged, the program including commands to cause the computer to function as

position control means for controlling the position of the operation target object in the game space based on operation signals, and

marker object arrangement means for arranging, in the game space, a marker object designating a predetermined position in the game space in accordance with the position of the operation target object.