Computer program product

• US 20050026684A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takeshi, Matsuura, Junichiro, Sumi, Masayuki, Moriguchi, Masaru
• Granted Patent: US 7,837,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/04 for aiming at specific areas on the displays, e.g. with photodetecting means
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6692 using special effects, generally involving post-processing, e.g. blooming
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to propose image processing technology whereby even a player with a low skill level can enjoy a shooting game with more excitement. To achieve this object, according to the present invention, if a player outputs a slow regeneration request signal when processing transits to the status where an enemy-character is about to fire a bullet, the enemy-character and the bullet fired by the enemy-character are regenerated slowly. By this, the player can aim at the bullet with extra time.

Claims

1. A computer program product, in which a player-character who virtually fires bullets responding to the input operation of a player, and an enemy-character who is computer-controlled to virtually fire bullets at said player-character are disposed in a virtual space, and a computer program for causing a computer system to execute processing for displaying the status in said virtual space viewed from a virtual viewpoint on a screen is recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, wherein

said computer program causes said computer system to determine whether a visual effects request for requesting visual effects processing was input by a player,

if said visual effects request was input, said computer program causes said computer system to execute image display processing with visual effects such that the display speed of at least said enemy-character and each one of the bullets fired from said enemy-character becomes slower than the display speed of objects displayed in association with the player operation,

said computer causes said computer system to determine whether at least one of said enemy-characters to be the shooting target and the bullet fired from said enemy-character will collide with the moving locus of the bullet fired from said player character,

if said shooting target will collide with the moving locus of the bullet fired from said player-character, said computer program causes said computer system to display the image of said shooting target being shot at on said screen, and

said computer program causes said computer system to display the elapsed amount of the remaining time when image display processing with said visual effects can be executed on said screen.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein

said computer program causes said computer system to determine whether processing transits to bullet fire wait status where a bullet is fired from said enemy-character to said player-character at least within a predetermined time,

and if processing transits to said bullet fire wait status, said computer program causes said computer system to determine whether said player input said visual effects request.

5. The computer program product according to one of claim 1 to claim 4, wherein

said computer program causes said computer system to determine whether the image display processing with said visual effects is being executed, and

if it is determined that the image display processing with said visual effects is being executed, said-computer-program-causes-said-computer system to execute image effects processing for changing the display mode visually before and after the image display processing with said visual effects is executed for at least said enemy-character.

6. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said visual effects request input is a control signal which is output to said computer system when a foot pedal connected to said computer system is stepped on by a player.

3. The computer program product according to claim 3, wherein

said computer program causes said computer system to measure the elapsed time amount at which image display processing with said visual effects is not executed, and

to increase said remaining time according to said elapsed time amount.

4. The computer program product according to claim 3, wherein

said computer program causes said computer system to determine whether the mode is a mode where two or more players play, and

to update said remaining time so that the increasing amount of said remaining time, when it is determined that the mode is a mode where two or more players play, becomes different from the increasing amount of said remaining time in a mode where one player plays.