Game device, program, information storage medium, game device control method, game distribution method, and game distribution device

• US 20050090309A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Yumi, Takase, Yasumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,651,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game

Abstract

To provide a game device capable of selecting game data to be played by a player when playing a game in a straightforward manner. One or a plurality of primary play candidate data names are selected from secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of items of game data and names for this game data. A primary play candidate data file configured so as to contain primary play candidate data name information necessary for displaying the selected primary play candidate name(s) is stored in a storage media. One or a plurality of primary play candidate data names is then displayed based on the stored primary play candidate data name information. One or a plurality of the displayed primary play candidate data names is selected as one or a plurality of play target data names. A game can then be controlled based on game data for the selected play target data name(s).

Claims

1. A game device comprising:

secondary play candidate data storage means for storing secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary play candidate data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from secondary play candidate data stored in the secondary play candidate data storage means as one or a plurality of primary play candidate names;

primary play candidate data storage means for storing primary play candidate data including primary play candidate data name information for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means;

primary play candidate data name display means for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means based on primary play candidate data name information;

play target data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from primary play candidate data names displayed by the primary play candidate data name display means as one or a plurality of play target data names;

play target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or a plurality of play target data names selected by the play target data name selection means as play target data; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the play target data acquisition means.

2. The game device of claim 1, wherein

primary play candidate data stored in the primary play candidate data storage means contains a game data name taken as the primary play candidate data name information and contains game data itself relating to at least part of the game data name.

3. The game device of claim 2, further comprising

secondary play candidate data deletion means for deleting game data corresponding to primary play candidate data stored in the primary play candidate data storage means and the game data name from the secondary play candidate data storage means.

4. The game device of claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising

primary play candidate data collective reading means for collectively reading primary play candidate data stored in the primary play candidate data storage means, wherein

the primary play candidate data name display means displays the game data name included as primary play candidate data name information in primary play candidate data collectively read out by the primary play candidate data collective reading means as the primary play candidate data name to be displayed based on the primary play candidate data name information, and

the play target data acquisition means acquires game data from the primary play candidate data collectively read out by the primary play candidate data collective reading means.

5. A program for having a computer to function as:

secondary play candidate data storage means for storing secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of game data used in playing a game and a name for the-game data;

primary play candidate data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from secondary play candidate data stored in the secondary play candidate data storage means as one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names;

primary play candidate data storage means for storing primary play candidate data including primary play candidate data name information for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means;

primary play candidate data name display means for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means based on primary play candidate data name information;

play target data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from primary play candidate data names displayed by the primary play candidate data name display means as one or a plurality of play target data names;

play target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or a plurality of play target data names selected by the play target data name selection means as play target data; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the play target data acquisition means.

6. An information storage media storing a program for having a computer to function as:

secondary play candidate data storage means for storing secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary play candidate data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from secondary play candidate data stored in the secondary play candidate data storage means as one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names;

primary play candidate data storage means for storing primary play candidate data including primary play candidate data name information for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means;

primary play candidate data name display means for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means based on primary play candidate data name information;

play target data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from primary play candidate data names displayed by the primary play candidate data name display means as one or a plurality of play target data names;

play target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or a plurality of play target data names selected by the play target data name selection means as play target data; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the play target data acquisition means.

7. A control method for a game device comprising:

a secondary play candidate data storage step of storing secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data in a non-volatile storage device;

a primary play candidate data name selection step of accepting selection of one or a plurality of game data names from secondary play candidate data stored in the non-volatile storage device as one or a plurality of primary play candidate names;

a primary play candidate data storage step of storing primary play candidate data including primary play candidate data name information for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected in the primary play candidate data name selection step in the non-volatile storage device;

a primary play candidate data name display step for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected in the primary play candidate data name selection step based on primary play candidate data name information;

a play target data name selection step for accepting selection of one or a plurality of game data names from primary play candidate data names displayed in the primary play candidate data name display step as one or a plurality of play target data names;

a play target data acquisition step for acquiring game data relating to said one or a plurality of play target data names selected in the play target data name selection step as play target data; and

a game control step for controlling a game based on game data acquired in the play target data acquisition step.

8. A game distribution method for distributing a program collectively or divided into parts, said program having a computer to function as:

secondary play candidate data storage means for storing secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary play candidate data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from secondary play candidate data stored in the secondary play candidate data storage means as one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names;

primary play candidate data storage means for storing primary play candidate data including primary play candidate data name information for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means;

primary play candidate data name display means for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means based on primary play candidate data name information;

play target data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from primary play candidate data names displayed by the primary play candidate data name display means as one or a plurality of play target data names;

play target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or a plurality of play target data names selected by the play target data name selection means as play target data; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the play target data acquisition means.

9. A game distribution device for distributing a program collectively or divided into parts, said program having a computer to function as:

secondary play candidate data storage means for storing secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary play candidate data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from secondary play candidate data stored in the secondary play candidate data storage means as one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names;

primary play candidate data storage means for storing primary play candidate data including primary play candidate data name information for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means;

primary play candidate data name display means for displaying said one or a plurality of primary play candidate data names selected by the primary play candidate data name selection means based on primary play candidate data name information;

play target data name selection means for selecting one or a plurality of game data names from primary play candidate data names displayed by the primary play candidate data name display means as one or a plurality of play target data names;

play target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or a plurality of play target data names selected by the play target data name selection means as play target data; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the play target data acquisition means.