Storage medium having stored thereon game program, game machine, and input device

• US 20060052165A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Application Number:
  US11/157,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller

Abstract

Specified coordinates in a coordinate system are set based on coordinate information outputted from a pointing device, and a direction in which previously set specified coordinates move to currently set specified coordinates is set as an input direction used in game control. Game control is performed based on the input direction, and if previously set specified coordinates and currently set specified coordinates are the same, game control is performed using the same direction as a previous input direction, as a current input direction.

Claims

1. A storage medium having stored thereon a game program to be executed by a computer of a game machine controlled by a pointing device which outputs coordinate information, the coordinate information being specified by an operation of a player and being based on a given coordinate system, wherein the game program causes the computer to perform:

a specified-coordinate setting step of setting specified coordinates in the coordinate system based on coordinate information outputted from the pointing device;

an input-direction setting step of setting, as an input direction used in game control, a direction in the coordinate system in which specified coordinates previously set at the specified-coordinate setting step move to currently set specified coordinates; and

a game control step of performing game control based on the input direction set at the input-direction setting step, and performing, if specified coordinates previously set at the specified-coordinate setting step and currently set specified coordinates are the same, game control using, as a current input direction, a same direction as a previous input direction set at the input-direction setting step.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

at the game control step, only when same coordinate information is continuously outputted from the pointing device, game control is performed using, as a current input direction, a same direction as a previous input direction set at the input-direction setting step.

3. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the game program further causes the computer to perform an input-direction storing step of updating and storing the input direction set at the input-direction setting step, according to the setting of the input direction,

at the input-direction setting step, if specified coordinates previously set at the specified-coordinate setting step and currently set specified coordinates are different, a direction in the coordinate system in which the previously set specified coordinates move to the currently set specified coordinates is set as the input direction and the input direction is stored at the input-direction storing step, and

at the game control step, game control is performed based on the input direction stored at the input-direction storing step.

4. The storage medium according to claim 3, wherein at the input-direction storing step, if output of coordinate information from the pointing device has ended, the stored input direction is initialized.

5. The storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the game program further causes the computer to perform a specified-coordinate storing step of storing specified coordinates set at the specified-coordinate setting step, and

at the input-direction setting step, if specified coordinates previously set at the specified-coordinate setting step and stored at the specified-coordinate storing step are different from specified coordinates currently set at the specified-coordinate setting step, the input direction is set.

6. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the game program further causes the computer to perform a peripheral area setting step of setting a peripheral area at a periphery of the specified coordinates set based on coordinate information outputted from the pointing device, and

at the specified-coordinate setting step, if a position indicated by coordinate information newly outputted from the pointing device is within the peripheral area, the specified coordinates are not changed, and if the position indicated by the newly outputted coordinate information is outside the peripheral area, the specified coordinates are changed based on the position indicated by the coordinate information.

7. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein at the game control step, if output of coordinate information from the pointing device has ended, game control is continuously performed based on the input direction which had been set before the output of coordinate information ended.

8. A game machine controlled by a pointing device which outputs coordinate information, the coordinate information being specified by an operation of a player and being based on a given coordinate system, the game machine comprising:

specified-coordinate setting means of setting specified coordinates in the coordinate system based on coordinate information outputted from the pointing device;

input-direction setting means of setting, as an input direction used in game control, a direction in the coordinate system in which specified coordinates previously set by the specified-coordinate setting means move to currently set specified coordinates; and

game control means of performing game control based on the input direction set by the input-direction setting means, and performing, if specified coordinates previously set by the specified-coordinate setting means and currently set specified coordinates are the same, game control using, as a current input direction, a same direction as a previous input direction set by the input-direction setting means.

9. An input device for inputting information to a game machine which performs game control based on an input direction indicating a direction in a given coordinate system, the input device comprising:

coordinate information output means of outputting coordinate information which is specified by an operation of a player and based on the coordinate system;

specified-coordinate setting means of setting specified coordinates in the coordinate system based on coordinate information outputted from the coordinate information output means; and

input-direction setting means of setting, as an input direction used in game control, a direction in the coordinate system in which specified coordinates previously set by the specified-coordinate setting means move to currently set specified coordinates, wherein

the game machine performs game control based on the input direction set by the input-direction setting means, and performs, if specified coordinates previously set by the specified-coordinate setting means and currently set specified coordinates are the same, game control using, as a current input direction, a same direction as a previous input direction set by the input-direction setting means.

10. A storage medium having stored thereon a program to be executed by a computer of an information processing device controlled by a pointing device which outputs coordinate information, the coordinate information being specified by an operation of a user and being based on a given coordinate system, wherein the program causes the computer to perform:

a specified-coordinate setting step of setting specified coordinates in the coordinate system based on coordinate information outputted from the pointing device;

an input-direction setting step of setting, as an input direction used in operation processing, a direction in the coordinate system in which specified coordinates previously set at the specified-coordinate setting step move to currently set specified coordinates; and

an operation processing step of performing operation processing based on the input direction set at the input-direction setting step, and performing, if specified coordinates previously set at the specified-coordinate setting step and currently set specified coordinates are the same, operation processing using, as a current input direction, a same direction as a previous input direction set at the input-direction setting step.