Game device, communication game system, and recorded medium

• US 20060258450A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishihata, Yoshifumi, Naruke, Nobukazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,105,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6646 for the computation and display of the shadow of an object or character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6692 using special effects, generally involving post-processing, e.g. blooming
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

The following types of processing are provided in the present invention. 1) Projection processing in which a shadow projected onto the ground of a flying object flying through a virtual space is prevented from becoming too small. 2) Viewpoint moving processing in which a viewpoint is moved automatically so that a character to be displayed is accommodated within the field of vision of the viewpoint at all times. 3) Semi-transparentizing processing in which, when display objects overlap, the display object with the smaller surface area according to [a comparison of] the displayed surface area is made semi-transparent. 4) Relative strength judgment processing in which the relative strength of teams in a team competition is determined on the basis of the sum of the fighting abilities. 5) Leader setting processing in which a leader character is determined and the outcome of the game is judged according to whether or not the leader character is active. 6) Fighting strength balance adjusting processing for adjusting the balance of fighting strength between the teams. 7) Delay preventing processing for causing a communication data receiving side to return a processing result, whereby processing on a transmission side is advanced in response thereto. By means of this processing series, problems specified in conventional communication game systems regarding game screen display, judgments of the relative strength of teams, and game data communication delays can be amended, enabling an improvement in the game quality of a team competition.

Claims

1-66. -66. (canceled)

67. A communication game system in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, comprising:

a relative strength judging module for judging a relative strength of the teams playing said competitive game on the basis of the total fighting ability within the teams; and

an image generating module for generating an image displaying the results of the judgment.

68. The communication game system according to claim 67, wherein said relative strength judging module determines the relative strength of said teams by calculating the proportion of a maximum fighting ability value of characters manipulated by said players in said competitive game that is occupied by a current fighting ability value, and totaling this proportion for each team.

69. A communication game system in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, comprising:

an activity judging module for determining the relative strength of the teams playing said competitive game according to whether or not a leader character designated as the leader of each team is active in said competitive game; and

a relative strength judging module which, when said leader character is judged to be active, judges the team to which said leader character belongs to be the winner.

70. The communication game system according to claim 69, wherein said competitive game is constituted such that a stage in which an outcome is determined can be executed a plurality of times during each competitive game, and

in the communication game system comprising:

a leader switching module for automatically switching the character designated as said leader at each stage; and

a game executing module for executing each stage of said game under the leader character switched by said leader switching module.

71. The communication game system according to claim 70, wherein said leader switching module automatically reselects the leader character with the best results throughout the previous stages in each stage.

72. The communication game system according to claim 71, wherein said leader switching module automatically reselects the leader character with the best results throughout the previous stages in the final stage.

73. The communication game system according to claim 71, wherein an activity of said leader character is determined with reference to the fact that the leader character has remaining physical strength.

74. The communication game system according to claim 73, wherein a possible competition time of said game is determined in advance, and if the leader characters of both teams are active when said competition time has elapsed, the team whose leader character has the greatest remaining physical strength is judged the winner.

75. The communication game system according to claim 73, wherein a possible competition time of said game is determined in advance, and if the leader characters of both teams are active when said competition time has elapsed, a remaining physical strength of characters belonging to each team is totaled and the team with the greatest total physical strength is judged the winner.

76. A communication game system in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, comprising:

an activity judging module for determining a relative strength of the teams playing said competitive game according to whether or not a leader character designated as the leader of each team is active in said competitive game; and

a physical strength distributing module which, when a physical strength of a character other than said leader character within a team decreases, distributes a physical strength of said leader character to said character with reduced physical strength.

77. A communication game system in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, each of said plurality of game devices comprising:

a condition considering module for considering predetermined conditions corresponding to a balance of fighting strength between the teams playing said competitive game; and

a fighting strength balance adjusting module for adjusting the balance of fighting strength between said teams in accordance with said conditions.

78. The communication game system according to claim 77, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module matches the number of characters in each team participating in said competitive game at the start of said competitive game.

79. The communication game system according to claim 77, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module places weighting conditions on the team having an advantage of a predetermined standard or higher in accordance with an imbalance arising between the teams during the course of said competitive game.

80. The communication game system according to claim 79, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module places said weighting conditions in accordance with one or more conditions selected from a group of conditions indicating an imbalance between said teams, said group comprising the number of characters on each of said teams, an ability of each character set in the game, a competition-winning percentage of each of said characters, and a competition-winning percentage of each of said teams.

81. The communication game system according to claim 77, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module performs processing according to which one character helps another character within a team during the course of said competitive game.

82. The communication game system according to claim 77, wherein each of said game devices comprises:

a tracking object setting module for setting as a tracking object one character from among a plurality of characters comprising an opposing team on the basis of predetermined conditions; and

a tracking module for modifying the position or orientation of a home character manipulated by a player until said home character enters a range within which the character set as said tracking object can be attacked.

83. The communication game system according to claim 82, wherein said tracking module further comprises a correcting module for correcting the position or orientation of said home character in accordance with a movement of said character set as the tracking object such that said home character enters said range within which said character can be attacked.

84. The communication game system according to claim 82, wherein one or more conditions selected from a group comprising an absolute physical strength value of the opponent, a relative physical strength value of the opponent to the home character, attacking strength, defense strength, a presence of a set leader, and a winning percentage of the player manipulating the character are used as said predetermined conditions.

85. A recording medium recorded with a program for causing a computer to execute a game method in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, comprising:

a relative strength judging module for judging a relative strength of the teams playing said competitive game on the basis of a total fighting ability within a team; and

an image generating module for generating an image displaying the results of the judgment.

86. The recording medium according to claim 85, wherein said relative strength judging module determines the relative strength of said teams by calculating a proportion of a maximum fighting ability value of characters manipulated by said players in said competitive game that is occupied by a current fighting ability value, and totaling this proportion for each team.

87. A recording medium recorded with a program for causing a computer to execute a game method in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, comprising:

an activity judging module for determining the relative strength of the teams playing said competitive game according to whether or not a leader character designated as a leader of each team is active in said competitive game; and

a relative strength judging module which, when said leader character is judged to be active, judges the team to which said leader character belongs to be the winner.

88. The recording medium recorded with a game method according to claim 87, wherein said competitive game is constituted such that a stage in which an outcome is determined can be executed a plurality of times during each competitive game, and

comprising:

a leader switching module for automatically switching the character designated as said leader at each stage; and

a game executing module for executing each stage of a game under the leader character switched by said leader switching module.

89. The recording medium according to claim 88, wherein said leader switching module automatically reselects the leader character with the best results throughout the previous stages in the final stage.

90. The recording medium according to claim 89, wherein the activity of said leader character is determined with reference to the fact that the leader character has remaining physical strength.

91. The recording medium recorded with a game method according to claim 89, wherein a possible competition time of said game is determined in advance, and if the leader characters of both teams are active when said competition time has elapsed, the team whose leader character has the greatest remaining physical strength is judged the winner.

92. The recording medium recorded with a game method according to claim 91, wherein a possible competition time of said game is determined in advance, and if the leader characters of both teams are active when said competition time has elapsed, a remaining physical strength of the characters belonging to each team is totaled and the team with the greatest total physical strength is judged the winner.

93. A recording medium recorded with a program for causing a computer to execute a game method in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, comprising:

an activity judging module for determining a relative strength of the teams playing said competitive game according to whether or not a leader character designated as a leader of each team is active in said competitive game; and

a physical strength distributing module which, when a physical strength of a character within a team other than said leader character decreases, distributes a physical strength of said leader character to said character with reduced physical strength.

94. A recording medium recorded with a program for causing a computer to execute a game method in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating said game devices form one team, comprising:

a condition considering module for considering predetermined conditions corresponding to a balance of fighting strength between the teams playing said competitive game; and

a fighting strength balance adjusting module for adjusting the balance of fighting strength between said teams in accordance with said conditions.

95. The recording medium according to claim 94, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module matches the number of characters in each team participating in said competitive game at a start of said competitive game.

96. The recording medium according to claim 94, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module places weighting conditions on a team having an advantage of a predetermined standard or higher in accordance with an imbalance arising between the teams during the course of said competitive game.

97. The recording medium according to claim 96, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module places said weighting conditions in accordance with one or more conditions selected from a group of conditions indicating an imbalance between said teams, said group comprising the number of characters on each of said teams, an ability of each character set in the game, a competition-winning percentage of each of said characters, and a competition-winning percentage of each of said teams.

98. The recording medium according to claim 94, wherein said fighting strength balance adjusting module performs processing according to which one character helps another character within a team during the course of said competitive game.

99. The recording medium recorded with a game method according to claim 94, said game method comprising the steps of:

setting as a tracking object one character from among characters comprising an opposing team on the basis of predetermined conditions; and

modifying a position or orientation of said home character manipulated by said player until a home character enters a range within which the character set as said tracking object can be attacked.

100. The recording medium recorded with a game method according to claim 99, said game method further comprising the step of correcting the position or orientation of said home character in accordance with the movement of said character set as a tracking object such that said home character enters said range within which said character can be attacked.

101. The recording medium recorded with a game method according to claim 99, wherein one or more conditions selected from a group comprising an absolute physical strength value of the opponent, a relative physical strength value of the opponent to the home character, attacking strength, defense strength, the presence of a set leader, and a winning percentage of a player manipulating a character are used as said predetermined conditions.

102. A communication game system, in which a plurality of game devices are connected to each other to enable a competitive game to be played between teams in which at least two players operating the game devices form one team, wherein:

each of the plurality of game devices is capable of sharing relative strength information on the teams playing the competitive game by communication;

each of the plurality of game devices comprises fighting ability balance adjusting means for adjusting the fighting ability balance between the teams based on a physical strength value set for each of a plurality of characters; and

the fighting ability balance adjusting means executes;

processing for judging whether or not the physical strength value of any one of the characters is at or below a fixed value;

processing for, if the physical strength value is at or below the fixed value, judging whether or not a character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value and another character in a same team are positioned within a predetermined detection range; and

processing for, if the character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value and another character in the same team are positioned within the predetermined detection range, distributing a physical strength value of the other character to the character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value.

103. The communication game system according to claim 102, wherein when the character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value and the other character in the same team are in contact with each other, the fighting ability balance adjusting means executes processing for distributing the physical strength value.

104. The communication game system according to one of claims 102 or 103, wherein if the other character in the same team is positioned within the predetermined detection range, the fighting ability balance adjusting means moves the character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value to the position of the other character in the same team.

105. The communication game system according to claim 104, wherein if the other character in the same team is not positioned within the detection range, the fighting ability balance adjusting means expands the detection range.

106. The communication game system according to one of claims 102 or 103, wherein if the character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value is positioned within the predetermined detection range, the fighting ability balance adjusting means moves the other character in the same team to the position of the character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value.

107. The communication game system according to claim 106, wherein when the character with the physical strength value at or below the fixed value is not positioned within the detection range, the fighting ability balance adjusting means expands the detection range.