Video game program, video game device, and video game method

• US 20060287023A1
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,147,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/3
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

A video game player can control the movement of a moving object in a video game during a moving object dispatch operation by a character, thereby allowing the video game player to experience nervousness and a sense of realism when causing the character to dispatch the moving object. This video game program includes a first request receiving function, a operation display function, a second request receiving function, a moving object control function, and a moving object display function. In the video game implemented with this program, a dispatch request for dispatching the moving object is received from the controller in the second request receiving function when the dispatch operation of the character is displayed on the monitor. According to the timing at which the second request receiving function received the dispatch request, the movement of the moving object is controlled in the moving object control function.

Claims

1. A video game program for causing a computer to implement a video game that can be executed by means of a controller, in which a character and a moving object are displayed on a monitor, and the moving object is dispatched by the character, the video game program comprising:

a first request receiving function for receiving an operation initiation request from the controller in order to cause the character to initiate a dispatch operation until the moving object is dispatched;

an operation display function for displaying the dispatch operation of the character on the monitor when the first request receiving function has received the operation initiation request;

a second request receiving function for receiving a request to dispatch the moving object from the controller when the dispatch operation of the character is displayed on the monitor by the operation display function;

a moving object control function for controlling the movement of the moving object according to the timing at which the second request receiving function received the dispatch request; and

a moving object display function for displaying the moving object controlled by the moving object control function on the monitor.

2. The video game program according to claim 1, further comprising a third request receiving function for receiving a destination indicating request and a trajectory properties specifying request from the controller in order to indicate the destination and to specify the trajectory properties of the moving object up to the destination, before the first request receiving function receives the operation initiation request;

wherein the moving object control function controls the movement of the moving object according to the destination indicating request and trajectory properties specifying request received by the third request receiving function.

3. The video game program according to claim 1, further comprising a dispatch storing function for storing dispatch information for the character;

wherein the moving object control function references the dispatch information stored in the dispatch storing function and controls the movement of the moving object.

4. The video game program according to claim 1, wherein the moving object control function establishes the extent of the displacement of the moving object at the destination of the moving object and controls the movement of the moving object, in accordance with the dispatch position of the moving object at the character at the time at which the second request receiving function has received the dispatch request.

5. The video game program according to claim 1, further comprising a first timing display function for displaying a timing indicator that shows the timing at which the moving object is to be dispatched, after the first request receiving function has received the operation initiation request.

6. The video game program according to claim 5, wherein the timing indicator is displayed in conjunction with the dispatch operation of the character.

7. The video game program according to claim 1, further comprising a second timing display function for displaying, with text or an image, favorable or unfavorable results of the timing at which the moving object was dispatched.

8. The video game program according to claim 1, wherein the speed of the moving object is determined by operating the controller from when the first request receiving function receives the operation initiation request until the second request receiving function receives the dispatch request.

9. A video game device which can execute, by means of a controller, a video game in which a character and a moving object are displayed on a monitor and the moving object is dispatched by the character, comprising:

first request receiving means for receiving an operation initiation request from the controller in order to cause the character to initiate a dispatch operation until the moving object is dispatched;

operation display means for displaying the dispatch operation of the character on the monitor when the first request receiving means has received the operation initiation request;

second request receiving means for receiving a request to dispatch the moving object from the controller when the dispatch operation of the character is displayed on the monitor by the operation display means;

moving object control means for controlling the movement of the moving object according to the timing at which the second request receiving means received the dispatch request; and

moving object display means for displaying the moving object controlled by the moving object control function on the monitor.

10. A video game method that can execute, by means of a controller, a video game in which a character and a moving object are displayed on a monitor, and the moving object is dispatched by the character, comprising:

receiving an operation initiation request from the controller in order to cause the character to initiate a dispatch operation until the moving object is dispatched;

displaying the dispatch operation of the character on the monitor when the the operation initiation request has been received;

receiving a request to dispatch the moving object from the controller when the dispatch operation of the character is displayed on the monitor;

controlling the movement of the moving object according to the timing at which the the dispatch request was received; and

displaying the moving object controlled by the moving object control function on the monitor.