Video game program and video game device

• US 20070076015A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanabe, Kensuke, Inoue, Nobuyuki, Matsuura, Hiroki, Ohin, Takeo
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• 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 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

Displayed on a first LCD 11 are a “fire” planet 40a, a “wood” planet 40b; an “earth” planet 40c, a “wind” planet 40d and a “water” planet 40e,each traveling along an orbit by a unique orbital period. While an attribute symbol is traveling through an active zone that is associated with the attribute symbol, the status of the attribute represented by the attribute symbol is active. An attribute being active affects the space attribute, which is the attribute of a particular space in the game world. The space attribute affects the ability parameters of characters of the same attribute. Thus, it is possible to enrich the strategic aspect of a video game using characters'"'"' attributes.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing a video game program to be executed by a video game device including display means, control means and storage means, the video game program instructing a computer of the video game device to function as:

attribute status changing means for switching a status of each of a plurality of predetermined attributes between active and inactive in real time and for storing the status of each attribute in the storage means;

attribute status display control means for producing an attribute status barometer image and displaying the attribute status barometer image on the display means, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active;

space attribute determining means for determining a space attribute according to an attribute currently being active and storing the space attribute in the storage means;

attribute comparison means for comparing an attribute of a character in a game world with the space attribute determined by the space attribute determining means;

character ability changing means for changing an ability parameter of the character based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison means; and

game process means for performing a game process using the ability parameter, which has been changed by the character ability changing means, based on an instruction inputted by a player through the control means.

2. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein a period by which the status of each attribute is switched by the attribute status changing means from inactive to active is different from one attribute to another.

3. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the attribute status display control means produces an attribute status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display means, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active, in terms of positions at which attribute symbols each associated with one attribute are displayed.

4. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the attribute status display control means produces an attribute status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display means, wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active.

5. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein:

a position of the active zone is different for each attribute symbol; and

the attribute status display control means produces an attribute status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display means, wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for the attribute symbol while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active whereas the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for another attribute symbol while the status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being inactive.

6. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the game process means performs a game process in which a plurality of characters, including a player character and an enemy character, are involved in a battle against each other;

the character ability changing means changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison means;

the attribute comparison means compares an attribute of each character with the space attribute determined by the space attribute determining means; and

the character ability changing means changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character if an attribute of the character corresponds to the space attribute based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison means.

7. A video game device, comprising:

display means for displaying a game image;

control means to be controlled by a player;

storage means for storing data for a game process;

attribute status changing means for switching a status of each of a plurality of predetermined attributes between active and inactive in real time and for storing the status of each attribute in the storage means;

attribute status display control means for producing an attribute status barometer image and displaying the attribute status barometer image on the display means, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active;

space attribute determining means for determining a space attribute according to an attribute currently being active and storing the space attribute in the storage means;

attribute comparison means for comparing an attribute of a character in a game world with the space attribute determined by the space attribute determining means;

character ability changing means for changing an ability parameter of the character based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison means; and

game process means for performing a game process using the ability parameter, which has been changed by the character ability changing means, based on an instruction inputted by a player through the control means.

8. The video game device according to claim 7, wherein:

the game process means performs a game process in which a plurality of characters, including a player character and an enemy character, are involved in a battle against each other;

the character ability changing means changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison means;

the attribute comparison means compares an attribute of each character with the space attribute determined by the space attribute determining means; and

the character ability changing means changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character if an attribute of the character corresponds to the space attribute based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison means.