VIDEO GAME PROCESSING APPARATUS, A METHOD AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PROCESSING A VIDEO GAME

• US 20070218992A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Maehiro, Kazutoyo, Isowaki, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,677,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/60 Methods for processing data by generating or executing the game program

Abstract

A movement determining map is stored in addition to a field display map. The field display map is a three-dimensional map for displaying a field of the video game on the image display screen. The movement determining map is a two-dimensional map in which an enterable region. An unenterable region is distinguishably provided for the characters existing in the field. A control section determines a movement route of the sub character, in which no unenterable region exists, using the movement determining map when a predetermined movement route determining condition is met. The sub character is caused to move in accordance with the determined movement route. The predetermined movement route determining condition is met every predetermined period of time or in the case where the main character moves apart from the sub character in a predetermined distance or more.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus that causes an image display apparatus to display multiple characters, including a main character and a sub character, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the video game processing apparatus controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player and an action of the sub character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with a predetermined control program, the sub character moving so as to follow the main character, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

a movement determining map memory that stores a movement determining map in addition to a field display map, the field display map being a three-dimensional map for displaying a field of the video game on the image display screen, the movement determining map being a two-dimensional map in which an enterable region and an unenterable region being distinguishably provided for the characters existing in the field;

a movement route determiner that determines a movement route of the sub character using the movement determining map when a predetermined movement route determining condition is met, no unenterable region existing on the movement route of the sub character; and

a movement executor that causes the sub character to move in accordance with the movement route determined by the movement route determiner.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined movement route determining condition is met every predetermined period of time.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined movement route determining condition is met in the case where the main character moves apart from the sub character in a predetermined distance or more.

4. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement determining map includes a floor part having an enterable region in at least a part thereof and a wall part that is an unenterable region.

5. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the floor part further has an unenterable region.

6. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an obstacle is provided and displayed in the field, and in the movement determining map, a predetermined circumferential region of the obstacle including a display region in which the obstacle is displayed is set to an obstacle part that is an unenterable region.

7. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement route determiner includes:

a destination determiner that determines a movement destination to which the sub character moves; and

a movement route decider that decides the shortest movable route on which the sub character can move at the shortest distance among movement routes on which the sub character can move from a current position thereof to the movement destination determined by the destination determiner without entering an unenterable region.

8. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the movement route decider includes:

a shortest movement route determiner that determines the shortest movement route on which the sub character moves from the current position to the movement destination determined by the destination determiner at the shortest distance;

an unenterable region determiner that determines whether or not an unenterable region is included on the shortest movement route determined by the shortest movement route determiner;

an unenterable region memory that stores the unenterable region determined to be included on the shortest movement route by the unenterable region determiner; and

an unenterable region bypass route determiner that determines an unenterable region bypass route on which the sub character moves from the current position to the movement destination determined by the destination determiner at the shortest distance in the case where the unenterable region is stored in the unenterable region memory, the unenterable region bypass route being determined within a region from which the unenterable region stored in the unenterable region memory is eliminated,

wherein the unenterable region determiner also determines whether or not a new unenterable region is included on the unenterable region bypass route determined by the unenterable region bypass route determiner, and

wherein the movement route decider decides the shortest movement route or the unenterable region bypass route, in which the unenterable region determiner or the unenterable region bypass route determiner determines that no unenterable region is included, as the shortest movable route that is the movement route of the sub character.

9. A method of processing a video game by causing an image display apparatus to display multiple characters, including a main character and a sub character, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the method controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player and an action of the sub character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with a predetermined control program, the sub character moving so as to follow the main character, the method comprising:

determining a movement route of the sub character using a movement determining map other than a field display map when a predetermined movement route determining condition is met, no unenterable region existing on the movement route of the sub character, the field display map being a three-dimensional map for displaying a field of the video game on the image display screen, the movement determining map being a two-dimensional map in which an enterable region and an unenterable region being distinguishably provided for the characters existing in the field; and

causing the sub character to move in accordance with the determined movement route.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined movement route determining condition is met every predetermined period of time.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined movement route determining condition is met in the case where the main character moves apart from the sub character in a predetermined distance or more.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the movement determining map includes a floor part having an enterable region in at least a part thereof and a wall part that is an unenterable region.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the floor part further has an unenterable region.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein an obstacle is provided and displayed in the field, and in the movement determining map, a predetermined circumferential region of the obstacle including a display region in which the obstacle is displayed is set to an obstacle part that is an unenterable region.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the determining a movement route of the sub character includes:

determining a movement destination to which the sub character moves; and

deciding the shortest movable route on which the sub character can move at the shortest distance among movement routes on which the sub character can move from a current position thereof to the determined movement destination without entering an unenterable region.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the deciding the shortest movable route includes:

determining the shortest movement route on which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination at the shortest distance;

determining whether or not an unenterable region is included on the determined shortest movement route;

storing the unenterable region determined to be included on the shortest movement route in an unenterable region memory; and

determining an unenterable region bypass route on which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination at the shortest distance in the case where the unenterable region is stored in the unenterable region memory, the unenterable region bypass route being determined within a region from which the unenterable region stored in the unenterable region memory is eliminated,

wherein it is also determined whether or not a new unenterable region is included on the determined unenterable region bypass route, and

wherein the shortest movement route or the unenterable region bypass route is decided, in which it is determined that no unenterable region is included, as the shortest movable route that is the movement route of the sub character.

17. A computer program product for processing a video game, progress of the video game being controlled by causing an image display apparatus to display multiple characters, including a main character and a sub character, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, and controlling an action of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player and an action of the sub character to be displayed on the image display screen, the sub character moving so as to follow the main character, the computer program product causing a computer to execute:

determining a movement route of the sub character using a movement determining map other than a field display map when a predetermined movement route determining condition is met, no unenterable region existing on the movement route of the sub character, the field display map being a three-dimensional map for displaying a field of the video game on the image display screen, the movement determining map being a two-dimensional map in which an enterable region and an unenterable region being distinguishably provided for the characters existing in the field; and

causing the sub character to move in accordance with the determined movement route.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined movement route determining condition is met every predetermined period of time.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined movement route determining condition is met in the case where the main character moves apart from the sub character in a predetermined distance or more.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the movement determining map includes a floor part having an enterable region in at least a part thereof and a wall part that is an unenterable region.

21. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the floor part further has an unenterable region.

22. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein an obstacle is provided and displayed in the field, and in the movement determining map, a predetermined circumferential region of the obstacle including a display region in which the obstacle is displayed is set to an obstacle part that is an unenterable region.

23. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein in the determining a movement route of the sub character, the computer program product causing the computer to execute:

determining a movement destination to which the sub character moves; and

deciding the shortest movable route on which the sub character can move at the shortest distance among movement routes on which the sub character can move from a current position thereof to the determined movement destination without entering an unenterable region.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein in the deciding the shortest movable route, the computer program product causing the computer to execute:

determining the shortest movement route on which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination at the shortest distance;

determining whether or not an unenterable region is included on the determined shortest movement route;

storing the unenterable region determined to be included on the shortest movement route in an unenterable region memory; and

determining an unenterable region bypass route on which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination at the shortest distance in the case where the unenterable region is stored in the unenterable region memory, the unenterable region bypass route being determined within a region from which the unenterable region stored in the unenterable region memory is eliminated,

wherein it is also determined whether or not a new unenterable region is included on the determined unenterable region bypass route, and

wherein the shortest movement route or the unenterable region bypass route is decided, in which it is determined that no unenterable region is included, as the shortest movable route that is the movement route of the sub character.