Game Machine, Game Machine Control Method, Information Recording Medium, and Program

• US 20070218993A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,128,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6615 using models with different levels of detail [LOD]
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6638 for simulating particle systems, e.g. explosion, fireworks
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

To output sounds generated by multiple objects disposed in a virtual space in as easy a manner as possible while giving live feelings, a storage unit (202) of a game machine (201) stores information on objects of a first type and a second type which move in the virtual space. A basic sound acquiring unit (203) acquires basic sound information corresponding to the total number of the objects. An imitation sound acquiring unit (204) acquires imitation sound information imitating a sound generated by an object of the first type from its position in the virtual space. A mixing output unit (205) mixes and outputs the basic sound information and the imitation sound information. An input receiving unit (206) receives an instruction input from the user. In a case where the instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, a deleting unit (207) deletes any of objects of the first type from the storage unit (202) if there is no object of the second type stored in the storage unit (202), and deletes any of objects of the second type from the storage unit (202) if there is.

Claims

1. A game machine, comprising:

a storage unit which stores an object of a first type or a second type, which moves in a virtual space, in association with a type thereof and a position thereof in the virtual space;

a basic sound acquiring unit which acquires basic sound information, which is associated with a total number of objects of the first type and the second type which are stored in said storage unit;

an imitation sound acquiring unit which acquires imitation sound information imitating a sound generated by an object of the first type stored in said storage unit, from its associated position in the virtual space;

a mixing output unit which mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving unit which receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting unit which, in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, deletes any of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit, and deletes any of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit.

2. The game machine according to claim 1,

wherein said basic sound acquiring unit acquires the basic sound information in a manner that a sound volume of the basic sound information monotonically non-decreases when the total number of the objects of the first type and the second type stored in said storage unit increases, and the sound volume monotonically non-increases when the total number decreases.

3. The game machine according to claim 1, further comprising

a display unit which displays states of the objects of the first type and the second type stored in said storage unit, and a sight which moves in the virtual space in accordance with the received instruction input,

wherein in deleting any of the objects of the first type, said deleting unit deletes an object of the first type that is displayed closest to the sight, and in deleting any of the objects of the second type, said deleting unit deletes an object of the second type that is displayed closest to the sight.

4. The game machine according to claim 3,

wherein in deleting any of the objects of the second type, if there is any such object of the first type (hereinafter referred to as “

object B”

) that is displayed closer to the sight than is an object of the second type (hereinafter referred to as “

object A”

) which is displayed closest to the sight, and that is positioned closest to the object A of all that are in the virtual space, said deleting unit deletes the object B from said storage unit instead of deleting the object A, and updates the storage unit such that the type of the object A is to be the first type, thereby deleting the any of the objects of the second type.

5. A game machine control method for controlling a game machine comprising a storage unit, a basic sound acquiring unit, an imitation sound acquiring unit, a mixing output unit, an input receiving unit, and a deleting unit, said storage unit storing an object of a first type or a second type, which moves in a virtual space, in association with a type thereof and a position thereof in the virtual space, said method comprising:

a basic sound acquiring step, at which said basic sound acquiring unit acquires basic sound information, which is associated with a total number of objects of the first type and the second type, which are stored in said storage unit;

an imitation sound acquiring step, at which said imitation sound acquiring unit acquires imitation sound information imitating a sound generated by an object of the first type stored in said storage unit, from its associated position in the virtual space;

a mixing outputting step, at which said mixing output unit mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving step, at which said input receiving unit receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting step, at which in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, said deleting unit deletes any of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit, and said deleting unit deletes any of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit.

6. A computer-readable information recording medium storing a program for controlling a computer to function as:

a storage unit which stores an object of a first type or a second type, which moves in a virtual space, in association with a type thereof and a position thereof in the virtual space;

a basic sound acquiring unit which acquires basic sound information, which is associated with a total number of objects of the first type and the second type which are stored in said storage unit;

an imitation sound acquiring unit which acquires imitation sound information imitating a sound generated by an object of the first type stored in said storage unit, from its associated position in the virtual space;

a mixing output unit which mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving unit which receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting unit which, in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, deletes any of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit, and deletes any of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit.

7. A program for controlling a computer to function as:

a storage unit which stores an object of a first type or a second type, which moves in a virtual space, in association with a type thereof and a position thereof in the virtual space;

a basic sound acquiring unit which acquires basic sound information, which is associated with a total number of objects of the first type and the second type which are stored in said storage unit;

an imitation sound acquiring unit which acquires imitation sound information imitating a sound generated by an object of the first type stored in said storage unit, from its associated position in the virtual space;

a mixing output unit which mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving unit which receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting unit which, in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, deletes any of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit, and deletes any of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit.