Squad command interface for console-based video game

• US 20070270226A1
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: James York, Randy Pagulayan, Tim Fields
• Inventors: York, James, Pagulayan, Randy, Fields, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 8,012,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6623 for animating a group of characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

A squad command interface for a squad-based shooter video game maps character selection and command selection to actuators on a game controller. Players can select squad characters and issue a single order to multiple characters with few controller actuations.

Claims

1. For a console-based video game system having at least one controller, a storage medium storing a squad-based shooter video game in which a player controls a squad of characters, the video game having instructions that, when executed on the video game system, performs acts comprising:

persistently presenting, during game action, a squad status display to inform the player of a status of each character in the squad; and

selectively presenting, in response to player actuation of the controller, a command change user interface to facilitate selection of one or more characters and issuance of a command to the one or more selected characters.

2. A storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the squad status display indicates a current command being carried out by each character in the squad.

3. A storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the squad status display indicates a health of each character in the squad.

4. A storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the squad status display indicates when a character in the squad is operating in a special mode.

5. A storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the command change user interface comprises a first graphical region to enable player selection of the one or more characters and a second graphical region adjacent to the first graphical region to enable issuance of the command to the one or more selected characters.

6. A storage medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the first graphical region comprise character profile images of the characters arranged to visually and spatially map to one or more first actuators on the controller and the second graphical region comprises icons representing possible commands arranged to visually map to one or more second actuators on the controller.

7. A storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the video game further has instructions that, when executed on the video game system, perform acts comprising issuing the command to the one or more selected characters in response to single actuation of an actuator on the controller.

8. A computer-implemented method for a console-based video game system having at least one controller, wherein the method is performed in conjunction with a squad-based shooter video game in which a player controls a squad of characters, the method comprising:

persistently presenting, during game action, a squad status display to inform the player of a status of each character in the squad; and

selectively presenting, in response to player actuation of the controller, a command change user interface to facilitate selection of one or more characters and issuance of a command to the one or more selected characters.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the squad status display indicates a current command being carried out by each character in the squad.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the squad status display indicates a health of each character in the squad.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the squad status display indicates when a character in the squad is operating in a special mode.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the command change user interface comprises a first graphical region to enable player selection of the one or more characters and a second graphical region adjacent to the first graphical region to enable issuance of the command to the one or more selected characters.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first graphical region comprise character profile images of the characters arranged to visually and spatially map to one or more first actuators on the controller and the second graphical region comprises icons representing possible commands arranged to visually map to one or more second actuators on the controller.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising issuing the command to the one or more selected characters in response to single actuation of an actuator on the controller.