Recording medium recording game program and game apparatus

• US 20070293317A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kenta, Yamashita, Yoshikazu, Shimamura, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,721,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

Of possible values of input data varying, depending on a motion of an input device itself, a predetermined value is set as a first reference value. Also, of possible values of a game parameter converted from the input data, a predetermined value is set as a second reference value. Further, of an input value range, a predetermined range including the first reference value is set as a conversion range. When a value of input data is included in the conversion range, the input data is converted into a game parameter by a first conversion expression which provides a value closer to the second reference value when the input data is directly converted. Based on the game parameter, a game process is performed.

Claims

1. A recording medium recording a game program which causes a computer in a game apparatus to execute a game process based on an input value varying, depending on a motion of an input device itself, the program causing the computer to execute:

a reference value setting step of setting a predetermined value within an input value range within which the input value can fall, as a reference value;

a specific range setting step of setting a portion of the input value range including the reference value, as a specific range;

an input value obtaining step of obtaining the input value varying, depending on the motion of the input device itself;

a conversion step of, when the input value obtained by the input value obtaining step falls within the specific range, converting the input value into a game parameter value which is the same as or close to the reference value; and

a process step of performing the game process using the game parameter value.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein, in the conversion step, when the input value obtained in the input value obtaining step does not fall within the specific range, the input value is converted into a game parameter value which is the same as or in a vicinity of the input value.

3. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein, in the conversion step, when the input value obtained in the input value obtaining step is present at a boundary of the specific range, the game parameter value includes continuous values inside and outside of the specific range.

4. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein, in the specific range setting step, a predetermined range around the reference value as a center is set as the specific range.

5. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein, in the conversion step, the conversion is performed so as to obtain a continuous relationship between each input value within the input range and the corresponding game parameter value obtained by converting the input value.

6. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein, in the conversion step, the conversion is performed so as to obtain a continuous relationship between each input value outside the input range and the corresponding game parameter value obtained by converting the input value.

7. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the conversion performed in the conversion step with respect to each input value outside the input range is performed by interpolating the input values using predetermined curve interpolation.

8. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the reference value is a predetermined value so that a predetermined game process based on the game parameter value obtained by converting the input value provides a best result, depending on contents of a game.

9. The recording medium according to claim 8, wherein the reference value setting step includes:

a comparative value setting step of setting an upper limit value of the input value range as a first comparative value and a lower limit value of the input value range as a second comparative value;

an input intermediate value calculating step of calculating an input intermediate value which is an intermediate value between the first comparative value and the second comparative value;

a simulation step of performing a predetermined game process using game parameter values obtained by performing the predetermined conversion with respect to the first comparative value and the second comparative value, to calculate respective resultant values; and

a comparative value updating step of comparing the resultant values calculated by the simulation step, and updating, with the input intermediate value, one of the first comparative value and the second comparative value which is converted by the predetermined conversion into a game parameter value which has a larger difference from the predetermined value which provides a best result, depending on the contents of the game,

wherein the input intermediate value calculating step, the simulation step, and the comparative value updating step are repeatedly performed until a predetermined condition is satisfied, and

in the reference value setting step, the input intermediate value when the predetermined condition is satisfied is set as the reference value.

10. The recording medium according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined condition is either that the first comparative value is equal to the second comparative value, or that an input value is obtained by the input value obtaining step.

11. The recording medium according to claim 8, wherein the reference value setting step includes:

a simulation step of performing a predetermined game process with respect to game parameter values obtained by performing the predetermined conversion with respect to values within the input value range at predetermined intervals, to calculate resultant values,

wherein a value within the input value range which is converted by the predetermined conversion into a game parameter value for which one which provides a best result, depending on the contents of the game, of the resultant values calculated by the simulation step, is calculated, is set as the reference value.

12. The recording medium according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined game process is a process of driving a movable object in a virtual game space.

13. The recording medium according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined value which provides the best result, depending on the contents of the game, is a value for indicating a position to which the movable object is driven or a trajectory in which the movable object is driven.

14. A game apparatus for performing a game process based on an input value varying, depending on a motion of an input device itself, comprising:

a reference value setting section for setting a predetermined value within an input value range within which the input value can fall, as a reference value;

a specific range setting section for setting a portion of the input value range including the reference value, as a specific range;

an input value obtaining section for obtaining the input value varying, depending on the motion of the input device itself;

a conversion section for, when the input value obtained by the input value obtaining section falls within the specific range, converting the input value into a game parameter value which is the same as or close to the reference value; and

a process section for performing the game process using the game parameter value.

15. The game apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, in the conversion section, when the input value obtained in the input value obtaining section does not fall within the specific range, the input value is converted into a game parameter value which is the same as or in a vicinity of the input value.

16. The game apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, in the conversion section, when the input value obtained in the input value obtaining section is present at a boundary of the specific range, the game parameter value includes continuous values inside and outside of the specific range.

17. The game apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, in the specific range setting section, a predetermined range around the reference value as a center is set as the specific range.

18. The game apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, in the conversion section, the conversion is performed so as to obtain a continuous relationship between each input value within the input range and the corresponding game parameter value obtained by converting the input value.

19. The game apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, in the conversion section, the conversion is performed so as to obtain a continuous relationship between each input value outside the input range and the corresponding game parameter value obtained by converting the input value.

20. The game apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the conversion performed in the conversion section with respect to each input value outside the input range is performed by interpolating the input values using predetermined curve interpolation.