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

• US 20080139310A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: KANDO, Tatsuya, ARAKAWA, Takeshi, HASEGAWA, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/33
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/40 characterised by details of platform network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Game information delivered from other video game processing apparatus different from a player'"'"'s own video game processing apparatus is received via radio communication. Conditional read data and unconditional read data are stored in an information storage as the game information received by the information receiver. The conditional read data cannot be read when a specific condition is met, while the unconditional read data can be read unconditionally. It is determined whether or not the specific condition is met during progress of the video game. When the game information indicates the unconditional read data, the unconditional read data are set to readable in the case where the unconditional read data are stored in the information storage. On the other hand, when the game information indicates the conditional read data, the conditional read data are set to readable in the case where it is determined that the specific condition is met.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus that causes an image display apparatus to display a player character on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the video game processing apparatus controlling progress of a video game by controlling an action of the player character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

an information receiver that receives game information delivered from other video game processing apparatus via radio communication, the other video game processing apparatus being different from the player'"'"'s own video game processing apparatus;

an information storage that stores conditional read data and unconditional read data as the game information received by the information receiver, the conditional read data being not able to be read when a specific condition is mete the unconditional read data being able to be read unconditionally;

an information setter that sets the read data indicated by the game information stored in the information storage to readable; and

a condition determiner that determines whether or not the specific condition is met during progress of the video game,

wherein, when the game information indicates the unconditional read data, the information setter sets the unconditional read data to readable in the case where the unconditional read data are stored in the information storage, and

wherein, when the game information indicates the conditional read data, the information setter sets the conditional read data to readable in the case where it is determined that the specific condition is met by the condition determiner.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communicational result information memory that stores communicational result information therein, the communicational result information including apparatus identification information and a radio communication time period with the other video game processing apparatus, the apparatus identification information being capable of specifying the other video game processing apparatus that delivered the received game information.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a status information updater that updates status information of the player character in accordance with the number of pieces of the communicational result information stored in the communicational result information memory.

4. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the game information includes the read data and status instruction data for executing a setup instruction of predetermined status contents, and

wherein the video game processing apparatus further comprises:

a status information updater that updates status information of the player character in accordance with the status instruction data so as to become the predetermined status contents.

5. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the read data indicated by the game information are background data indicating a background to be displayed on the image display screen of the image display apparatus.

6. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information setter sets the read data indicated by the game information so as to readable on an arbitrary screen.

7. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the condition determiner determines that the specific condition is met in the case where the arbitrary screen in which the read data indicated by the conditional read data are set to readable is displayed on the image display screen of the image display apparatus.

8. A method of processing a video game by causing an image display apparatus to display a player character on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the method controlling progress of a video game by controlling an action of the player character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the method comprising:

receiving game information delivered from other video game processing apparatus via radio communication, the other video game processing apparatus being different from a player'"'"'s own video game processing apparatus;

storing conditional read data and unconditional read data as the received game information, the conditional read data being not able to be read when a specific condition is met, the unconditional read data being able to be read unconditionally;

setting the read data indicated by the stored game information to readable; and

determining whether or not the specific condition is met during progress of the video game,

wherein in the setting the read data, when the game information indicates the unconditional read data, the unconditional read data are set to readable in the case where the unconditional read data are stored, and

wherein in the setting the read data, when the game information indicates the conditional read data, the conditional read data are set to readable in the case where it is determined that the specific condition is met.

9. A computer program product for processing a video game, progress of the video game being controlled by causing an image display apparatus to display a player character of the video game on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, and controlling an action of the player character displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the computer program product causing a computer to execute:

receiving game information delivered from other video game processing apparatus via radio communication, the other video game processing apparatus being different from a player'"'"'s own video game processing apparatus;

storing conditional read data and unconditional read data as the received game information, the conditional read data being not able to be read when a specific condition is met, the unconditional read data being able to be read unconditionally;

setting the read data indicated by the stored game information to readable; and

determining whether or not the specific condition is met during progress of the video game,

wherein in the setting the read data, when the game information indicates the unconditional read data, the unconditional read data are set to readable in the case where the unconditional read data are stored, and

wherein in the setting the read data, when the game information indicates the conditional read data, the conditional read data are set to readable in the case where it is determined that the specific condition is met.