Game device

• US 20090104990A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Horiguchi, Hiroki, Mizoguchi, Kaoru, Tsujino, Hiroshi, Sasayama, Kunio
• Application Number:
  US12/230,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

The game device of the present invention comprises a first image processing means for generating an image captured from the view of a virtual camera which moves together with a virtual player on landforms in a game world and displaying it as a main screen, a second image processing means for generating an image on which a destination for the virtual player can be designated and displaying it as a map image, a destination designation means for designating a destination for the virtual player, route determination means for detecting the position of a destination for the virtual player designated on the map screen, determining the shortest route connecting the detection position of the destination and the present position of the virtual player, and determining a movement route for the virtual player, and a movement control means for allowing the virtual player to move to the destination along the movement route.

Claims

1. A game device for executing a game in which a virtual player that can freely move on landforms in a game world set in a three-dimensional virtual space appears, comprising:

a first image processing means for generating an image on which a destination of said virtual player in said game world can be designated and displaying it as a map image;

a second image processing means for generating an image captured from the view of a virtual camera which moves together with said virtual player and displaying it as a main screen of said game;

a destination designation means for designating a destination for said virtual player for the map display on said map image through an operation input by a player;

a storage means for storing the coordinate information of a plurality of route points set corresponding to said game world, information on a movement route network indicating routes connecting said route points along which said virtual player can move, and the landform information of said game world;

a route determination means for judging whether or not a fixed obstacle or a fixed landform which hinders movement exists on a linear route connecting the present position of said virtual player and said set destination on the basis of said landform information, and for determining said linear route to be a movement route for said virtual player when judged that they do not exist and for determining the shortest route to said destination determined on the basis of the coordinate information of the nearest route point of the present position of said virtual player, the coordinate information of the nearest route point of said destination, and the information of said movement route network to be a movement route for said virtual player when judged that they exist; and

a movement control means for allowing said virtual player to move to said destination along said movement route at a predetermined movement speed set for said virtual player.

2. The game device according to claim 1, wherein after the start of said game said route determination means determines a recommended route set for said movement route network to be said movement route when the input of said destination by said destination designation means is not performed within a certain period of time.

3. The game device according to claim 1, wherein at the start of said game said route determination means determines a recommended route set for said movement route network to be said movement route when a target for said virtual player does not exist on said main screen or within a predetermined distance of said virtual player and when the input of said destination by said destination designation means is not performed within a certain period of time.

4. The game device according to claim 2, wherein said route determination means, on the basis of the information of the present position of objects which are targets for said virtual player, sets the position of an object which is nearest to the present position of said virtual player selected from said objects or the position on said landforms on which said object can be displayed on said main screen to be a destination, and sets a movement route determined on the basis of said destination and the present position of said virtual player to be said recommended route.

5. The game device according to claim 1, wherein said movement control means changes the movement speed of said virtual player in accordance with the length of said movement route.

6. The game device according to claim 1, wherein said movement control means performs speed control for increasing the movement speed of said virtual player by a predetermined amount when the distance to said destination is longer than a predetermined distance.

7. The game device according to claim 1, wherein under the condition that a plurality of ground objects having different attributes are set in advance within a field within which said virtual player can move, said movement control means changes the movement speed of said virtual player on the basis of speed information set for each attribute of said ground objects.

8. The game device according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging control means for displaying a view mark indicating the view of said virtual player on said map screen and changing the direction of said virtual camera in synchronization with a rotational operation on said view mark through an operation by said destination designation means on said map screen.

9. The game device according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging control means which has, as the control modes of said virtual camera, a first control mode for setting the direction of said virtual camera to be the moving direction of said virtual player and a second control mode for changing the direction of said virtual camera to the direction of said object selected by said destination designation means, and changes the direction of said virtual camera in accordance with each control mode.

10. The game device according to claim 1, wherein a moving object which transmits information therefrom is set in said game world, comprising an imaging control means for automatically changing the direction of said virtual camera to said moving object on the basis of the information transmitted from said moving object when it is judged that said virtual player comes within a predetermined distance range of said moving object.

11. The game device according to claim 1, wherein said route determination means redetermines said movement route each time said destination is directed by said destination designation means and said movement control means changes the present movement route to said redetermined movement route in real time in order to allow said virtual player to move continuously.

12. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor on which said main screen is displayed and the monitor on which said map screen is displayed are different monitors.

13. The game device according to claim 12, wherein said route determination means, after the start of the game, judges whether the map display is performed normally on the monitor on which said map screen is displayed, and when it is not performed, determines a recommended route set for said movement route network to be said movement route.

14. The game device according to claim 12, wherein said destination designation means is a touch panel provided on the surface of the monitor on which said map screen is displayed.

15. The game device according to claim 1, wherein said destination designation means is an operation information input means connected to the game device main unit or an operation information input means provided in an operation section of the game device main unit.

16. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor on which said main screen is displayed and the monitor on which said map screen is displayed are the same monitor, and said main screen and said map screen are displayed on a display section of said monitor by screen splitting or screen switching.

17. The game device according to claim 1, wherein said game is a dinosaur hunting game for hunting dinosaurs which lived in prehistoric times, comprising a gun controller simulating a gun as an operating means by which a player performs a shooting operation, a detection means for detecting a shooting position of said gun controller on said main screen, a dinosaur motion control means for simulating the motion of said dinosaur as a target in said game world and displaying a dinosaur symbol indicating the present position of said dinosaur on said map screen, and an imaging control means for automatically changing the direction of said virtual camera to the direction of a dinosaur object corresponding to said dinosaur symbol selected by the operation of said destination designation means and performing control for tracking said dinosaur object to continue capturing it within the view of said virtual camera.

18. The game device for executing a game in which a virtual player which can freely move on landforms in a game world set in a three-dimensional virtual space appears, comprising:

a first monitor having a touch panel on its surface;

a second monitor different from said first monitor;

a map image processing means for generating a map image for designating a destination for said virtual player in said game world and displaying it as a map image of said game on said first monitor;

a main image processing means for generating a main image captured from the view of a virtual camera which moves together with said virtual player and displaying it as a main screen of said game on said second monitor;

a storage means for storing the coordinate information of a plurality of route points set corresponding to said game world and information on a movement route network indicating routes connecting said route points along which said virtual player can move;

a route determination means for detecting the position of a destination for said virtual player designated through an operation on said touch panel on said map image, determining the shortest route connecting the detection position of said destination and the present position of said virtual player on the basis of the coordinate information of the present position of said virtual player, the information on the detection position of said destination, the coordinate information of said route points, and information on said movement route network, and determining said shortest route to be a movement route for said virtual player;

and a movement control means for allowing said virtual player to move to said destination along said movement route at a predetermined movement speed set for said virtual player.

19. The game device according to claim 18, wherein said game is a dinosaur hunting game for hunting dinosaurs which lived in prehistoric times, further comprising a gun controller simulating a gun as an operating means by which a player performs a shooting operation, a detection means for detecting a shooting position of said gun controller on said main screen, a dinosaur motion control means for simulating the motion of said dinosaur as a target in said game world and displaying a dinosaur symbol indicating the present position of said dinosaur on said map screen, and an imaging control means for automatically changing the direction of said virtual camera to the direction of a dinosaur object corresponding to said dinosaur symbol selected by the operation of said destination designation means and performing control for tracking said dinosaur object to continue capturing it within the view of said virtual camera.