GAME APPARATUS AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING GAME PROGRAM

• US 20100069159A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoichi, Aonuma, Eiji, Fujibayashi, Hidemaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,690,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• 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 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game

Abstract

Instead of using an operation inputted by a player, a series of operation data for continuously moving a player character for a predetermined time period of a game is previously stored as automatic operation data. Automatic control means moves the player character based on the automatic operation data. Furthermore, the automatic control means receives a play start operation indicating that the player starts to play the game while the automatic control means moves the player character. A movement of the player character control led based on the automatic operation data is finished at a time when the play start operation is received, and the movement of the player character starts to be controlled based on an operation of the player.

Claims

1. A game apparatus that executes a game processing in which a player character is moved based on operation data outputted from an operation that is inputted to an input device controlled by a player, and is displayed on a display device, the game apparatus comprising:

operation data storage means for storing a series of operation data, as automatic operation data, for continuously moving the player character for a predetermined time period of a game, instead of using the operation inputted by the player;

automatic control means for reading the automatic operation data from the operation data storage means so as to sequentially move the player character based on the read automatic operation data for the predetermined time period, and for displaying the player character on the display device;

start reception means for receiving a play start operation indicating that the player starts to play the game for a time period during which the player character is moved by the automatic control means; and

game processing means for stopping the automatic control means from moving the player character based on the automatic operation data at a time when the play start operation is received, and for controlling, after the play start operation is received, a movement of the player character so as to be continued from a state of the player character at the time when the play start operation is received, based on the operation data outputted from the operation that is inputted to the input device controlled by the player.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising speed change reception means for receiving, for the time period during which the player character is moved by the automatic control means, an instruction to change a setting of a speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed, wherein

the automatic control means displays the movement of the player character based on a speed set by the speed change reception means.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the automatic operation data is composed of a plurality of pieces of operation data divided by a unit time equal to or shorter than a time period in which a display is updated, and

the automatic control means executes a movement processing of sequentially reading the plurality of pieces of operation data divided by the unit time so as to move the player character based on each of the plurality of pieces of operation data, and displays, each time the display is updated, the player character at a time when the display is updated, on the display device, and changes the speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed by changing, in accordance with the speed set by the speed change reception means, the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the automatic control means performs a fast-forward reproduction by increasing the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the automatic control means performs a slow reproduction by decreasing the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes a button which can be pressed, and

the automatic operation data includes button data for indicating whether or not an operation of pressing the button is performed.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes an acceleration sensor, and

the automatic operation data includes acceleration data outputted from the acceleration sensor.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes a gyro sensor, and

the automatic operation data includes angular rate data outputted from the gyro sensor.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes imaging means for imaging at least one imaging target, and

the automatic operation data includes information regarding a position of the at least one imaging target included in a picked up image represented by picked up image data outputted from the input device including the imaging means.

10. A computer readable storage medium storing a game program causing a computer of a game apparatus to execute a game processing in which a player character is moved based on operation data outputted from an operation that is inputted to an input device controlled by a player, and is displayed on a display device, the game program causing the computer to function as:

automatic control means for reading, from operation data storage means for storing a series of operation data, as automatic operation data, for continuously moving the player character for a predetermined time period of a game, instead of using the operation inputted by the player, the automatic operation data so as to sequentially move the player character based on the read automatic operation data for the predetermined time period, and for displaying the player character on the display device;

start reception means for receiving a play start operation indicating that the player starts to play the game for a time period during which the player character is moved by the automatic control means; and

game processing means for stopping the automatic control means from moving the player character based on the automatic operation data at a time when the play start operation is received, and for controlling, after the play start operation is received, a movement of the player character so as to be continued from a state of the player character at the time when the play start operation is received, based on the operation data outputted from the operation that is inputted to the input device controlled by the player.

11. The computer readable storage medium storing the game program according to claim 10, the game program causing the computer to further function as speed change reception means for receiving, for the time period during which the player character is moved by the automatic control means, an instruction to change a setting of a speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed, wherein

the automatic control means displays the movement of the player character based on a speed set by the speed change reception means.

12. The computer readable storage program storing the game program according to claim 11, wherein

the automatic operation data is composed of a plurality of pieces of operation data divided by a unit time equal to or shorter than a time period in which a display is updated, and

the automatic control means executes a movement processing of sequentially reading the plurality of pieces of operation data divided by the unit time so as to move the player character based on each of the plurality of pieces of operation data, and displays, each time the display is updated, the player character at a time when the display is updated, on the display device, and changes the speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed by changing, in accordance with the speed set by the speed change reception means, the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

13. The computer readable storage medium storing the game program according to claim 12, wherein

the automatic control means performs a fast-forward reproduction by increasing the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

14. The computer readable storage medium storing the game program according to claim 12, wherein

the automatic control means performs a slow reproduction by decreasing the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

15. The computer readable storage medium storing the game program according to claim 10, wherein

the input device includes a button which can be pressed, and

the automatic operation data includes button data for indicating whether or not an operation of pressing the button is performed.

16. The computer readable storage medium storing the game program according to claim 10, wherein

the input device includes an acceleration sensor, and

the automatic operation data includes acceleration data outputted from the acceleration sensor.

17. The computer readable storage medium storing the game program according to claim 10, wherein

the input device includes a gyro sensor, and

the automatic operation data includes angular rate data outputted from the gyro sensor.

18. The computer readable storage medium storing the game program according to claim 10, wherein

the input device includes imaging means for imaging at least one imaging target, and

the automatic operation data includes information regarding a position of the at least one imaging target included in a picked up image represented by picked up image data outputted from the input device including the imaging means.

19. A game apparatus that executes a game processing in which a player character is moved based on operation data outputted by an operation that is inputted to an input device controlled by a player, the game apparatus comprising:

operation data storage means for storing a series of operation data, as previously created automatic operation data, for continuously moving the player character, instead of using the operation inputted by the player; and

control means for switching a control of the player character between a first control mode where a movement of the player character is controlled based on the operation data outputted from the operation that is inputted to the input device controlled by the player and a second control mode where the automatic operation data is read from the operation data storage means so as to control the movement of the player character based on the automatic operation data, in accordance with a predetermined switch instruction operation inputted by the player.

20. The game apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising start reception means for receiving a play start operation indicating that the player starts to play the game, wherein

the control means switches over the control of the player character, when the play start operation is received for a time period during which the player character is controlled in the second control mode, to the first control mode while maintaining a state of the player character at a time when the play start operation is received.