GAME DEVICE, GAME DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM, INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20110034245A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mimura, Ryuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,506,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• 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 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• 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 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

To provide a game device for enabling a game player to recognize a positional relationship among respective game characters even when the game characters are located densely in an area. A game data update unit (54) carries out a game in which a plurality of player objects appear. A game screen image display control unit (56) displays a game screen image including the image of a player object. However, when player objects numbering a reference number or more are present within a predetermined noted area, the game screen image display control unit (56) restricts displaying of the images of the player objects and instead shows position indicator images having a smaller area than the images in the game screen image.

Claims

1. A game device, comprising:

game executing means for carrying out a game in which a plurality of game characters appear; and

display control means for displaying a game screen image including an image of the game character,

wherein

the display control means, when game characters numbering a reference number or more are present within a predetermined noted area, restricts displaying of the image of the game character present within the noted area and instead shows a substitute image having a smaller area than the image in the game screen image.

2. The game device according to claim 1, wherein

the game is a sport game carried out using a moving object,

the game character is a player character,

the game device further comprises condition storage means for storing a part of the player character so as to be correlated to a condition concerning a manner of movement of the moving object, and

the display control means shows the substitute image at a position in the game screen image, the position corresponding to a position of apart correlated to a condition satisfied by a manner of movement of the moving object among the parts of the player characters present within the noted area.

3. The game device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of game characters include a game character correlated to an operating group operated by a game player and a game character correlated to an opponent group opposing the operating group, and

the display control means restricts displaying of an image of the game character correlated to the opponent group among the game characters present within the noted area, and shows the substitute image instead.

4. A game device control method, comprising:

a step of carrying out a game in which a plurality of game characters appear; and

a display control step of displaying a game screen image including an image of the game character,

wherein

the display control step includes a step of restricting, when game characters numbering a reference number or more are present within a predetermined noted area, displaying of the image of the game character present within the noted area and instead showing a substitute image having a smaller area than the image in the game screen image.

5. A program for causing a computer to function as:

game executing means for carrying out a game in which a plurality of game characters appear; and

display control means for displaying a game screen image including an image of the game character,

wherein

the display control means, when game characters numbering a reference number or more are present within a predetermined noted area, restricts displaying of the image of the game character present within the noted area and instead shows a substitute image having a smaller area than the image in the game screen image.

6. A computer readable information storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

game executing means for carrying out a game in which a plurality of game characters appear; and

display control means for displaying a game screen image including an image of the game character,

wherein

the display control means, when game characters numbering a reference number or more are present within a predetermined noted area, restricts displaying of the image of the game character present within the noted area and instead shows a substitute image having a smaller area than the image in the game screen image.