STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREIN GAME PROGRAM, GAME APPARATUS, GAME SYSTEM, AND GAME PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20140106885A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: HIROSAWA, Teruyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,179,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation

Abstract

An input of a user is received from an input unit, and in accordance with the input of the user, an operation object displayed on a display screen moves in a predetermined movement-allowed range. A plurality of sound objects appear and move in the display screen, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with a composition to be performed. Then, if the operation object and each sound object have made contact with each other, the sound set for the sound object is output.

Claims

1. A game apparatus for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game apparatus comprising:

an input reception unit configured to receive an input of a user from a touch panel provided so as to cover a display screen;

an operation object movement control unit configured to, in accordance with the input of the user, cause an operation object displayed on the display screen to move along a movement-allowed path provided so as to extend in a predetermined direction in a virtual world displayed on the display screen;

a sound object movement control unit configured to cause a plurality of types of sound objects, set in accordance with steps in a composition, to appear in the display screen in accordance with a performance of the composition, and configured to cause the plurality of types of sound objects to move so as to cross the movement-allowed path; and

a sound output control unit configured to, if the operation object and each sound object have made contact with each other, output a sound set for the sound object.

2. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program to be executed by a computer of an apparatus for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game program causing the computer to execute:

receiving an input of a user from an input unit;

in accordance with the input of the user, causing an operation object displayed on a display screen to move in a predetermined movement-allowed range;

causing a plurality of sound objects to appear and move in the display screen, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with a composition to be performed; and

if the operation object and each sound object have made contact with each other, outputting the sound set for the sound object.

3. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 2, wherein

the input unit is formed of a pointing device that indicates a position in the display screen;

and

the operation object moves in the movement-allowed range in accordance with the input of the user using the pointing device.

4. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 3, wherein

the pointing device is formed of a touch panel provided so as to cover the display screen;

and

the operation object moves in the movement-allowed range so as to overlap the position in the display screen in accordance with an indication on the touch panel.

5. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 2, wherein

the plurality of sound objects are formed of a plurality of types of sound objects differing in accordance with steps of sounds to be output.

6. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 5, wherein

a plurality of movement paths are set in accordance with the steps of the respective sounds to be output, and the sound objects move along the movement paths based on the steps set for the respective sound objects.

7. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 2, wherein

the sound objects move so as to cross the movement-allowed range of the operation object.

8. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 7, wherein

a movement-allowed path provided so as to extend in a left-right direction or an up-down direction in a virtual world displayed on the display screen is set as the movement-allowed range, and the operation object moves along the movement-allowed path;

and

the sound objects move along a plurality of movement paths orthogonal to the movement-allowed path of the operation object.

9. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 2, wherein

a sound to be output differs in accordance with a position, in the operation object, with which each sound object has made contact.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 9, wherein

if the sound object has made contact with a first part of the operation object, the sound set for the sound object is output, and if the sound object has made contact with a second part of the operation object, a sound different from the set sound is output.

11. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 10, wherein

if the sound object has made contact with the second part, a sound obtained by changing at least one of three sound elements of the sound set for the sound object is output.

12. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 11, wherein

if the sound object has made contact with the second part, a direction of changing a pitch of a sound is reversed and/or a direction of changing a loudness of a sound is reversed from a direction of the contact position relative to the first part, and a sound obtained by changing the pitch and/or the loudness of the sound set for the sound object in the reversed direction is output.

13. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 11, wherein

if the sound object has made contact with the second part, an amount of change in a pitch of a sound is set and/or an amount of change in a loudness of a sound is set in accordance with a distance between the first part and the contact position, and a sound obtained by changing the pitch and/or the loudness of the sound set for the sound object by the set amount is output.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 10, wherein

if a direction of a contact position at which the sound object has made contact with the second part is a first direction relative to the first part, a pitch of the sound set for the sound object is changed so as to become higher in accordance with a distance between the first part and the contact position, and if the direction of the contact position at which the sound object has made contact with the second part is a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the first part, the pitch of the sound set for the sound object is changed so as to become lower in accordance with the distance between the first part and the contact position.

15. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 2, wherein

a sound obtained by changing at least one of three sound elements of the sound set for the sound object is output in accordance with a time when the operation object and the sound object have made contact with each other.

16. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 2, further causing the computer to execute

evaluating an operation of the user in accordance with a state of contact of the operation object and the sound object, wherein

the evaluation differs in accordance with a time when the operation object and the sound object have made contact with each other.

17. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 2, further causing the computer to execute

on the basis of the received input of the user, determining whether or not the user has provided the input using the input unit, wherein

only while it is determined the user has provided the input, the sound set for the sound object is output if the operation object and the sound object have made contact with each other.

18. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 7, wherein

in a virtual space displayed on the display screen, a movement-allowed path provided on a plane parallel to the display screen is set as the movement-allowed range, and the operation object moves along the movement-allowed path;

and

the sound objects move along a plurality of movement paths provided so as to extend in a depth direction in the virtual space.

19. A game apparatus for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game apparatus comprising:

an input reception unit configured to receive an input of a user from an input unit;

an operation object movement control unit configured to, in accordance with the input of the user, cause an operation object displayed on a display screen to move in a predetermined movement-allowed range;

a sound object movement control unit configured to cause a plurality of sound objects to appear and move in the display screen, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with a composition to be performed; and

a sound output control unit configured to, if the operation object and each sound object have made contact with each other, output the sound set for the sound object.

20. A game system, including a plurality of apparatuses configured to communicate with each other, for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game system comprising:

an input reception unit configured to receive an input of a user from an input unit;

an operation object movement control unit configured to, in accordance with the input of the user, cause an operation object displayed on a display screen to move in a predetermined movement-allowed range;

a sound object movement control unit configured to cause a plurality of sound objects to appear and move in the display screen, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with a composition to be performed; and

a sound output control unit configured to, if the operation object and each sound object have made contact with each other, output the sound set for the sound object.

21. A game processing method to be executed by a processor or a cooperation of a plurality of processors, the processor and the plurality of processors contained in a system including at least one information processing apparatus for outputting a sound based on an operation input, the game processing method comprising:

receiving an input of a user from an input unit;

in accordance with the input of the user, causing an operation object displayed on a display screen to move in a predetermined movement-allowed range;

causing a plurality of sound objects to appear and move in the display screen, the sound objects set for sounds to be output in accordance with a composition to be performed; and

if the operation object and each sound object have made contact with each other, outputting the sound set for the sound object.