METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ONLINE SHOOTING GAME

• US 20150031421A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GREE Inc.
• Original Assignee: GREE Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Ki Hoon, Lee, Jung Ho, Jo, Chang Hyun, Kim, Sae Rom
• Granted Patent: US 9,770,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to providing an online shooting game by a game server communicatively connected to a player terminal. The player terminal may display a virtual online shooting game environment based on information received from the game server. Providing an online shooting game may include: selecting a basic identification range within a virtual online shooting game environment displayed on the player terminal; detecting one or more enemy characters that are within the basic identification range; determining one of the detected one or more enemy characters as an automatic tracking object; and allowing an aiming point to automatically track movement of the automatic tracking object within the basic identification range.

Claims

1. A method of providing an online shooting game performed by a game server communicatively connected to a player terminal, the method comprising:

selecting a basic identification range within a virtual online shooting game environment displayed on the player terminal;

detecting one or more enemy characters that are within the basic identification range; and

determining one of the detected one or more enemy characters as an automatic tracking object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic identification range is movable within the virtual online shooting game environment in response to a manipulation input from the player terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the basic identification range comprises selecting one of a plurality of basic identification ranges having different areas, respectively, according to a setting on the player terminal or a selection from the player terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one of the detected one or more enemy characters as the automatic tracking object comprises determining an attack priority on each of the detected one or more enemy characters, and

wherein the attack priority is determined based on at least one of a level of expected damage capable of being inflicted on a corresponding enemy character by a shooting from the player terminal and a level of risk of the corresponding enemy character to the player terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing an aiming point to track the automatic tracking object according to a movement of the automatic tracking object within the basic identification range.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the automatic tracking object is movable within the virtual online shooting game environment, and

wherein allowing the aiming point to track the automatic tracking object comprises allowing the aiming point to be automatically moved toward the automatic tracking object according to the movement of the automatic tracking object within the basic identification range.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein allowing the aiming point to track the automatic tracking object comprises allowing the aiming point to be automatically moved toward an obstacle if the automatic tracking object is invisible on the player terminal due to the obstacle in the basic identification range as the automatic tracking object is moved within the basic identification range.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a movement trajectory of the aiming point is visible on the player terminal.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein allowing the aiming point to be automatically moved toward the automatic tracking object comprises changing display of the aiming point based on a location relationship between the aiming point and the automatic tracking object.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising releasing the automatic tracking object if the automatic tracking object is moved out of the basic identification range within the virtual online shooting game environment.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a shooting input from the player terminal; and

calculating a damage to be inflicted on the automatic tracking object based on the received shooting input and reflecting the calculated damage in the online shooting game.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating loss of firepower to be applied to the player terminal based on the basic identification range and the received shooting input and reflecting the calculated loss of firepower in the online shooting game.

13. An online shooting game providing system including a player terminal, a game server communicatively connected to the player terminal, and a database connected to the game server,

wherein the game server comprises:

a basic identification range selecting unit configured to select a basic identification range within a virtual online shooting game environment displayed on the player terminal; and

a tracking object determining unit configured to detect one or more enemy characters that are within the basic identification range and determine one of the detected one or more enemy characters as an automatic tracking object.

14. The online shooting game providing system of claim 13, wherein the basic identification range is movable within the virtual online shooting game environment in response to a manipulation input from the player terminal.

15. The online shooting game providing system of claim 13, wherein the basic identification range selecting unit selects one of a plurality of basic identification ranges having different areas, respectively, according to a setting on the player terminal or a selection from the player terminal.

16. The online shooting game providing system of claim 13, wherein the tracking object determining unit determines an attack priority on each of the detected one or more enemy characters, and

wherein the attack priority is determined based on at least one of a level of expected damage capable of being inflicted on a corresponding enemy character by a shooting from the player terminal and a level of risk of the corresponding enemy character to the player terminal.

17. The online shooting game providing system of claim 13, further comprising an automatic tracking processing unit configured to allow an aiming point to automatically track the automatic tracking object according to a movement of the automatic tracking object within the basic identification range.

18. A computer-readable recording medium recording one or more instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method of providing an online shooting game, the method comprising:

selecting a basic identification range within a virtual online shooting game environment displayed on a player terminal;

detecting one or more enemy characters that are within the basic identification range; and

determining one of the detected one or more enemy characters as an automatic tracking object.

19. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 18, wherein the basic identification range is movable within the virtual online shooting game environment in response to a manipulation input from the player terminal.

20. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 18, wherein selecting the basic identification range comprises selecting one of a plurality of basic identification ranges having different areas, respectively, according to a setting on the player terminal or a selection from the player terminal.

21. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 18, wherein determining the one of the detected one or more enemy characters as the automatic tracking object comprises determining an attack priority on each of the detected one or more enemy characters, and wherein the attack priority is determined based on at least one of a level of expected damage capable of being inflicted on a corresponding enemy character by a shooting from the player terminal and a level of risk of the corresponding enemy character to the player terminal.

22. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises allowing an aiming point to automatically track the automatic tracking object according to a movement of the automatic tracking object within the basic identification range.