PROGRAM PRODUCT AND SYSTEM

• US 20170151503A1
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Published: 06/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Incorporated (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Incorporated (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: KUMAGAI, Takahiro, ARAHARI, Takunori
• Granted Patent: US 10,118,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• 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 13/837 Shooting of targets

Abstract

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program product for causing a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game that proceeds in a three-dimensional virtual space in which a virtual camera is arranged is provided. The functions include to: generate first output information on the basis of information obtained by the virtual camera; generate second output information regarding a selection object configured to be able to be selected and indicating a target object being a target of an action; generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object which is the target object existing within an angle of view of the virtual camera and not displayed on an output device; and output a game image containing the selection object to the output device on the basis of the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program product for causing a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game, the video game proceeding in a three-dimensional virtual space, a virtual camera being arranged in the three-dimensional virtual space,

wherein the functions include:

a first generating function configured to generate first output information on the basis of information obtained by the virtual camera;

a second generating function configured to generate second output information regarding a selection object, the selection object indicating a target object, the selection object being configured to be able to be selected, the target object being a target of an action when the video game proceeds;

a third generating function configured to generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object on the basis of a position of the virtual camera and a position of the hidden object, the hidden object being the target object existing within an angle of view of the virtual camera and not displayed on an output device; and

an outputting function configured to output a game image to the output device on the basis of the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information, the game image containing the selection object.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the third generating function includes a function configured to generate the arrangement information so as to be associated with a spot where the hidden object exists when viewed from the position of the virtual camera on the three-dimensional virtual space.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the video game is a video game in which at least one character object operates, in response to an operation of the user, within the three-dimensional virtual space in which objects are arranged, and

wherein the target object indicated by the selection object is an object being a target of an action of the character object when the video game proceeds.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1,

wherein the functions further include:

a fourth generating function configured to generate third output information regarding a map image, the map image indicating a bird'"'"'s-eye image of the three-dimensional virtual space; and

a fifth generating function configured to generate fourth output information regarding a second selection object, the second selection object indicating a position of the map image corresponding to the position of the target object in the three-dimensional virtual space, the second selection object being configured to be able to be selected, and

wherein the outputting function further includes a function configured to output, on the basis of the third output information and the fourth output information, the game image containing the map image in which the second selection object is displayed.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim (1),

wherein the functions further include:

a function configured to generate a first layer image on the basis of the first output information obtained by photographing a first three-dimensional virtual space by means of a first virtual camera, a player character object and a field object being arranged in the first three-dimensional virtual space;

a function configured to generate a second three-dimensional virtual space on the basis of coordinate information of the selection object in a second three-dimensional space;

a function configured to generate a second layer image on the basis of information obtained by photographing the second three-dimensional virtual space by means of a second virtual camera; and

a function configured to cause a output device to display a game image generated by superimposing the second layer image on the first layer image.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim (1),

wherein the functions further include:

a function configured to obtain information regarding a conquest status of the target object, and

wherein the second generating function includes a function configured to generate the second output information in which a form of the selection object is determined on the basis of information regarding the conquest status.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim (1),

wherein the third generating function includes a function configured to generate information regarding arrangement of a selection object, the selection object indicating a target object (hereinafter, referred to as a “

display object”

) of target objects that exist within an angle of view of the virtual camera, the display object being displayed on the output device.

8. A system for controlling progress of a video game, the system including a communication network, a server, and a user terminal, the video game proceeding in a three-dimensional virtual space, a virtual camera being arranged in the three-dimensional virtual space, the system comprising:

a first generating section configured to generate first output information on the basis of information obtained by the virtual camera;

a second generating section configured to generate second output information regarding a selection object, the selection object indicating a target object, the selection object being configured to be able to be selected, the target object being a target of an action when the video game proceeds;

a third generating section configured to generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object on the basis of a position of the virtual camera and a position of the hidden object, the hidden object being the target object existing within an angle of view of the virtual camera and not displayed on an output device of the user terminal;

a transmitting section configured to transmit output information for outputting a game image on the basis of the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information, the game image containing the selection object; and

an outputting section configured to output the game image to the output device on the basis of the output information.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program product for causing a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game, the video game proceeding in a three-dimensional virtual space, a virtual camera being arranged in the three-dimensional virtual space,

wherein a server includes:

a first generating function configured to generate first output information on the basis of information obtained by the virtual camera;

a second generating function configured to generate second output information regarding a selection object, the selection object indicating a target object, the selection object being configured to be able to be selected, the target object being a target of an action when the video game proceeds;

a third generating function configured to generate arrangement information regarding arrangement of the selection object indicating a hidden object on the basis of a position of the virtual camera and a position of the hidden object, the hidden object being the target object existing within an angle of view of the virtual camera and not displayed on a display screen of a output device of the user terminal; and

a transmitting function configured to transmit, to the user terminal, information for causing the output device to output a game image on the basis of the first output information, the second output information, and the arrangement information, the game image containing the selection object, and

wherein the functions include;

a receiving function configured to receive, from the server, information for outputting the game image on the display screen of the output device of the user terminal.