Video game device and storage medium on which video game program is stored

• US 6,171,189 B1
• Filed: 05/18/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Makino, Yukifumi, Saito, Yuji, Katano, Tetsu
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/029,652
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/43, 463/44, 273/308, 273/148.B, 273/236, 434/307.R, 434/307.A, 434/308, 434/309, 434/295, 434/128, 434/129, 434/262
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• 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 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A video game machine, which comprises a CPU for executing a program and a memory in which, based on the control provided by the CPU consonant with the execution of the program, are stored data that are read from the program and concern a plurality of characters to be displayed on a display device, provides a pseudo-sense of reality, as though a character projected on a display were a living entity. In such a video game machine, inheritance probabilities are defined for individual portions, of the data concerning a plurality of characters, that constitute the characters, and under a predesignated condition available during the execution of the program, a portion constituting one character, of portions constituting two characters, is maintained at a predetermined inheritance probability that has been defined, and data for new characters are prepared.

Claims

1. A video game device comprising:

a storage device for storing character data relating to a plurality of characters to be displayed on a display device and defining an inheritance probability for individual portions of each of the plurality of characters; and

a controller for executing program data to generate a new character from a first and a second character, wherein the new character has individual portions in accordance with the specific inheritance probability of the individual portions that respectively constitute the first and second characters under a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

2. The video game device according to claim 1, wherein

the character data includes definitions of motion patterns for the plurality of characters to be displayed on the display device, and wherein

the new character has a definition of specific motion patterns in accordance with inheritance probabilities of the motion patterns according to a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

3. The video game device according to claim 2, wherein

the character data includes definitions of traveling patterns for the plurality of characters to be displayed on the display device, and wherein

the new character has a definition of specific traveling patterns in accordance with inheritance probabilities of the traveling patterns according to a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

4. The video game device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition during execution of the program data is that display coordinates of specific portions of the first and second characters displayed on the display device coincide.

5. The video game device according to claim 2, wherein

the character data includes certain data related to a motion pattern of a character, wherein

the memory stores basic music data including a plurality of measures and altered music data for each of said measures, and wherein

the controller combines the altered music data for each of the measures at a predetermined probability according to a predetermined condition, and controls to play the combined altered music data as a background music for a game.

6. The video game device according to claim 1, wherein

the character data includes definitions of traveling patterns for the plurality of characters to be displayed on the display device, and wherein

the new character has a definition of specific traveling patterns in accordance with inheritance probabilities of the traveling patterns according to a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

7. The video game device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition during execution of the program data is that display coordinates of specific portions of the first and second characters displayed on the display device coincide.

8. A storage medium storing a game program to be executed in a video game device, said game program comprising:

character data that relates to a plurality of characters to be displayed on a display device and defines an inheritance probability for individual portions that constitute each of the plurality of characters, and wherein

the game program is executed to generate a new character from a first and second character, wherein the new character has individual portions in accordance with the specific inheritance probability of the individual portions that respectively constitute the first and second characters under a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

9. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the character data includes definitions of motion patterns for the plurality of characters to be displayed on the display device, and wherein

the new character has a definition of specific motion patterns in accordance with inheritance probabilities of the motion patterns according to a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

10. The video game device according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined condition during execution of the program data is that display coordinates of specific portions of the two characters displayed on the displayed device coincide.

11. The video game device according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined condition during execution of the program data is that display coordinates of specific portions of the first and second characters displayed on the display device coincide.

12. The video game device according to claim 8, wherein

the character data includes definitions of traveling patterns for the plurality of characters to be displayed on the display device, and wherein

the new character has a definition of specific traveling patterns in accordance with inheritance probabilities of the traveling patterns according to a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

13. The video game device according to claim 8, wherein

the character data includes certain data related to a motion pattern of a character, wherein

a memory of said video game device is configured to store basic music data including a plurality of measures and altered music data for each of said measures, and wherein

a controller of said video game device is configured to combine the altered music data for each of the measures at a predetermined probability according to a predetermined condition, and controls to play the combined altered music data as a background of a game.

14. An environmental video picture display apparatus comprising:

a memory device for storing character data relating to a plurality of characters to be displayed on a display device and defining an inheritance probability for individual portions of each of the plurality of characters; and

a processor for executing program data to generate a new character from a first and a second character, wherein the new character has individual portions in accordance with the specific inheritance probability of the individual portions that respectively constitute the first and second characters under a predetermined condition during execution of the program data.

15. The environmental video picture display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of characters to be displayed takes the form of fish in an aquarium.