Method for displaying and controlling plural characters operated by a player on a video game apparatus

• US 6,175,366 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Katahata, Takatoshi, Tatsukawa, Katsumoto, Watanabe, Yasushi, Tsuchiya, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US09/095,582
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 345/421, 345/427, 345/473, 345/474, 345/422, 463/6, 463/7, 463/33, 463/34
• US Class Current: 345/422
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/807 Gliding or sliding on surfaces, e.g. using skis, skates or boards
• 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 2300/6623 for animating a group of characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8041 Skating using skis, skates or board
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

In a video game on which plural players operate different characters, a method for displaying and controlling a character makes players not lose their interest to continue a video game even when a difference according to the player'"'"'s technique is generated. The method for displaying and controlling the plural characters, includes the steps of judging a condition operated by a player for one of the first and second characters to be displayed according to a game program, and controlling a displayed position for the one of the first and second characters according to the judging result; and loosing the condition of the judgement for the one of the first and second characters when a virtual distance between the first and second characters is more than a predetermined value according to the game program.

Claims

1. A method for displaying and controlling first and second characters on a game apparatus, comprising the steps of:

judging a condition operated by a player for one of the first and second characters to be displayed according to a game program;

controlling a displayed position for the one of the first and second characters according to the judging result; and

loosening the condition of said judging step for the one of the first and second characters when a virtual distance between the first and second characters is more than a predetermined value according to the game program, wherein the loosened condition allows the game to continue and provides a playing advantage to the one of the first and second characters.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a virtual distance having a value larger than the predetermined value is used as a first distance, and a virtual distance larger than the first distance is used as a second distance, and when the first character is positioned ahead of the second character by a virtual distance larger than the first distance, a view point for displaying the first and second characters on a picture screen is moved to a back of the second character.

3. The method according to claim 2,

wherein when the first character is positioned ahead of the second character by a virtual distance more than the second distance, only the first character is displayed on the picture screen.

16. The method according to claim 1,

wherein when the virtual distance becomes between the first and second character becomes so large that of one of the first and second characters is no longer displayed, the loosened condition provides the playing advantage to the other one of the first and second characters.

4. A video game apparatus for executing a game by operating first and second characters to be displayed, comprising:

a storage medium storing a game program; and

a controller for judging a condition operated by a player for one of the first and second characters to be displayed according to the game program, controlling a displayed position for the one of the first and second characters according to the judging result, and loosening the condition for the one of the first and second characters when a virtual distance between the first and second characters is more than a predetermined value according to the game program, wherein the loosened condition allows the game to continue and provides a playing advantage to the one of the first and second characters.

5. The video game apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein a virtual distance having a value larger than the predetermined value is used as a first distance, and a virtual distance larger than the first distance is used as a second distance, and when the first character is positioned ahead of the second character by a virtual distance larger than the first distance, a view point for displaying the first and second characters on a picture screen is moved to a back of the second character.

6. The video game apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein when the first character is positioned ahead of the second character by a virtual distance more than the second distance, only the first character is displayed on the picture screen.

17. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the virtual distance becomes between the first and second character becomes so large that of one of the first and second characters is no longer displayed, the loosened condition provides the playing advantage to the other one of the first and second characters.

7. A video game apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing a game program; and

a controller for controlling operation of a plurality of characters and displaying the plurality of characters according to the game program,

wherein the controller judges a condition operated by a player for a first character of the plurality of characters and controls a displayed position for the first character according to the result of the judgement, and

when the first character is positioned ahead of a second character by a virtual distance that is more than a predetermined value, the controller loosens a second condition of a second judgement for the second character

wherein the loosened second condition allows the game to continue and provides a playing advantage to the second character.

8. The video game apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein a virtual distance having a value larger than the predetermined value is used as a first distance, and a virtual distance larger than the first distance is used as a second distance, and when the first character is positioned ahead of the second character by a virtual distance larger than the first distance, a view point for displaying the first and second characters on a picture screen is moved to a back of the second character.

9. The video game apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein when the first character is positioned ahead of the second character by a virtual distance more than the second distance, only the first character is displayed on the picture screen.

10. A method for displaying and controlling plural characters on a video game apparatus during a game, comprising the steps of:

judging a condition operated by a player for one of the plural characters to be displayed according to a game program;

removing the display of at least one of the plural characters from a picture screen when the condition of said judging step exceeds a predetermined condition; and

continuing the game and providing a playing advantage to at least one of the plural characters.

11. The method according to claim 10,

wherein a same motion for each of the plural characters is controlled by a same operation of the player.

12. The method according to claim 10,

wherein the picture screen is single.

13. The method according to claim 10,

wherein the predetermined condition to be judged is based on a distance between at least one character and the other character selected from the plural characters.

14. The method according to claim 10,

wherein a process for removing the at least one of the plural characters from the picture screen is executed while receiving operations inputted by players.

15. The method according to claim 11,

wherein an operation different from the operation for the displayed characters is executed for the character removed from the picture screen or another different operation is added for the removed character.