Device, method and storage medium for displaying penalty kick match cursors in a video soccer game

• US 6,280,323 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Toru, Kuri, Koji, Katakami, Fumimasa, Nakagawa, Eiji, Okuda, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kasick, Julie
• Application Number:
  US08/972,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 463/4, 463/1, 463/2, 463/3, 463/5, 463/7, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 463/49
• US Class Current: 463/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• 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 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• 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 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8052 : Ball team management
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 : Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 : involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

A video game system directed, for example, to a soccer game, employs opposing teams each having a plurality of players. At least one of the teams is under the control of a game player through a controller, while the other team is commanded by the system CPU or another game player. A mode of game play permits the carrying out of a penalty kick match, in which a monitor screen depicts, at least, characters representing the goal, a player acting as the kicker, a ball, and the player acting as the goalkeeper. A kicker cursor indicative of a shoot position to which the ball is to be kicked by the character representing the kicker is movably displayed on the monitor screen. In addition, a keeper cursor indicative of an area covered by the character representing the goalkeeper for checking the ball is movable displayed said monitor screen, the keeper cursor being movable on the monitor screen independently from the character representing the goalkeeper.

Claims

1. A device for displaying penalty kick match cursors in a video soccer game in which a monitor screen displays, at least, characters representing the goal, a player acting as a kicker, a ball, and a player acting as the goalkeeper, so that a penalty kick match is simulated by said characters in accordance with kicking instructions and checking instructions given by a game player through a controller, said device comprising:

kicker cursor displaying means for displaying a kicker cursor on said monitor screen, said kicker cursor being indicative of a shoot position to which the ball is to be kicked by the kicker character;

kicker cursor movement commanding means for moving the position of said kicker cursor displayed on said monitor screen;

keeper cursor displaying means for displaying a keeper cursor on said monitor screen, said keeper cursor being movable on said monitor screen independently from the character representing the goalkeeper and being indicative of an area covered by the character representing the goalkeeper for checking the ball; and

keeper cursor movement commanding means for moving the position of said keeper cursor displayed on said monitor screen.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said kicker cursor movement commanding means and said keeper cursor movement commanding means is controllable by the game player through the associated controller.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising goal control means which conduct judgement between success and failure of goal depending on the positions of said kicker cursor and keeper cursor relative to each other.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising strong kick instructing means for giving strong kick instructions and weak kick instructing means for giving weak kick instructions, wherein said kicker cursor is displayed on the monitor screen in a form of an enclosing space having an outer peripheral strong kick guide region and an inner weak kick guide region, and wherein the ball when kicked in accordance with the strong kick instructions hits a point within said strong kick guide region, whereas, when kicked in accordance with the weak kick instructions, the ball hits a point within said weak kick guide region.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said kicker cursor displaying means displays, after the kick, a shoot position guide indicative of the shoot position, and wherein said keeper cursor has an outer peripheral punch cursor region for checking the ball by punching and an inner catch cursor region for checking the ball by catching, so that, when the position of said shoot position guide falls within said punch cursor region, a judgement is made that the ball has been checked by punching, whereas, when the position of said shoot position guide falls within said catch cursor region, a judgement is made that the ball has been checked by catching.

6. A method for displaying penalty kick match cursors in a video soccer game in which a monitor screen displays, at least, characters representing the goal, a player acting as a kicker, a ball, and a player acting as the goalkeeper, so that a penalty kick match is simulated by said characters in accordance with kicking instructions and checking instructions given by a game player through a controller, said method comprising:

movably displaying a kicker cursor on said monitor screen, said kicker cursor being indicative of a shoot position to which the ball is to be kicked by the kicker character; and

movably displaying a keeper cursor on said monitor screen, said keeper cursor being movable on said monitor screen independently from the character representing the goalkeeper and being indicative of an area covered by the character representing the goalkeeper for checking the ball.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein judgement between success and failure of goal is made depending on the positions of said kicker cursor and keeper cursor relative to each other.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said kicker cursor is displayed on the monitor screen in a form of an enclosing space having an outer peripheral strong kick guide region and an inner weak kick guide region, and wherein the ball when kicked in accordance with strong kick instructions hits a point within said strong kick guide region, whereas, when kicked in accordance with the weak kick instructions, the ball hits a point within said weak kick guide region.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein said kicker cursor is changed, after the kick, into a shoot position guide indicative of the shoot position, and wherein said keeper cursor has an outer peripheral punch cursor region for checking the ball by punching and an inner catch cursor region for checking the ball by catching, so that, when the position of said shoot position guide falls within said punch cursor region, a judgement is made that the ball has been checked by punching, whereas, when the position of said shoot position guide falls within said catch cursor region, a judgement is made that the ball has been checked by catching.

10. A storage medium storing a program for displaying penalty kick match cursors in a video soccer game in which a monitor screen displays, at least, characters representing the goal, a player acting as a kicker, a ball, and a player acting as the goalkeeper, so that a penalty kick match is simulated by said characters in accordance with kicking instructions and checking instructions given by a game player through a controller, wherein said program comprises executable code for execution by a processor for performing the steps of:

movably displaying a kicker cursor on said monitor screen, said kicker cursor being indicative of a shoot position to which the ball is to be kicked by the kicker character; and

movably displaying a keeper cursor on said monitor screen, said keeper cursor being movable on said monitor screen independently from the character representing the goalkeeper and being indicative of an area covered by the character representing the goalkeeper for checking the ball.

11. A storage medium according to claim 10, wherein judgement between success and failure of goal is made depending on the positions of said kicker cursor and keeper cursor relative to each other.

12. A storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said kicker cursor is displayed on the monitor screen in a form of an enclosing space having an outer peripheral strong kick guide region and an inner weak kick guide region, and wherein the ball when kicked in accordance with strong kick instructions hits a point within said strong kick guide region, whereas, when kicked in accordance with the weak kick structions, the ball hits a point within said weak kick guide region.

13. A storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said kicker cursor is changed, after the kick, into a shoot position guide indicative of the shoot position, and wherein said keeper cursor has an outer peripheral punch cursor region for checking the ball by punching and an inner catch cursor region for checking the ball by catching, so that, when the position of said shoot position guide falls within said punch cursor region, a judgement is made that the ball has been checked by punching, whereas, when the position of said shoot position guide falls within said catch cursor region, a judgement is made that the ball has been checked by catching.