Game apparatus, game system using same, and information processing unit

• US 6,386,980 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Inventors: Gotoh, Katsuhito, Nonaka, Ryutaro, Hayashida, Katsutoshi, Soma, Naoya, Tsukamoto, Takashi, Terada, Takaharu, Nishino, Akira, Shirahata, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Neill, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Carmen D.
• Application Number:
  US09/472,142
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40-44, 463/9
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• 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 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/88 Mini-games executed independently while main games are being loaded
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6036 for offering a minigame in combination with a main game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 : involving process of starting or resuming a game

Abstract

A game apparatus comprises: a macro group, with a scenario described therein, for commanding a procedure to process the scenario; a data group consisting of video data VD, graphics GF, texts TXT, audio data AD and other information used in accordance with the progress of the scenario; and a program for causing a CPU to make a game progress by using the data group on the basis of the command of the macro group. This game apparatus comprises: a first device for externally incorporating a scenario macro of, for example, a puzzle game; and a second device for giving a command to the program by means of the scenario macro SM obtained externally by the first device, and of providing a new scenario by reusing the data group.

Claims

1. A game apparatus comprising:

means for storing a macro group comprising a sequence of one or more macro data procedures, each procedure having a game scenario described therein for commanding the processing procedures of the scenario;

means for storing a data group including video data, graphics, texts and other information used in accordance with the progress of the game scenario;

means for storing a program to cause processing means to make a game progress by using the data group on the basis of a command of the macro group;

first means for externally incorporating a scenario macro; and

second means for giving a command to the program on the basis of the scenario macro obtained externally by the first means and for providing a game of a new scenario by reusing the data group.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first means comprises means for externally incorporating the scenario macro by using a communication network or a recording medium.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second means comprises:

a program code for interpreting the macro group or the scenario macro; and

a program code for conducting processing in accordance with an abstracted action command.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scenario macro is binary data in which procedures for processing the scenario are listed.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scenario macro is macro data for controlling the progress of the scenario of a puzzle game application.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the puzzle game is a game which requires a player to operate an object moving in images on a monitor screen in accordance with a question.

7. A game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the scenario macro is composed of information about an initial position of the object, information to display the object at a next time, information to clear the game, and information about a character to appear in the game.

8. A game apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second means comprises means for automatically preparing a question text by using the clear game information and character information.

9. A game apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second means comprises inflection means for changing the ending of question text according to a type of the character.

10. A game apparatus according to any one of claims 6 through 9, wherein the object is displayed as a jewel caused to fall down from the top of an image on the monitor screen.

23. A recording medium with a program stored thereon for causing a computer to function as the game apparatus in any one of claims 1 through 9 or 11 through 21.

24. A recording medium with a program stored thereon for causing a computer to function as the game apparatus in claim 10.

11. A game system comprising:

a game apparatus which comprises;

means for storing a macro group comprising a sequence of one or more macro data procedures, each procedure having a game scenario described therein for commanding the processing procedures of the scenario, a data group including video data, graphics, texts and other information used in accordance with the progress of the game scenario, and a program to cause processing means to make a game progress by using the data group on the basis of the command of the macro group;

first means for externally incorporating a scenario macro; and

second means for giving a command to the program by means of the scenario macro obtained externally by the first means and for providing a new scenario by reusing the data group; and

distribution means of distributing the scenario macro to the game apparatus.

12. A game apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first means comprises means for externally incorporating the scenario macro by using a communication network or a recording medium.

13. A game apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second means comprises:

a program code for interpreting the macro group or the scenario macro; and

a program code for conducting processing in accordance with an abstracted action command.

14. A game apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the scenario macro is binary data in which procedures for processing the scenario are listed.

15. A game system according to claim 11, wherein the distribution means distributes a new scenario macro every given period of time.

16. A game system according to claim 11, wherein the distribution means supplies the scenario macro to a communication network or a recording medium.

17. A game apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the scenario macro is macro data for controlling the progress of the scenario of a puzzle game application.

18. A game apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the puzzle game is a game which requires a player to operate an object moving in images on a monitor screen in accordance with a question.

19. A game apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the scenario macro is composed of information about an initial position of the object, information to display the object next time, information to clear the game, and information about a character to appear in the game.

20. A game apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the second means comprises means for automatically preparing a text of the question by using the clear conditions and the character conditions.

21. A game apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the second means comprises inflection means for changing the ending of the question text according to the type of the character.

22. A game apparatus according to any one of claims 19 through 21, wherein the object is displayed as a jewel caused to fall down from the top of an image on the monitor screen.

25. A recording medium with a program stored thereon for causing a computer to program as the processing means in claim 22.

26. A game apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a communications device for externally incorporating at least one scenario macro; and

a programmed memory, comprising

a) a macro group comprising a sequence of one or more scenario macros that command at least one processing procedure of the scenario,

b) a data group, comprising video data, graphics, text and other information used in accordance with the progress of the game scenario, and

c) a program that responds to commands from the macro group, and that directs the processor to use the data group.