Game machine and information storage medium

• US 6,425,827 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Nimura, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US09/446,391
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/4, 463/8, 463/30-35, 348/515, 348/516
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• 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 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• 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 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a game machine and an information storage medium that make it possible to intensify the dramatic effect of a game by the voices sounded by a character. The pitch, volume, or tone of each voice sounded by characters (20) and (22) is varied in accordance with a physical strength parameter, the remaining play time, the progressing degree through game stages, or a number of wins. The pitch and volume of a voice sounded by a character increase as an opponent'"'"'s physical strength parameter becomes larger, the remaining play time decreases, the final game stage approaches, or the opponent'"'"'s number of wins becomes larger. The pitch, volume, or tone of voices is varied after the remaining play time has reached a given value or a given game stage has been passed. The increase in pitch of a voice sounded by a character is a whole tone or less.

Claims

1. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as the magnitude of the difference between the status parameters of the character and the another character increases.

2. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a magnitude of remaining play time;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

3. The game machine as defined in claim 2, wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as the remaining play time decreases.

4. The game machine as defined in claim 2, wherein at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character is varied after the remaining play time has reached a given value.

5. The game machine as defined in claim 2, wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

6. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as a sequence of game stages through which a game is played approaches a final game stage.

7. The game machine as defined in claim 6, wherein at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character is varied when the player has passed a given game stage of a sequence of game stages, through which the game is played.

8. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character is varied when the player has passed a given game stage of a sequence of game stages, through which the game is played.

9. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a number of wins of a player and a magnitude of a difference between numbers of wins of the player and another player;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

10. The game machine as defined in claim 9, wherein the pitch or volume of a voice sounded by a character is increased as the difference between the numbers of wins of the player and the another player increases.

11. The game machine as defined in claim 9, wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

12. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

13. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

14. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of the basic frequency and volume of a voice sounded by a character that appears in the game, from a default value, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

15. The game machine as defined in claim 14, wherein the basic frequency or volume of a voice sounded by a character is varied from a default value in accordance with the magnitude of the difference between the status parameters of the character and the another character.

16. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of the basic frequency and volume of a voice sounded by a character that appears in the game, from a default value, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

17. The game machine as defined in claim 16, wherein the basic frequency or volume of a voice sounded by a character is varied from a default value as a sequence of game stages through which a game is played approaches a final game stage.

18. The game machine as defined in claim 16, wherein the basic frequency or volume of a voice sounded by a character is varied from a default value when the player has passed a given game stage of a sequence of game stages, through which the game is played.

19. A game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, said game machine comprising:

means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a physical strength parameter of a character and a magnitude of a difference between physical strength parameters of the character and another character;

means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

20. The game machine as defined in claim 19, wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as the difference between physical strength parameters of the character and the another character increases.

21. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as the magnitude of the difference between the status parameters of the character and the another character increases.

22. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a magnitude of remaining play time;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

23. The information storage medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as the remaining play time decreases.

24. The information storage medium as defined in claim 22, wherein at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character is varied after the remaining play time has reached a given value.

25. The information storage medium as defined in claim 22, wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

31. The information storage medium as defined in claim 22, wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

26. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

information generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as a sequence of game stages through which a game is played approaches a final game stage.

27. The information storage medium as defined in claim 26, wherein at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character is varied when the player has passed a given game state of a sequence of game stages through which the game is played.

28. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character is varied when the player has passed a given game state of a sequence of game stages through which the game is played.

29. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a number of wins of a player and a magnitude of a difference between numbers of wins of the player and another player;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

30. The information storage medium as defined in claim 29, wherein the pitch or volume of a voice sounded by a character is increased as the difference between the numbers of wins of the player and the another player increases.

32. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

33. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character,

wherein an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character is equal to or less than a whole tone from a pitch previously used.

34. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of the basic frequency and volume of a voice sounded by a character that appears in the game, from a default value, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

35. The information storage medium as defined in claim 34, wherein the basic frequency or volume of a voice sounded by a character is varied from a default value in accordance with the magnitude of the difference between the status parameters of the character and the another character.

36. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of the basic frequency and volume of a voice sounded by a character that appears in the game, from a default value, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

37. The information storage medium as defined in claim 36, wherein the basic frequency or volume of a voice sounded by a character is varied from a default value as a sequence of game stages through which a game is played approaches a final game stage.

38. The information storage medium as defined in claim 36, wherein the basic frequency or volume of a voice sounded by a character is varied from a default value when the player has passed a given game stage of a sequence of game stages through which the game is played.

39. An information storage medium which is capable of being used by a computer, for generating a game image and a game sound, said information storage medium comprising:

information for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a physical strength parameter of a character and a magnitude of a difference between physical strength parameters of the character and another character;

information for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and

information for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.

40. The information storage medium as defined in claim 39, wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as the difference between physical strength parameters of the character and the another character increases.