Training game device, control method thereof, and readable storage medium for storing training game programs

• US 6,530,834 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nicolas, Frederick C.
• Application Number:
  US09/854,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 463/4-36, 463/44, 463/45, 434/167, 434/169, 434/185, 434/308
• US Class Current: 463/4
• 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 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8052 Ball team management

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to enable a user to play a more interesting and amusing game. This video game system receives specification of a training type for the main game character by means of a controller 5 and increases or decreases the values of a plurality of parameters that characterize the main character in correspondence with the specified training type. In this video game system, different average values are set for respective countries from which a country of citizenship is selected for the main character, and the user specifies the country of citizenship of the main character at the start of the game. When a parameter value is to be increased or decreased, if the growth restraint control part 105 judges that the parameter value is greater than the average value, based on the average value holding table 230, which holds the average values and the parameter holding table 240, which holds the parameters for the main character, the increment correction part 106 suppresses increase in the parameter value by multiplying the parameter increment by a constant value a (0<a<1).

Claims

1. A training game device that receives specification of one of a plurality of predetermined training types through a predetermined input part for a game character displayed on a monitor, and that enables the character to be trained by increasing and decreasing values of a plurality of parameters that characterize the game character in correspondence with the received specified training type, said training game device comprising:

setting means for setting one of a plurality of predetermined countries as the country of citizenship of the game character;

judgement means for judging whether or not a parameter value of the game character exceeds a reference value predetermined for the set country when the parameter value is increased or decreased; and

suppression means for suppressing increase in a parameter value when the parameter value of the game character is judged to be greater than said reference value.

2. The training game device according to claim 1, wherein increase or decrease in said parameter values is performed in accordance with a table that shows an increment or decrement in a parameter value in correspondence with each of a plurality of training types, and

wherein said suppression means suppresses increase in the parameter value by adding to the parameter value a value obtained by multiplying the increment according to the table by a constant value a (0< a<

1).

3. The training game device according to claim 1, wherein said setting means sets one of the plurality of countries based on a selection that is input by a user from an input part.

4. The training game device according to claim 1, further comprising:

second setting means for setting a probability according to a value of one predetermined parameter that characterizes the game character; and

promotion means for promoting increase in the parameter value in accordance with the set probability,

wherein said suppression means implements said suppression only when said promotion means does not promote the increase in the parameter value.

5. The training game device according to claim 4, wherein said parameter values are increased or decreased in accordance with the table that shows an increment or decrement for each of the parameter values in correspondence with each of the plurality of training types, and

wherein said promotion means promotes increase in the parameter value by adding to the parameter value a value obtained by multiplying the increment according to the table by a constant value b (b>

1).

6. The training game device according to claim 4, wherein said second setting means sets a probability based on a table that shows the probability values to be increased in stepwise manner along with increase in the value of one predetermined parameter.

7. The training game device according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined parameter includes a team mate confidence level to the game character.

8. A control method for a training game device that receives specification of one of a plurality of predetermined training types through a predetermined input part for a game character displayed on a monitor, and that enables the character to be trained by increasing and decreasing values of a plurality of parameters that characterize the game character in correspondence with the received specified training type, said control method comprising the steps of:

setting one of a plurality of predetermined countries as the country of citizenship of the game character,

judging whether or not a parameter value of the game character exceeds a reference value predetermined for the set country when the parameter is increased or decreased, and

suppressing increase in the parameter value when the parameter value of the game character is judged to be greater than said reference value.

9. The control method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

setting a probability according to the value of one predetermined parameter that characterizes the game character,

promoting increase in the parameter value in accordance with the set probability; and

said suppressing step suppresses increase in the parameter value only when said promoting step is not implemented.

10. A readable storage medium for storing a training game program that receives specification of one of a plurality of predetermined training types through a predetermined input part for a game character displayed on a monitor, and that enables the character to be trained by increasing and decreasing values of a plurality of parameters that characterize the game character in correspondence with the received specified training type, said game program comprising:

setting one of a plurality of predetermined countries as the country of citizenship of the game character,

judging whether or not a parameter value of the game character exceeds a reference value predetermined for the set country when the parameter is increased or decreased, and

suppressing increase in the parameter value when the parameter value of the game character is judged to be greater than said reference value.

11. The readable storage medium according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

setting a probability according to the value of one predetermined parameter that characterizes the game character,

promoting increase in the parameter value in accordance with the set probability; and

said suppressing step suppresses increase in the parameter value only when said promoting step is not implemented.

12. A training game device that receives specification of one of a plurality of predetermined training types through a predetermined input part for a game character displayed on a monitor, and that enables the character to be trained by increasing and decreasing values of a plurality of parameters that characterize the game character in correspondence with the received specified training type, said training game device comprising:

setting means for setting one of a plurality of predetermined countries as the country of citizenship of the game character;

judgement means for judging whether or not a parameter value exceeds a reference value predetermined for the set country when the parameter value is increased or decreased;

suppression means for suppressing increase in a parameter value when the parameter value is judged to be greater than said reference value;

second setting means for setting a probability according to a value of one predetermined parameter that characterizes the game character; and

promotion means for promoting increase in the parameter value in accordance with the set probability,

wherein said suppression means implements said suppression only when said promotion means does not promote the increase in the parameter value.

13. The training game device according to claim 12, wherein said parameter values are increased or decreased in accordance with the table that shows an increment or decrement for each of the parameter values in correspondence with each of the plurality of training types, and

wherein said promotion means promotes increase in the parameter value by adding to the parameter value a value obtained by multiplying the increment according to the table by a constant value b (b> 1).

14. The training game device according to claim 12, wherein said second setting means sets a probability based on a table that shows the probability values to be increased in stepwise manner along with increase in the value of one predetermined parameter.

15. The training game device according to claim 14, wherein said predetermined parameter includes a team mate confidence level to the game character.