Game system and computer readable storage medium

• US 6,572,476 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shoji, Tatsuya, Nagakura, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/820,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1-2, 463/5, 463/7, 463/30-34, 463/37, 463/49-56, 273/461, 345/592, 345/472, 345/424, 345/418, 345/426, 345/619, 345/629, 345/856-857, 345/788, 345/952, 359/802
• US Class Current: 463/33
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• 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 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• 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 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• 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 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

It is an object of present invention to effectively, separately use a game field image and an enlarged image relating to the neighborhood of a sight postion in the game field image. In a game system executing a shooting simulation of the like, a game field image is displayed on a screen of a predetermined monitor by a computer of the game system, a sight position in the game field image is changed in accordance with a player'"'"'s postion select operation conducted to a predetermined input device, and an enlarged image relating to a predetermined range including the sight postion is displayed on the screen of the monitor. Further, a magnification of the enlarged image relative to the game field image is changed in accordance with a player'"'"'s magnification switch operation conducted to the input device.

Claims

1. A game system constituted to execute a snipe simulation game where a virtual shot is fired to snipe a target, said game system comprising:

a first display control device for displaying a game field image on a predetermined monitor screen as a space, where the target is hidden, expressed from a viewpoint of a virtual shooter which is a player operation target character;

a sight position select device for changing a sight position in said game field image in accordance with a player'"'"'s position select operation conducted to a predetermined input device;

a second display control device for displaying an enlarged view relating to a predetermined range including said sight position on said monitor screen, so that said sight position in said enlarged view and said sight position in said game field position accord with each other and said game field image lies in the back of said enlarged view; and

a magnification change device for changing a magnification of said enlarged view relative to said game field image with a constant angle of view of said enlarged view in accordance with a player'"'"'s magnification switch operation conducted to said input device.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein said second display control device switches over display and non-display of said enlarged view in accordance with a player'"'"'s display switch operation conducted to said input device.

3. The game system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transparency processing device for allowing observation of the game field image in back of the enlarged view by transmitting said enlarged view to a predetermined transparency.

4. The game system according to claim 3, further comprising a transparency change device for changing said transparency of said enlarged view in accordance with player'"'"'s transparency change operation conducted to said input device.

5. The game system according to claim 1, further comprising a transparency processing device for allowing observation of the game field image in back of the enlarged view by transmitting said enlarged view to a predetermined transparency.

6. The game system according to claim 5, further comprising a transparency change device for changing said transparency of said enlarged view in accordance with player'"'"'s transparency change operation conducted to said input device.

7. A computer readable storage medium recording a program for allowing a computer constituting a game system for a sniper simulation game where a virtual shot is fired to snipe a target to function as:

a first display control device for displaying a game field image on a predetermined monitor screen as a apace, where the target is hidden, expressed from a viewpoint of a virtual shooter which is a player operation target character;

a sight position select device for changing a sight position in said game field image in accordance with a player'"'"'s position select operation conducted to a predetermined input device;

a second display control device for displaying an enlarged view relating to a predetermined range including said sight position on said monitor screen, so that said sight position in said enlarged view and said sight position in said game field position accord with each other and said game field image lies in the back of said enlarged view; and

a magnification change device for changing a magnification of said enlarged view relative to said game field image with a constant angle of view of said enlarged view in accordance with a player'"'"'s magnification switch operation conducted to said input device.

8. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the program allows the computer to function as:

a transparency processing device for allowing observation of the game field image in back of the enlarged view by transmitting said enlarged view to a predetermined transparency.

9. A game system constituted to execute a snipe simulation game where a virtual shot is fired to snipe a target, said game system comprising:

a first display control device for displaying a game field image on a predetermined monitor screen as a space, where the target is hidden, expressed from a viewpoint of a virtual shooter which is a player operation target character;

a view area select device for changing a view area in said game field image in accordance with a player'"'"'s view area select operation conducted to a predetermined input device;

a second display control device for displaying an enlarged view relating to a predetermined range including said view area on said monitor screen, so that said view area in said enlarged view and said view area in said game field image accord with each other and said game field image lies in the back of said enlarged view; and

a magnification change device for changing a magnification of said enlarged view relative to said game field image with a constant angle of view of said enlarged view in accordance with a player'"'"'s magnification switch operation conducted to said input device.

10. The game system according to claim 9, wherein said second display control device switches over display and non-display of said enlarged view in accordance with a player'"'"'s display switch operation conducted to said input device.

11. (Newly Added) A computer readable storage medium recording a program for allowing a computer constituting a game system for a sniper simulation game where a virtual shot is fired to snipe a target to function as:

a first display control device for displaying a game field image on a predetermined monitor screen as a apace, where the target is hidden, expressed from a viewpoint of a virtual shooter which is a player operation target character;

a view area select device for changing a view area in said game field image in accordance with a player'"'"'s view area select operation conducted to a predetermined input device;

a second display control device for displaying an enlarged view relating to a predetermined range including said view area on said monitor screen, so that said view area in said enlarged view and said view area in said game field image accord with each other and said game field image lies in the back of said enlarged view; and

a magnification change device for changing a magnification of said enlarged view relative to said game field image with a constant angle of view of said enlarged view in accordance with a player'"'"'s magnification switch operation conducted to said input device.

12. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program allows the computer to function as

a transparency processing device for allowing observation of the game field image in back of the enlarged view by transmitting said enlarged view to a predetermined transparency.