Control method of video game, video game apparatus, and computer readable medium with video game program recorded

• US 6,676,523 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd., Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd., Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Mizoguchi, Toshiyuki, Kasai, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/606,220
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/31, 463/43, 463/30, 463/44, 463/45, 463/46, 463/35, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/1, 434/156, 434/167, 273/454, 273/459, 273/460, 273/461, 273/148.R, 273/148, 704/1, 704/2, 704/3, 704/4, 704/5
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 13/54 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A video game with a main game process and a subsequent ending process including, if an interrupt request of a game character calling to a player character occurs, acquiring a progress of game at that time, and acquiring the voice message data of calling in accordance with an emotional value. Further, it includes outputting the intonation, volume or total average pitch of the voice message data, as required, variably in accordance with a game scene, a conversation context or a state of the game character. The voice message of calling to the player character is varied in accordance with the progress of game.

Claims

1. A control method of a video game for proceeding with a game in such a way that a player character and a game character communicate in accordance with an operation of a player, in which the game character issues a voice message, comprising the steps of:

inputting and setting by the player a character string indicating a way of calling the player character in accordance with the operation of the player;

creating and registering a voice messages for the game character calling to the player character in accordance with a progress of the game, on the basis of the set character string indicating the way of calling the player character or a preset calling words wherein in creating and registering the voice message more than one accent type of the voice message is displayed on a screen to enable the player to select one at will; and

reading and outputting selectively the voice messages registered in accordance with the progress of the game when the game character calls to the player character.

2. The control method of a video game according to claim 1, wherein in the case where a plurality of game characters exist, a plurality of voice messages of the game character calling to the player character may be different for each game character.

3. The control method of a video game according to claim 1, wherein the progress of game is a parameter indicating the relation between the player character and the game character, a game scene, a conversation context, or a state of game character.

4. The control method of a video game according to claim 1, wherein in creating and registering a voice message, at least one of the voice messages created actually is reproduced to enable the player to listen to it.

5. A control method of a video game for proceeding with a game in such a way that a player character and a game character communicate in accordance with an operation of a player, in which the game character issues a voice message, comprising the steps of:

inputting and setting by the player a character string representing a way of calling the player character in accordance with an operation of the player;

creating and registering voice message of the game character calling to the player character, on the basis of the set character string representing the way of calling the player character or a preset calling word, wherein in creating and registering the voice message, a plurality of accent types of the voice message are displayed on a screen to enable the player to select them at will; and

reading a registered voice message and outputting at least one of the intonation, volume and total average pitch of the voice message variably in accordance with the progress of the game, when the game character calls to the player character.

6. The control method of a video game according to claim 5, wherein the progress of game is a parameter indicating the relation between the player character and the game character, a game scene, a conversation context, or a state of game character.

7. The control method of a video game according to claim 5, wherein in creating and registering a voice message, at least one of the voice messages created actually is reproduced to enable the player to listen to it.

8. A video game apparatus for proceeding with a game in such a way that a player character and a game character communicate in accordance with an operation of a player, in which the game character issues a voice message, comprising:

means for inputting and setting by the player a character string representing a way of calling the player character in accordance with an operation of the player;

means for creating a plurality of voice messages of the game character calling to the player character in accordance with a progress of the game, on the basis of the set character string representing the way of calling the player character or a preset calling word, wherein said voice message creating means has a feature in which a plurality of accent types of the voice message are displayed on a screen to enable the player to select them at will;

means for registering the plurality of voice messages created corresponding to the progress of the game; and

means for reading selectively one of the plurality of voice messages registered in said means for registering in accordance with the progress of the game, when the game character calls to the player character.

9. The video game apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for storing the mode in creating a plurality of voice messages in accordance with the progress of the game for each of the plurality of game characters.

10. The video game apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for varying at least one of the intonation, volume and total average pitch for the read voice message in accordance with the progress of the game.

11. A video game apparatus for proceeding with a game in such a way that a player character and a game character communicate in accordance with an operation of a player, in which the game character issues a voice message, comprising:

means for inputting and setting by the player a character string representing a way of calling the player character in accordance with an operation of the player;

means for creating at least one voice message of the game character calling to the player character, on the basis of the set character string representing the way of calling the player character or a preset calling word, wherein said voice message creating means has a feature in which a plurality of accent types of the voice message are displayed on a screen to enable the player to select them at will;

means for registering said voice message created; and

means for varying at least one of the intonation, volume and total average pitch of the voice message registered in said means for registering in accordance with the progress of the game, when the game character calls to the player character.

12. A computer readable medium having a video game program recorded thereon for proceeding with a game in such a way that a player character and a game character communicate in accordance with an operation of a player, in which the game character issues a voice message, wherein said video game program, when read by a computer, enables said computer to perform the steps of:

inputting and setting a character string by the player representing a way of calling the player character in accordance with an operation of the player;

creating and registering a plurality of voice messages of the game character calling to the player character in accordance with a progress of the game, on the basis of the set character string representing the way of calling the player character or a preset calling word, wherein in creating and registering- the voice message, a plurality of accent types of the voice message are displayed on a screen to enable the player to select them at will; and

reading and outputting selectively one of the plurality of voice messages registered in accordance with the progress of the game, when the game character calls to the player character.

13. A computer readable medium having a video game program recorded thereon for proceeding with a game in such a way that a player character and a game character communicate in accordance with an operation of a player, in which the game character issues a voice message, wherein said video game program, when read by a computer, enables said computer to perform the steps of:

inputting and setting by the player a character string representing a way of calling the player character in accordance with an operation of the player;

creating and registering at least one voice message of the game character calling to the player character, on the basis of the set character string representing the way of calling the player character or a preset calling word, wherein in creating and registering the voice message, a plurality of accent types of the voice message are displayed on a screen to enable the player to select them at will; and

reading a registered voice message and outputting at least one of the intonation, volume and total average pitch of the voice message variably in accordance with the progress of the game, when the game character calls to the player character.