Game information storage medium and game system using the same

• US 7,285,051 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Murakawa, Teruki, Miyamoto, Shigeru, Akasaka, Hideya, Eguchi, Katsuya, Tezuka, Takashi, Taho, Sagahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/408,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 463 43- 47, 463/9, 463/30, 463/40, 273148 B-148 R
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device

Abstract

A game system includes a first game machine which operates according to a first architecture and, a second game machine which operates according to a second architecture different from the first architecture and has a processing capability lower than that of the first game machine. A game information storage medium stores, in addition to a first game program executable on the first game machine, a second game program executable on the second game machine and an emulator program that converts the second architecture into the first architecture. When a predetermined condition is satisfied while a first game according to the first game program is being executed on the first game machine, it is possible to execute a second game according to the second game program using the emulator program.

Claims

1. A game information storage medium for use by a first game machine employing a first architecture, said storage medium comprising:

a first game program for execution by said first game machine;

at least one second game program executable by a second game machine having a processing capability lower than said first game machine and employing a second architecture different from the first architecture;

a first emulator program for rendering executable said second game program on the first game machine by subjecting said second game machine to an emulation on said first game machine;

a reward or bonus providing condition generating program for generating, when said first game program is executed by said first game machine, a condition for providing a reward or bonus that permits said second game program to be executed on the first game machine by said first emulator program;

a reward or bonus providing condition detecting program for detecting that said reward or bonus providing condition is established while said first game program is being executed by said first game machine; and

a selection state detecting program for detecting, after said reward or bonus providing condition is detected, a state in which said second game program is selected for player execution on the first game machine, wherein

said first game machine makes it possible to play, on the first game machine, a game dependent on the second game program through the execution of said second game program based on said first emulation program on said first game machine when a selection state is detected.

2. A game information storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

said game information storage medium is an optical disk storage medium having a large storage capacity,

said first game machine has a storage capacity smaller than that of said optical disk storage medium and larger than those of said first emulator program and the second game program, and is incorporated with a first memory which is capable of being written to and read from,

said game information storage medium further stores a reading-out program for reading-out information stored therein,

said reading-out program, prior to game play by said first game machine, reads-out from said game information storage medium a portion of said first game program so as to write into said first memory, and reads-out from said game information storage medium said first emulator program and at least a portion of said second game program so as to write into the first memory when the selection state is detected by said selection state detecting program, thereby enabling play of a game on the first game machine, dependent on the second game program, through executions of said second game program based on said first emulator program on said first game machine.

3. A game information storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

said second game program includes a plurality of game programs for playing different available games,

said reward or bonus providing condition generating program is a program for generating previously determined kinds of items on a game screen image displayed as a result of said first game machine executing said first game program, and generates a reward or bonus providing condition for making the available games of said second game program differ dependent on the kinds of items,

said selection state detecting program specifies the game selected by the player out of the available games of said second game program in correspondence to the obtained kinds of items, wherein

said reading-out program reads-out from said game information storage medium the second game program of the game selected and detected by said selection state detecting program and writes the same into said first memory.

4. A game information storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

said first game machine is connected to a third game machine employing a third architecture, having a processing capability higher than said second game machine including second writable/readable memory, and operable to exchange data with the third game machine, wherein

said game information storage medium further stores:

a second emulator program for rendering executable the second game program by subjecting said second game machine to an emulation on said third game machine,

a connection detecting program for detecting that said third game machine is connected to said first game machine,

a delivering program for reading-out said second emulator program and at least one said second game program and delivering the same to said third game machine, and

a game machine selecting program for allowing a player to select playing said second game program whether on said first game machine or on said third game machine after said reward or bonus providing condition is detected, wherein

said first game machine transfers said second emulator program and said second game program from said game information storage medium to said third game machine based on said delivering program when detecting by said game machine selecting program that said second game program is selected to be played on said third game machine, and then writes said second emulator program and said second game program into said second memory.

5. A game information storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising a switching program for switching to an execution of said first game program when said first game machine, which is executing said second game program, detects a previously determined switching condition.

6. A game information storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

said first game machine is connectable with said game information storage medium and a second information storage medium at the same time,

said game information storage medium further stores,

a second reward or bonus providing condition producing program for rendering selectable at least one game program for said second game machine, which is stored in said second information storage medium,

a second reward or bonus providing condition detecting program for detecting that a condition is satisfied, in which the reward or bonus stored in said second information storage medium becomes capable of being provided to a player based on said second reward or bonus providing condition producing program, and

a second selection state detecting program for detecting a condition selected by a player, in which said second game program stored in said second information storage medium is to be executed on the first game machine based on said second reward or bonus providing condition producing program, wherein

said first game machine reads-out from said second information storage medium the selected game program so as to start an execution based on said emulator program when said second selection state detecting program is executed and at least one game program stored in said second information storage medium is capable of being selected by the player.

7. A game information storage medium used by a first game machine employing a first architecture, comprising:

a first game machine connectable to a third game machine employing a third architecture having a processing capability higher than a second game machine, including a second writable/readable memory and operable to exchange data with the third game machine, wherein

said game information storage medium further stores,

a first game program executable by said first game machine,

at least one second game program executable by the second game machine employing a second architecture having a processing capability lower than both said first game machine and said third game machine, and different from the first game machine,

a second emulator program for allowing said second game program to be executed on said third game machine by subjecting said second game machine to an emulation on the third game machine,

a reward or bonus providing condition generating program for generating a condition in which a reward or bonus, rendering executable said second game program at least on the second game machine, is provided to a player when said first game program is being executed by said first game machine,

a reward or bonus providing condition detection program for detecting that said reward or bonus providing condition is satisfied when said first game program is being executed by said first game machine,

a selection state detecting program for detecting a condition that said second game program is selected to be executed on the third game machine by the player after said reward or bonus providing condition is detected,

a connection detecting program for detecting that said third game machine is connected to said first game machine, and

a delivering program for reading-out said second emulator program and at least one said second game program so as to deliver the both to said third game machine.

8. A game information storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

said game information storage medium further stores,

a first emulator program for rendering executable the second game program by subjecting said second game machine to an emulation on said first game machine, and

a game machine selecting program for allowing, after said reward or bonus providing condition is detected, the player to select playing said second game program whether on said first game machine or on said third game machine,

said first game machine writes into a first memory included in said first game machine said first emulator program and said second game program when it is detected that said second game program is selected to be played on said first game machine by said game machine selecting program, thereby making said second game program play on said first game machine based on said first emulator program.

9. A game information storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

said game information storage medium is an optical disk storage medium having a large storage capacity,

said first game machine has a storage capacity smaller than that of said optical disk storage medium and larger than those of said second emulator program and the second game program, and includes a first writable/readable memory,

said game information storage medium further stores a reading-out program for reading-out information stored therein,

said reading-out program, prior to game play by said first game machine, reads-out a portion of said first game program from said game information storage medium so as to write into said first memory, and when a selection detection is performed by said selection detection program, reads-out said second emulator program and at least a portion of said second game program from the game information storage medium so as to write into the second memory, and thereafter,

said second game program is executed by referring to said second emulator program on said third game machine, rendering playable the game dependent on the second game program on the third game machine.

10. A game system , provided with a first game machine employing a certain architecture that executes a program, stored in a game information storage medium, employing an architecture different from a first architecture, and providing a game for a second game machine having a processing capability lower than the first game machine, capable of being emulated on at least a third game machine employing a third architecture having a processing capability higher than the second game machine, comprising:

a data transmission/reception arrangement that is connected to said third game machine so as to exchange data, connectable to said first game machine,

a second memory for storing data transmitted and received between said first game machine via the data transmission/reception arrangement, included in said third game machine, wherein

said game information storage medium further stores,

a first game program executed by said first game machine,

at least one second game program executed by said second game machine,

a connection detecting program for detecting that said third game machine is connected to said first game machine,

a second emulator program for rendering executable said second game program on the third game machine by subjecting said second game machine to an emulation on said third game machine,

a reward or bonus providing condition generating program for generating a condition wherein a reward or bonus renders executable said second game program at least on the second game machine when said first game program is being executed by said first game machine,

a reward or bonus providing condition detecting program for detecting that said reward or bonus providing condition is satisfied when said first game program is being executed by said first game machine,

a selection state detecting program for detecting a state that said second game program is selected to be executed on the third game machine by the player after said reward or bonus providing condition is detected, and

a delivering program that reads-out said second emulator program and at least one said second game program so as to deliver to said third game machine, wherein

said first game machine, when said selection state is detected, and it is detected that said third game machine and said first game machine are connected to each other, reads-out from the game information storage medium said second emulator program and at least one said second game program based on said delivering program, and then writes the same into said second memory via said data transmission/reception arrangement, thereby allowing said second game program to be executed on said third game machine based on said second emulator program, rendering playable game play on the third game machine.

11. A game system according to claim 10, wherein

said game information storage medium further stores,

a first emulator program for rendering executable the second game program by subjecting said second game machine to an emulation on said first game machine, and

a game machine selecting program for allowing a player to select said second game program whether on said first game machine or on said third game machine after said reward or bonus providing condition is detected, wherein

said first game machine, when it is detected by said game machine selecting program that said second game program is selected to be played on said first game machine , writes said first emulator program and said second game program into the first memory included in said first game machine, thereby allowing

said second game program to be played on said first game machine based on said first emulator program.

12. A game system according to claim 10, wherein

said game information storage medium is an optical disk storage medium having a large storage capacity,

said first game machine includes a first writable/readable memory which has a storage capacity smaller than that of the optical disk storage medium and larger than those of said second emulator program and the second game program,

said game information storage medium further stores a reading-out program for reading-out information stored therein,

said reading-out program, prior to a game play by said first game machine, reads-out from said game information storage medium a portion of said first game program so as to write into said first memory, and reads-out, when a selection detection is performed by said selection detection program, from said game information storage medium said second emulator program and at least a portion of said second game program so as to write into the second memory, and thereafter,

said second game program is executed by referring to said second emulator program on said third game machine, rendering playable a game dependent on the second game program on the third game machine.

13. A game system comprising a first game machine employing a first architecture that executes a program stored in a first information storage medium storing a game program, providing a game for a second game machine employing a second architecture different from said first architecture and having a processing capability lower than the first game machine, wherein:

said first game machine is connectable to a second information storage medium and the first information storage medium at the same time,

said first information storage medium stores,

a first game program executed by said first game machine,

at least one second game program to be executed by said second game machine,

a first emulator program for rendering executable said second game program on said first game machine by subjecting said second game machine to an emulation on said first game machine,

a reward or bonus providing condition generating program for generating a condition for providing a reward or bonus that said second game program is permitted to be executed on the first game machine when said first game program is being executed by said first game machine,

a reward or bonus providing condition detecting program for detecting that said reward or bonus providing condition is satisfied when said first game program is being executed by said first game machine,

a selection state detecting program for detecting a state in which said second game program is selected to be executed on the first game machine by the player after said reward or bonus providing condition is detected, wherein

said second information storage medium further stores,

a second reward or bonus providing condition generating program rendering selectable at least one game program for said second game machine stored in said second information storage medium,

a second reward or bonus providing condition detecting program for detecting a condition is satisfied, in which the reward or bonus stored in said second information storage medium becomes active, based on said second reward or bonus providing condition detecting program, and

a second selection state detecting program for detecting a state that said second game program stored in said second information storage medium is selected to be executed on the first game machine by the player based on said second reward or bonus providing condition detecting program, wherein

said first game machine reads-out the selected game program from said second information storage medium so as to start an execution based on said emulator program when said second selection state detecting program is executed, and at least one game program stored in said second information storage medium is selectable by the player.