Recording medium of game program and game device using card

• US 7,452,279 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Yamashita, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US10/214,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20030060248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 463/10, 463 41- 46, 463/25, 463/1, 463/8, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

By setting the player'"'"'s recording medium in the game device, the continuity of the previous game and current game of the player is maintained, and the game parameter of a non-player character is set with a used recording medium. The game device (30) has a unit (S24) for conducting a first game in which a plurality of characters participate including a player character and a non-player character upon using a recording medium (20) having recorded thereon the number of playable games; a unit (S26) for recording the game parameter of the player character renewed with the first game on the recording medium and deducting the number of playable games; a unit (S53) for using the recording medium to set the game parameter of the non-player character in the second game when there is a remainder in the number of playable games in the recording medium; and a unit (S57) for using the recording medium to set the game parameter of the non-player character in the second game when there is no remainder in the number of playable games in the recording medium.

Claims

1. A method for executing a program on a game device for a game having a player character operated by a player and a partner artificial intelligence (Al) character controlled by a computer, the method comprising:

reading, with a reading device, a recording medium of the player which has recorded thereon play data for the player character, the play data including a possible number of game plays, an issuable number of times for an Al recording medium, and past play data of the player;

determining, if a remainder of the possible number of game plays is zero, that the recording medium of the player is a used recording medium, and displaying guidance for choosing renewal of the recording medium of the player;

issuing, when recording medium renewal is chosen, a new recording medium, the new recording medium storing a new possible number of game plays, the past play data of the player, and the issuable number of times for the Al recording medium;

displaying guidance asking whether or not to store play data for the partner Al character one the recording medium of the player as well as the corresponding past play data of the player character;

determining, when a choice to use the recording medium of the player as the Al recording medium is made, whether the issuable number of times for the Al recording medium is within a prescribed number of times;

issuing, when the issuable number of times for the Al recording medium is within the prescribed number of times, the recording medium of the player as the Al recording medium and writing to the recording medium of the player so that it can function as the Al recording medium;

decreasing the issuable number of times for the Al recording medium and storing the decreased issuable number of times on the new recording medium, in response to the issuance; and

ejecting the new recording medium and the Al recording medium to the outside of the game device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising writing to the recording medium of the player to make it a data read-only medium, when a choice to use the recording medium of the player as the Al recording medium has not been made, or when the issuable number of times for the Al recording medium is not within the prescribed number of times.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a number of times the partner Al character can be used is recorded on the Al recording medium and the use of the partner Al character is limited thereby.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recording medium of the player is at least one of a magnetic card, an IC card, and an IC memory.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the recording medium of the player is at least one of a magnetic card, an IC card, and an IC memory.