Game machine and game program for rendering a mark image of a player character which may be hidden behind an object

• US 7,513,829 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Hayashida, Koichi, Koizumi, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dat
• Application Number:
  US10/262,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20030166413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,379 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 463/32, 463/47, 463/53, 463/30, 345/422
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• 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 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/405 using Z-buffer

Abstract

A game machine includes a CPU, and the CPU renewably determines positions of a player character and a virtual camera in a game space in response to an operation of a controller by a player. Furthermore, a game image produced by the CPU and a GPU is displayed on a monitor. Then, a specific-shaped first mark image to inform the player a presence of the player character is rendered by the CPU and the GPU on images of a building object and a wall object in the game image.

Claims

1. A game machine for displaying at least a geometry object and a player character in a game space on the basis of a virtual camera arranged in said game space, comprising:

a position determination mechanism for determining positions of said player character and said virtual camera in said game space in response to an operation of the player;

a game image producing mechanism for producing a game image in which said geometry object and said player character are viewed from said virtual camera at a determined position; and

a first mark image rendering mechanism for rendering a first mark image on an image of said geometry object in said game image without rewriting depth information from the virtual camera in a Z buffer so that at least a position of said player character can be known when said player character hides behind said geometry object.

4. A game machine according to claim 1, wherein said geometry object includes at least a building object for displaying a building and/or a wall in said game space,

said first mark image rendering mechanism renders the first mark image on an image of said building object in said game image when said player character hides behind said building object.

5. A game machine according to claim 1, wherein said first mark image includes a specific-shaped first symbol image.

6. A game machine according to claim 5, wherein said first symbol image has the same or similar to said player character in shape and a different from said player character in texture.

2. A game machine for displaying at least a geometry object and a player character in a game space on the basis of a virtual camera arranged in said game space, comprising:

a position determination mechanism for determining positions of said player character and said virtual camera in said game space in response to an operation of the player;

a geometry object rendering mechanism for rendering said geometry object by a geometry object image in a frame buffer while writing depth information from said virtual camera to said geometry object in a Z buffer;

a first mark image rendering mechanism for rendering said player character by a first mark image in said frame buffer without rewriting the depth information of said Z buffer; and

a player character rendering mechanism for rendering said player character by a player character image into said frame buffer while rewriting the depth information of said Z buffer when said player character is closer to the side of said virtual camera than that of said geometry object with referring to the depth information of said Z buffer.

3. A game machine for displaying at least a geometry object and a player character in a game space on the basis of a virtual camera arranged in said game space, comprising:

a position determination mechanism for determining positions of said player character and said virtual camera in said game space in response to an operation of the player;

a game image producing mechanism for producing a game image in which said geometry object and said player character are viewed from said virtual camera at a determined position;

a first determination mechanism for determining whether or not said player character hides behind said geometry object; and

a first mark image rendering mechanism for rendering a first mark image indicative at least a position of said player character on an image of said geometry object in said game image in response to a determination of said first determination mechanism without rewriting depth information from the virtual camera in a Z buffer.

7. A game program storage device readable by a game machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the game machine to make the game machine which displays at least a geometry object and a player character in a game space on the basis of a virtual camera arranged in the game space execute following steps of:

a position determination step for determining positions of said player character and said virtual camera in said game space in response to an operation of the player;

a game image producing step for producing a game image in which said object and said player character are viewed from said virtual camera at a determined position; and

a first mark image rendering step for rendering a first mark image on an image of said geometry object in said game image without rewriting depth information from the virtual camera in a Z buffer such that at least a position of said player character can be known when said player character hides behind said geometry object.

8. A game program storage device readable by a game machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the game machine to make the game machine which displays at least a geometry object and a player character in a game space on the basis of a virtual camera arranged in said game space execute following steps of:

a position determination step for determining positions of said player character and said virtual camera in said game space in response to an operation of the player;

a geometry object rendering step for rendering said geometry object by a geometry object image in a frame buffer while writing depth information from said virtual camera to said geometry object into a Z buffer;

a first mark image rendering step for rendering said player character by a first mark image in said frame buffer without rewriting the depth information of said Z buffer; and

a player character rendering step for rendering said player character by said player character image in said frame buffer while rewriting the depth information of said Z buffer when said player character is closer to the side of said virtual camera than that of said geometry object with referring to the depth information of said Z buffer.

9. A game program storage device readable by a game machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the game machine to make the game machine which displays at least a geometry object and a player character in a game space on the basis of a virtual camera arranged in said game space execute following steps of:

a position determination step for determining positions of said player character and said virtual camera in said game space in response to an operation of the player;

a game image producing step for producing a game image in which said object and said player character are viewed from said virtual camera at a determined position;

a first determination step for determining whether or not said player character hides behind said geometry object; and

a first mark image rendering step for rendering a first mark image indicative at least a position of said player character on an image of said geometry object in said game image in response to a determination of said first determination step without rewriting depth information from the virtual camera in a Z buffer.