Video game processing apparatus, a method and a computer program product for processing a video game

• US 7,677,977 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Isowaki, Takashi, Maehiro, Kazutoyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/680,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20070218992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 5, 463 7- 8, 463/23, 463 30- 34, 463 36- 39, 463 40- 43, 463 49- 57, 463/9, 345/156, 345/419, 345 11- 34, 345473-475, 345618-619, 345/629, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/309, 273/317.1, 273/340, 273/348, 273361-367, 717168-178, 348/37, 348/240, 434/115, 434/117, 434/211.14, 715/706, 715/738, 715/757, 715762-764
• US Class Current: 463/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/60 Methods for processing data by generating or executing the game program

Abstract

A movement determining map is stored in addition to a field display map. The field display map is a three-dimensional map for displaying a field of the video game on the image display screen. The movement determining map is a two-dimensional map in which an enterable region. An unenterable region is distinguishably provided for the characters existing in the field. A control section determines a movement route of the sub character, in which no unenterable region exists, using the movement determining map when a predetermined movement route determining condition is met. The sub character is caused to move in accordance with the determined movement route. The predetermined movement route determining condition is met every predetermined period of time or in the case where the main character moves apart from the sub character in a predetermined distance or more.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus that causes an image display apparatus to display multiple characters, including a main character and a sub character moving in a field that includes an enterable region and an unenterable region provided in a virtual three-dimensional space, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the video game processing apparatus controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action such as moving of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player and an action such as moving of the sub character following the moving of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with a predetermined control program, the sub character moving so as to follow the main character, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

a movement determining map generator that generates a movement determining mare based on a field display map, the field display mare being a three-dimensional mare that represents the field provided in the virtual three-dimensional space, the movement determining mare being a two-dimensional representation of the field display mare that identifies the enterable region and the unenterable region of the field;

a movement determining map memory that stores the movement determining map in addition to the field display map;

a movement route determiner that identifies the enterable region and the unenterable region on the field provided in the virtual three-dimensional space by using the movement determining map and that determines a movement route of the sub character in the field using the movement determining map when the main character separates from the sub character by a predetermined distance; and

a movement executor that causes the sub character to move in accordance with the movement route determined by the movement route determiner,

wherein the determined movement route of the sub character causes the sub character to follow the main character in the enterable region on the field, and

wherein the determined movement route of the sub character exists only in the enterable region on the field.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement determining map identifies a floor part comprising the enterable region and a wall part comprising the unenterable region.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the floor part further comprises the unenterable region.

4. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an obstacle is provided and displayed in the field, and in the movement determining map, a predetermined circumferential region of the obstacle including a display region in which the obstacle is displayed is set to an obstacle part that is identified as the unenterable region.

5. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement route determiner comprises:

a destination determiner that determines a movement destination to which the sub character moves; and

a movement route decider that decides a shortest movable route along which the sub character can move by a shortest distance among movement routes on which the sub character can move from a current position of the sub character to the movement destination determined by the destination determiner without entering the unenterable region.

6. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the movement route decider includes:

a shortest movement route determiner that determines a shortest movement route along which the sub character moves from the current position to the movement destination determined by the destination determiner by the shortest distance;

an unenterable region determiner that determines whether at least a portion of the unenterable region is included along the shortest movement route determined by the shortest movement route determiner;

an unenterable region memory that stores the portion of the unenterable region determined to be included along the shortest movement route by the unenterable region determiner; and

an unenterable region bypass route determiner that determines an unenterable region bypass route along which the sub character moves from the current position to the movement destination determined by the destination determiner by the shortest distance when the portion of the unenterable region is stored in the unenterable region memory, the unenterable region bypass route being determined within a region from which the portion of the unenterable region stored in the unenterable region memory is eliminated,

wherein the unenterable region determiner also determines whether a new portion of the unenterable region is included along the unenterable region bypass route determined by the unenterable region bypass route determiner, and

wherein the movement route decider decides one of the shortest movement route and the unenterable region bypass route, in which one of the unenterable region determiner and the unenterable region bypass route determiner determines that no unenterable region is included, as the shortest movable route that is the movement route of the sub character.

7. A computer implemented method of processing a video game by causing an image display apparatus to display multiple characters, including a main character and a sub character moving in a field that includes an enterable region and an unenterable region provided in a virtual three-dimensional space, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the method controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action such as moving of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player and an action such as moving of the sub character in the field to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with a predetermined control program, the sub character moving so as to follow the main character, the computer implemented method comprising:

generating, using a computer, a movement determining map based on a field display map, the field display map being a three-dimensional map that represents the field provided in the virtual three-dimensional space, the movement determining map being a two-dimensional representation of the field display map that identifies the enterable region and the unenterable region of the field;

storing, in a memory of the computer, the movement determining mare and the field display map;

identifying, using the computer, the enterable region and the unenterable region on the field provided in the virtual three-dimensional space by using the movement determining map and determining a movement route of the sub character in the field using the movement determining map when the main character separates from the sub character by a predetermined distance; and

causing, using the computer, the sub character to move in accordance with the determined movement route,

wherein the determined movement route of the sub character causes the sub character to follow the main character in the enterable region on the field, and

wherein the determined movement route of the sub character exists only in the enterable region on the field.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the movement determining map identifies a floor part comprising the enterable region and a wall part comprising the unenterable region.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the floor part further comprises the unenterable region.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein an obstacle is provided and displayed in the field, and in the movement determining map, a predetermined circumferential region of the obstacle including a display region in which the obstacle is displayed is set to an obstacle part that is identified as the unenterable region.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determining a movement route of the sub character includes:

determining, using the computer, a movement destination to which the sub character moves; and

deciding, using the computer, a shortest movable route along which the sub character can move by a shortest distance among movement routes on which the sub character can move from a current position of the sub character to the determined movement destination without entering the unenterable region.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the deciding the shortest movable route includes:

determining, using the computer, a shortest movement route along which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination by the shortest distance;

determining, using the computer, whether at least a portion of the unenterable region is included along the determined shortest movement route;

storing, using the computer, the portion of the unenterable region determined to be included along the shortest movement route in an unenterable region memory; and

determining, using the computer, an unenterable region bypass route along which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination by the shortest distance when the portion of the unenterable region is stored in the unenterable region memory, the unenterable region bypass route being determined within a region from which the portion of the unenterable region stored in the unenterable region memory is eliminated,

wherein it is also determined whether a new portion of the unenterable region is included along the determined unenterable region bypass route, and

wherein one of the shortest movement route and the unenterable region bypass route is decided, in which it is determined that no unenterable region is included, as the shortest movable route that is the movement route of the sub character.

13. A computer readable medium that stores a program for processing a video game, progress of the video game being controlled by causing an image display apparatus to display multiple characters, including a main character and a sub character moving in a field that includes an enterable region and an unenterable region provided in a virtual three-dimensional space, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, and controlling an action such as moving of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player and an action such as moving of the sub character following the moving of the main character to be displayed on the image display screen, the sub character moving so as to follow the main character, the program on the computer readable medium causing a computer to execute:

generating a movement determining map based on a field display map, the field display map being a three-dimensional map that represents the field provided in the virtual three-dimensional space, the movement determining map being a two-dimensional representation of the field display map that identifies the enterable region and the unenterable region of the field;

storing the movement determining map and the field display map;

identifying the enterable region and the unenterable region on the field provided in the virtual three-dimensional space by using the movement determining map and determining a movement route of the sub character in the field using the movement determining map when the main character separates from the sub character by a predetermined distance; and

causing the sub character to move in accordance with the determined movement route,

wherein the determined movement route of the sub character causes the sub character to follow the main character in the enterable region on the field, and

wherein the determined movement route of the sub character exists only in the enterable region on the field.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the movement determining map identifies a floor part comprising the enterable region and a wall part comprising the unenterable region.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the floor part further comprises the unenterable region.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein an obstacle is provided and displayed in the field, and in the movement determining map, a predetermined circumferential region of the obstacle including a display region in which the obstacle is displayed is set to an obstacle part that is identified as the unenterable region.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein in determining a movement route of the sub character, the computer readable medium causing the computer to execute:

determining a movement destination to which the sub character moves; and

deciding the shortest movable route along which the sub character can move by a shortest distance among movement routes by which the sub character can move from a current position of the sub character to the determined movement destination without entering the unenterable region.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein in the deciding the shortest movable route, the computer readable medium causes the computer to execute:

determining a shortest movement route along which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination by the shortest distance;

determining whether at least a portion of the unenterable region is included along the determined shortest movement route;

storing the portion of the unenterable region determined to be included on the shortest movement route in an unenterable region memory; and

determining an unenterable region bypass route on which the sub character moves from the current position to the determined movement destination by the shortest distance when the portion of the unenterable region is stored in the unenterable region memory, the unenterable region bypass route being determined within a region from which the portion of the unenterable region stored in the unenterable region memory is eliminated,

wherein it is also determined whether a new portion of the unenterable region is included along the determined unenterable region bypass route, and

wherein one of the shortest movement route and the unenterable region bypass route is decided, in which it is determined that no unenterable region is included, as the shortest movable route that is the movement route of the sub character.