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

• US 7,690,992 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Itou, Hiroyuki, Maehiro, Kazutoyo
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S
• Application Number:
  US11/674,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20070213107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 463/8, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6623 for animating a group of characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

When an action content command and an action target character is received, a control section and a graphics processor identify action executing standby time in accordance with a predetermined time identifying rule. The control section and the graphics processor then identify an action executable range in which a player character can execute the received action content in accordance with a predetermined range identifying rule, and determines whether or not an action target character that is a target of the received action content exists within the identified action executable range. The control section and the graphic processor execute the received action content against the action target character in the case where it is determined that the action target character exists within the action executable range when action executing standby time is clocked.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus that causes an image display apparatus to display multiple characters of a video game, including a player character, 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 of each character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

an action content receiver that receives an action content for the player character;

an action executing standby time identifier that identifies an action executing standby time from the time when the action content receiver receives the action content to the time when the received action content becomes executable in accordance with a predetermined time identifying rule;

a timer that times the action executing standby time identified by the action executing standby time identifier;

an action executable range identifier that identifies an action executable range in which the player character can execute the action content received by the action content receiver in accordance with a predetermined range identifying rule;

an action target character availability determiner that determines whether an action target character that is a target of the action content received by the action content receiver exists within the action executable range identified by the action executable range identifier when the timer times the action executing standby time;

an action content memory that stores the action content received by the action content receiver when the action target character availability determiner determines that no action target character exists within the action executable range;

an action content stored display controller that causes the image display apparatus to display a notification that the action content is stored in the action content memory;

an action target character monitor that monitors whether the action target character that is the target of the action content enters the action executable range when the action content is stored in the action content memory;

an action executor that executes the action content received by the action content receiver against the action target character when the action target character determiner determines that the action target character exists within the action executable range, and executes the action content stored in the action content memory against the action target character that is monitored to enter the action executable range by the action target character monitor; and

an eliminator that eliminates the action content stored in the action content memory and the notification by the action content stored display controller when the action content stored in the action content memory is executed by the action executor.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the action executing standby time identifier identifies the action executing standby time on the basis of at least one of the action content received by the action content receiver and a predetermined action speed level in accordance with the time identifying rule.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a time status display controller that causes the image display apparatus to display a time status of the action executing standby time timed by the timer.

4. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving interval identifier that identifies any one of an action content receiving standby time from the time when the action content receiver receives the action content to the time when a next action content is allowed to be received and a receiving time limit from the time when the action content receiver receives the action content to the time when receiving limit of the action content is removed.

5. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a receiving interval timer that times one of the action content receiving standby time and the receiving time limit identified by the receiving interval identifier; and

a receiving interval timer status display controller that causes the image display apparatus to display a time status of the receiving interval timer.

6. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timer stops timing the action executing standby time when the action content receiver receives a new action content before the action content that has already been received by the action content receiver is executed by the action executor, and

wherein the action executing standby time identifier identifies the action executing standby time until the new action content received by the action content receiver becomes executable.

7. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the action content memory stores a new action content when the action content receiver receives the new action content while the action content received by the action content receiver is executed by the action executor, and

wherein the action content stored display controller causes the image display apparatus to display a notification that the new action content is stored in the action content memory.

8. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the action target character monitor monitors whether an action target character that is a target of the new action content exists within the action executable range when the new action content is stored in the action content memory and when the execution of the action content by the action executor is terminated,

wherein the action executor executes the new action content stored in the action content memory against the action target character that is detected to exist within the action executable range by the action target character monitor, and

wherein the eliminator eliminates the new action content stored in the action content memory and the notification by the action content stored display controller when the new action content stored in the action content memory has been executed by the action executor.

9. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the action content memory updates the stored action content to the new action content when the new action content is received by the action content receiver before the action executor executes the stored action content.

10. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiple characters include a non-player character that thwarts accomplishment of a predetermined object by the player character, and a non-player character action executable range in which the non-player character can execute an action content is defined for the non-player character in advance, and

wherein the video game processing apparatus further comprises:

a non-player character action executor that executes a predetermined action content by the non-player character against the player character when the player character exists within the non-player character action executable range.

11. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a character image display controller that causes the image display apparatus to display a character image in which the characters existing in a field of view of a virtual camera in a field are drawn on the display screen, various actions, including movement of the player character and a battle by the player character, being allowed in the field, a same time base being applied to the multiple characters, including the player character, which exist in the field;

an action content beforehand notifying image drawer that draws an action content beforehand notifying image in the character image displayed by the character image display controller, the action content beforehand notifying image beforehand notifying the player that the action content received by the action content receiver will be executed against the action target character; and

an action content executing image drawer that draws an action content executing image in the character image displayed by the character image display controller, the action content executing image notifying the player of an executing state that the action content received by the action content receiver is executed against the action target character.

12. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the action content beforehand notifying image drawer draws the action content beforehand notifying image for beforehand notifying the player that a predetermined category of action content received by the action content receiver will be executed against the action target character.

13. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the action content beforehand notifying image drawer draws the action content beforehand notifying image for beforehand notifying the player of the action target character by one of a straight line and a curved line that is drawn from a vicinity of the player character to a vicinity of the action target character one of continuously and intermittently, and for beforehand notifying the player of the category of action content received by the action content receiver by a display state of one of the straight line and the curved line.

14. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the action content memory updates the stored action content to the new action content when the new action content is received by the action content receiver before the action executor executes the stored action content.

15. A method of processing a video game by causing an image display apparatus to display multiple characters of the video game, including a player character, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the method controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action of each character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the method comprising:

receiving an action content for the player character;

identifying an action executing standby time from the time when the action content is received to the time when the received action content becomes executable in accordance with a predetermined time identifying rule;

timing the identified action executing standby time;

identifying an action executable range in which the player character can execute the received action content in accordance with a predetermined range identifying rule;

determining whether an action target character that is a target of the received action content exists within the identified action executable range when the action executing standby time is timed in the timing of the identified action executing standby time;

storing the action content received in the receiving of an action content in an action content memory when it is determined that no action target character exists within the action executable range in the determining of whether an action target character exists within the identified action executable range;

causing the image display apparatus to display a notification that the action content is stored in the action content memory;

monitoring whether the action target character that is the target of the action content enters the action executable range when the action content is stored in the action content memory;

one of executing the received action content against the action target character when it is determined that the action target character exists within the action executable range and executing the action content stored in the action content memory against the action target character that is monitored to enter the action executable range in the monitoring of whether the action target character enters the action executable range; and

eliminating the action content stored in the action content memory and the notification displayed in the causing of the image display apparatus to display a notification when the action content stored in the action content memory is executed.

16. A storage medium encoded with a computer program product for processing a video game, progress of the video game being controlled by causing an image display apparatus to display multiple characters of the video game, including a player character, on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, and controlling an action of each character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the computer program product causing a computer to execute:

receiving an action content for the player character;

identifying an action executing standby time from the time when the action content is received to the time when the received action content becomes executable in accordance with a predetermined time identifying rule;

timing the identified action executing standby time;

identifying an action executable range in which the player character can execute the received action content in accordance with a predetermined range identifying rule;

determining whether an action target character that is a target of the received action content exists within the identified action executable range when the action executing standby time is timed in the timing of the identified action executing standby time;

storing the action content received in the receiving of an action content in an action content memory when it is determined that no action target character exists within the action executable range in the determining of whether an action target character exists within the identified action executable range;

causing the image display apparatus to display a notification that the action content is stored in the action content memory;

monitoring whether the action target character that is the target of the action content enters the action executable range when the action content is stored in the action content memory;

one of executing the received action content against the action target character when it is determined that the action target character exists within the action executable range and executing the action content stored in the action content memory against the action target character that is monitored to enter the action executable range in the monitoring of whether the action target character enters the action executable range; and

eliminating the action content stored in the action content memory and the notification displayed in the causing of the image display apparatus to display a notification when the action content stored in the action content memory is executed.