Game system playable by plurality of players, game apparatus and storage medium storing game program

• US 7,699,704 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Taiju, Suzuki, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Renwick; Reginald A
• Application Number:
  US10/989,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20050119053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 463/32, 463/43, 463/44
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/27 characterised by a large display in a public venue, e.g. in a movie theatre, stadium or game arena
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8023 the game being played by multiple players at a common site, e.g. in an arena, theatre, shopping mall using a large public display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

A game system includes, for example, a game console and a plurality of hand-held game apparatuses functioning as an operating means. In the game system, a game for causing a plurality of player characters simultaneously displayed to find a hidden item in a game field is performed. Then, when a distance between a non-displayed item hidden, which is an object to be found, and the player character comes within the range of the predetermined distance, a notification sound that varies depending on the distance, for example, is output from a speaker of the hand-held game apparatus that operates the player character.

Claims

1. A game system for use with an associated display apparatus and configured to allow a plurality of players to play a game in which a plurality of displayed player characters search for an invisible non-displayed item, comprising:

a game console; and

a plurality of hand-held game apparatuses, each including at least a controller with which the plurality of players can play a game and a sound output;

wherein said game console includes;

a processor for performing game processing in response to inputs from said controllers of said plurality of hand-held game apparatuses;

display programmed logic circuitry for displaying a result processed by said processor as an image on said display apparatus;

a field generator for generating a game field where at least one non-displayed item is located;

player character display programmed logic circuitry for displaying, according to inputs from said controllers of said plurality of hand-held game apparatuses, said plurality of player characters each corresponding to one of the hand held-game apparatuses, respectively;

non-displayed item data storage programmed logic circuitry for storing at least a position of said non-displayed item in said game field;

player position storage programmed logic circuitry for temporarily storing positions of said plurality of player characters in said game field that are operated by the plurality of controllers respectively;

a distance calculator for calculating a distance between said non-displayed item and said player character on the basis of a position of said non-displayed item and a position of said player character; and

instructing programmed logic circuitry for instructing, when it is determined that the position of at least one player character falls within a predetermined range from the position of said non-displayed item on the basis of the distance obtained by said distance calculator, the hand held game apparatus controlling said at least one player character to output a notification sound;

wherein

said sound outputs of said hand-held game apparatuses output the notification sound when receiving the instruction by said instructing programmed logic circuitry and the sound is the same sound regardless of which particular player character'"'"'s position fell within the predetermined range.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein said instructing programmed logic circuitry instructs said hand-held game apparatuses to emit the notification sound that is changeable depending on the distance obtained by said distance calculator.

3. The game system according to claim 1, wherein said game console further includes non-displayed item displaying programmed logic circuitry for displaying, after the non-displayed item is found, an image of said non-displayed item on said display apparatus.

4. The game system according to claim 1, wherein said non-displayed item data storage programmed logic circuitry further stores type data of said non-displayed item.

5. A game apparatus for a plurality of player characters displayed on a display to search for an invisible non-displayed item, comprising:

a plurality of controllers;

a sound output provided to each of said plurality of controllers;

a processor for performing game processing in response to an input from said plurality of controllers;

display programmed logic circuitry for displaying a result processed by said processor as an image;

a field generator for generating a game field where the at least one non-displayed item is arranged;

non-displayed item data storage programmed logic circuitry for storing at least a position of said non-displayed item in said game field;

player position storage programmed logic circuitry for temporarily storing positions of said plurality of player characters in said game field that are operated by said plurality of controllers respectively;

a distance calculator for calculating a distance between said non-displayed item and each of said player characters on the basis of a position of said non-displayed item and a position of each player character; and

a notification sound generator for generating, when the position of at least one player character falls within a predetermined range from the position of said non-displayed item, at least one kind of notification sound on the basis of the distance obtained by said distance calculator, wherein

said sound outputs of the controller controlling the at least one player character outputs the notification sound generated by said notification sound generator, said sound being the same sound regardless of which player character'"'"'s position fell within the predetermined range.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said notification sound generator changes the notification sound depending on the distance obtained by said distance calculator.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 5, further including non-displayed item displaying programmed logic circuitry for displaying, after said non-displayed item is found, an image of said non-displayed item on said display.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said non-displayed item data storage programmed logic circuitry further stores type data of said non-displayed item.

9. A storage medium storing a game program that causes a game apparatus including a plurality of controllers, a sound output provided to each of said plurality of controllers, a processor for performing game processing in response to input from said plurality of controllers, and display programmed logic circuitry for displaying a result processed by said processor as an image to function as a game for searching for an invisible non-displayed item by a plurality of player characters simultaneously displayed on a display, said game program causing a computer of said processor to execute following steps of:

a field generating step of generating a game field where at least one non-displayed item is arranged;

a non-displayed item data storing step of storing at least a position of said non-displayed item in said game field;

a player position storing step of temporarily storing positions of said plurality of player characters in said game field that are operated by a plurality of controllers;

a distance calculating step of calculating a distance between said non-displayed item and each of said player characters on the basis of a position of said non-displayed item and a position of each of said player characters;

a notification sound generating step of generating, when the position of at least one player character falls within a predetermined range from the position of said non-displayed item, at least one kind of notification sound on the basis of the distance obtained by said distance calculating step; and

a sound outputting step of causing the sound output of the controller controlling the at least one player character to output the notification sound generated by said notification sound generating step, said sound being the same sound regardless of which player character'"'"'s position fell within the predetermined range.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said notification sound generating step changes the notification sound depending on the distance obtained by said distance calculating step.

11. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said game program further includes a non-displayed item displaying step of displaying, after the non-displayed item is found, an image of said non-displayed item on said display.

12. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said non-displayed item data storing step further stores type data of said non-displayed item.