Game program, game device, and game method

• US 7,878,890 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Masafumi, Shimizu, Akihiko, Toyohara, Koji, Yokoyama, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US11/465,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 463/3, 463/37
• US Class Current: 463/3
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• 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 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

A first power property setting unit will set a first power property to a moving object. A power status display unit will display the power status of the moving object, which is defined based on the first power property, in an estimated passage position in an estimated passage display area. A rotational property setting unit will set a rotational property to the moving object which is dispatched from a character. A second power property setting unit will set a second power property to the moving object. A rotational status display unit will continuously display the rotational status of the moving object, which is defined based on the rotational property, in the estimated passage position.

Claims

1. A game program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage, the game program causing a computer to execute a game in which a first character, a second character which has the first character as opponent and a moving object are displayed on a monitor, and the moving object is dispatched from the first character by operating a controller, the game program comprising:

a passage area setting function configured to set an estimated passage display area of the moving object in a predetermined position between the position from which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives, the estimated passage display area being immovable before the moving object is dispatched from the first character;

a passage position setting function configured to set an estimated passage position of the moving object in the estimated passage display area;

a first power property setting function configured to set a first power property to the moving object in accordance with the timing at which the moving object is dispatched from the first character;

a rotational property setting function configured to set a rotational property of the moving object which is dispatched from the first character;

a trajectory setting function configured to set the trajectory of the moving object which passes nearby the second character between the position from which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives based on the rotational property;

a passage position moving function configured to move the estimated passage position in the estimated passage display area by directly projecting the position of the moving object which is in motion on the trajectory between the position from which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives based on the rotational property to the estimated passage display area;

a rotational status display function configured to continuously display the rotational status of the moving object, which is defined based on the rotational property, in the estimated passage position which is moved in the estimated passage display area, by using image data of the ball in a memory unit to inform a operator of the second character of the rotational status of the moving object which is dispatched from the first character; and

a power status display function configured to express a power status of the moving object with the size of the moving object and display the power status, which is defined based on the first power property, in the estimated passage position in the estimated passage display area to inform the operator of the power status of the moving object which is dispatched from the first character.

2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein

the rotational property comprises at least either of the rotational direction of the moving object and the rotational velocity of the moving object.

3. The game program according to claim 1, wherein

the rotational status display function displays the moving object changing the trajectory by rotating, by continuously piecing together a plurality of time-series image data of the moving object.

4. The game program according to claim 1, wherein

the first power property comprises the acceleration of the moving object between the position from which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives.

5. The game program according to claim 1, further comprising

a rotational property setting function configured to set a rotational property to the moving object which is dispatched from the first character;

a second power property setting function configured to set a second power property to the moving object in accordance with the timing at which the moving object is dispatched from the first character;

a trajectory setting function configured to set the trajectory of the moving object between the position from which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives based on the second power property and the rotational property;

a passage position moving function configured to move the estimated passage position in the estimated passage display area in accordance with the position of the moving object in the trajectory; and

a rotational status display function configured to continuously display the rotational status of the moving object, which is defined based on the rotational property, in the estimated passage position that is moved in the estimated passage display area.

6. The game program according to claim 5, wherein

the rotational property comprises at least either of a rotational direction of the moving object and a rotational velocity of the moving object.

7. The game program according to claim 5, wherein

the second power property includes a trajectory change rate which indicates the extent to which the trajectory of the moving object has changed.

8. The game program according to claim 5, wherein

the rotational status display function displays the moving object changing the trajectory by rotating, by continuously piecing together a plurality of time-series image data of the moving object.

9. A game method in which a first character, a second character which has the first character as opponent, and a moving object are displayed on a monitor, and the moving object is dispatched from the first character by operating a controller, the game method comprising the steps of:

setting an estimated passage display area of the moving object in a predetermined position between the position from which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives;

setting an estimated passage position of the moving object in the estimated passage display area, the estimated passage display area being immovable before the moving object is dispatched from the first character;

setting a first power property to the moving object in accordance with the timing at which the moving object is dispatched from the first character;

setting a rotational property of the moving object which is dispatched from the first character;

setting a trajectory of the moving object which passes nearby the second character between the position from which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives based on the rotational property;

moving the estimated passage position in the estimated passage display area by directly projecting the position of the moving object which is in motion on the trajectory between the position form which the moving object is dispatched and the position at which the moving object arrives based on the rotational property to the estimated passage display area;

continuously displaying a rotational status of the moving object, which is defined based on the rotational property, in the estimated passage position that is moved in the estimated passage display area, by using image data of the ball in a memory unit to inform an operator of the second character of the rotational status of the moving object which is dispatched from the first character; and

expressing a power status of the moving object with the size of the moving object and display the power status, which is defined based on the first power property, in the estimated passage position in the estimated passage display area to inform the operator of the power status of the moving object which is dispatched from the first character.