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

• US 7,927,202 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Shiokawa, Yosuke, Kanemori, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoo; Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US11/460,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20070155501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/31, 463/9, 463/30
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface

Abstract

It is an object that a normally selectable command or a command for specifying an appropriate action in accordance with the state of a player character can be easily selected through a simple operation by a player. In a command control process, at least one normal action specifying command for specifying a normal action that the player character can normally carry out is selectably displayed; at least one local action specifying command for specifying a local action that the player character can locally carry out in accordance with a state of the player character and corresponds to the state of the player character is selectably displayed when the player character becomes the corresponding state; and an action of the player character is controlled in response to the command selected, through operation by the player, from the displayed at least one normal action specifying command and the displayed at least one local action specifying command.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus that causes an image of a player character of a video game to be displayed, the video game processing apparatus including a memory, a processor, and an input interface and controlling a progress of the video game by controlling an action of the displayed player character in accordance with an operation by a player, the displayed player character transitioning between a plurality of states in accordance with the operation by the player during the progress of the video game, each of the states corresponding to a display allowable condition, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

a normal action specifying command display controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that selectably displays at least one normal action specifying command for specifying a normal action that the player character can perform, the normal action being performable by the player in each of the states;

a state determiner, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that determines, from among the plurality of states, a current state of the player character, the current state being determined based on the action of the player character during the progress of the video game;

a local category determiner, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that determines, from among a plurality of categories of local action specifying commands, one of the categories of local action specifying commands that corresponds to the determined current state of the player character, each of the categories of local action specifying commands corresponding to less than all of the states;

a local action specifying command display controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that selectably displays at least one local action specifying command associated with the one of the categories of local action specifying commands determined to correspond to the current state of the player character, the local action specifying command specifying a local action that the player character can perform in response to the player character being in the current state and the local action specifying command being performable in less than all of the states;

a command selection receiver that receives, via the input interface, a command, the command indicating, in accordance with the operation of the player, one of the displayed normal action specifying command and the displayed local action specifying command; and

a player character action controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that controls an action of the player character in response to the command received, via the input interface, by the command selection receiver,

wherein the current state of the player character becomes another one of the states in response to the player character carrying out the local action in response to the command selection receiver receiving the command that selects the displayed local action specifying command,

wherein the local action specifying command display controller displays another local action specifying command in response to the current state becoming the another one of the states, the another local action specifying command being specified by the selected local action specifying command and being performable by the player in the another one of the states, and

wherein, when a plurality of local action specifying commands correspond to the current state of the player character, the local action specifying command display controller displays one of the plurality of local action specifying commands having a highest degree of priority in priority to an other of the plurality of local action specifying commands, and, when multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands have the highest degree of priority, the local action specifying command controller displays one of the multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands that specifies the local action whose target is a normal action target character in priority to an other of the multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the video game processing apparatus causes at least one other character of the video game to be displayed, wherein the at least one other character comprises a target character of at least one of the normal action and the local action, and the categories of local action specifying commands correspond to a category of the target character, which is to be a target of the local action of the player character.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a normal action target identifying display controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that displays identification of the normal action target character when at least one normal action specifying command is selected.

4. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a local action target identifying display controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that displays identification of a local action target character when the at least one local action specifying command is selected.

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

a normal action target identifying display controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that displays identification of the normal action target character when the at least one normal action specifying command is selected; and

a target character change controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that causes the local action target character, whose identification is to be displayed by the local action target identifying display controller, to change,

wherein, when the player character becomes a state that corresponds to a predetermined local action specifying command, the target character change controller changes the local action target character when the predetermined local action specifying command is selected, to the normal action target character.

6. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the current state of the player character includes a state where a distance between the player character and the target character is within a predetermined distance.

7. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the categories of the local action specifying commands correspond to categories of the states of the player character.

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

an operation signal output controller, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, that outputs operation signals including a first operation signal and a second operation signal, which is different from the first operation signal, to the command selection receiver in accordance with an operation of the player,

wherein the command selection receiver receives selection of the at least one normal action specifying command in response to an output of the first operation signal from the operation signal output controller, and receives selection of the at least one local action specifying command in response to an output of the second operation signal from the operation signal output controller.

9. A method of processing a video game that causes a player character of a video game to be displayed, the method controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action of the displayed player character in accordance with an operation from a player, the displayed player character transitioning between a plurality of states in accordance with the operation by the player during the progress of the video game, each of the states corresponding to a display allowable condition, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display screen, at least one normal action specifying command for specifying a normal action that the player character can carry out, the normal action being performable by the player in each of the states;

determining, with a processor, from among the plurality of states, a current state of the player character, the current state being determined based on the action of the player character during the progress of the video game;

determining, with the processor, from among a plurality of categories of local action specifying commands, one of the categories of local action specifying commands that corresponds to the determined current state of the player character, each of the categories of local action specifying commands corresponding to less than all of the states;

displaying, on the display screen, at least one local action specifying command associated with the one of the categories of local action specifying commands determined to correspond to the current state of the player character, the local action specifying command specifying a local action that the player character can perform in response to the player character being in the current state and the local action specifying command being performable in less than all of the states;

receiving, via an input interface, a command selection, by an operation of the player, that selects one of the displayed normal action specifying command and the displayed local action specifying command; and

controlling, with the processor, an action of the player character in response to the received command,

wherein the current state of the player character becomes another one of the states in response to the player character carrying out the local action in response to the received command selection selecting the displayed local action specifying command,

wherein another local action specifying command is displayed in response to the current state becoming the another one of the states, the another local action specifying command being specified by the selected local action specifying command and being performable by the player in the another one of the states, and

wherein, when a plurality local action specifying commands correspond to the current state of the player character, one of the plurality of local action specifying commands having a highest degree of priority is displayed in priority to an other of the plurality of local specifying commands, and, when multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands have the highest degree of priority, one of the multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands that specifies the local action whose target is a normal action target character is displayed in priority to an other of the multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein other characters of the video game are displayed, and each of the other characters may be a target character of at least one of the normal action and the local action, and the categories of the local action specifying commands correspond to the categories of the other characters.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

displaying, on the display screen, identification of at least one of the other characters when the at least one displayed local action specifying command is selected.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the current state of the player character includes a state where a distance between the player character and at least one of the other characters is within a predetermined distance.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the categories of the local action specifying commands correspond to categories of the states of the player character.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein receiving a command further comprises:

receiving, via the input interface, selection of the displayed at least one normal action specifying command in response to an input of a first operation signal; and

receiving selection of the displayed at least one local action specifying command in response to an input of a second operation signal different from the first operation signal.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising code segments for processing a video game, and for controlling progress of the video game by causing display of a player character, and controlling an action of the displayed player character, the displayed player character transitioning between a plurality of states during the progress of the video game, each of the states corresponding to a display allowable condition, the computer readable medium comprising:

a normal action display code segment that selectably displays at least one normal action specifying command for specifying a normal action that the player character can perform, the normal action being performable by the player in each of the states;

a state determining code segment that determines, from among the plurality of states, a current state of the player character, the current state being determined based on the action of the player character during the progress of the video game;

a local category determining code segment that determines, from among a plurality of categories of local action specifying commands, one of the categories of local action specifying commands that corresponds to the determined current state of the player character, each of the categories of local action specifying commands corresponding to less than all of the states;

a local action display code segment that displays at least one local action specifying command associated with the one of the categories of local action specifying commands determined to correspond to the current state of the player character, the local action specifying command specifying a local action that the player character can perform in response to the player character being in the current state and the local action specifying command being performable in less than all of the states;

a receiving code segment that receives a command that selects, by an operation of the player, one of the displayed normal action specifying command and the displayed local action specifying command; and

a controlling code segment that controls an action of the player character in response to the received command,

wherein the current state of the player character becomes another one of the states in response to the player character carrying out the local action in response to the receiving code segment receiving the command that selects the displayed local action specifying command,

wherein the local action display code segment displays another local action specifying command in response to the current state becoming the another one of the states, the another local action specifying command being specified by the selected local action specifying command and being performable by the player in the another one of the states, and

wherein, when a plurality of local action specifying commands correspond to the current state of the player character, the local action display code segment displays one of the plurality of local action specifying commands having a highest degree of priority in priority to an other of the plurality of local action specifying commands, and, when multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands have the highest degree of priority, the local action display code segment displays one of the multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands that specifies the local action whose target is a normal action target character in priority to an other of the multiple ones of the plurality of local action specifying commands.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein other characters of the video game are displayed, and each of the other characters may be a target of at least one of the normal action and the local action, and the multiple categories of local action specifying commands correspond to the categories of the other characters.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising:

an identifying display code segment for displaying identification of at least one of the other characters when the at least one displayed local action specifying command is selected.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the current state of the player character includes a state where a distance between the player character and at least one of the other characters is within a predetermined distance.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the categories of the local action specifying commands correspond to categories of the states of the player character.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising:

a first operation receiving code segment for receiving selection of the displayed at least one normal action specifying command in response to an input of a first operation signal; and

a second operation receiving code segment for receiving selection of the displayed at least one local action specifying command in response to an input of a second operation signal different from the first operation signal.