Game system using parent game machine and child game machine

• US 8,038,533 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsuchiyama, Yoshinori, Tahara, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lim; Seng H
• Application Number:
  US10/834,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,728 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• 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 a parent game device and a plurality of child game devices connected thereto. The parent game device displays a common screen on a CRT, and each of the plurality of child game devices displays an individual screen on an LCD provided for each child device. The parent game device detects a degree of progress of a game of each child game device, selects for each child game device predetermined display information data out of a plurality of display information data on the basis of the detected degree of progress of the game, and creates different parent game device data for each child device on the basis of the display information data. Each child game device generates image data for displaying the individual screen on the LCD on the basis of the parent game device data received from the parent game device.

Claims

1. A multi-player game apparatus that is connectable with a plurality of operating devices outputting operating information as operation data, each of said plurality of operating devices being operable by a different player, said game apparatus executing a game by displaying an image on a common display viewable by all players operating said operating devices, said game apparatus comprising:

a connected state detector for detecting which of the plurality of operating devices are connected to said game apparatus;

an object data output mechanism for outputting object data to display an object on said common display;

a direction determining mechanism for assigning a different direction for each player corresponding to a connected state of each player'"'"'s respective operating device detected by said connected state detector;

an object data changing mechanism for changing, when an event to be executed for each player occurs, object data output by said object data output mechanism depending on which direction a player relating to said event is assigned to by said direction determining mechanism; and

an image data output mechanism for outputting image data to display an image on said display on the basis of the object data to be changed by said object data changing mechanism, wherein

a direction of said object is set, and said object data determining mechanism determines the object data such that the direction of said object is changed in accordance with the assigned direction of the player corresponding to said event.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said game apparatus further includes a plurality of connectors aligned in an array, and

said direction determining mechanism determines a direction to be assigned for each player operating said connected operating devices in an order of alignment of said operating devices.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said direction determining mechanism changes said direction depending upon the number of operating devices connected.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said object is an object representative of a person including eyes, and said object data determining mechanism determines the object data such that the eyes of said object are turned to a direction of the player corresponding to the event.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said object is an object representative of a weapon, and said object data determining mechanism determines the object data such that a firing position of said weapon is determined depending on a direction of the player corresponding to the event.

6. A multi-player game apparatus according to claim 1 further including a plurality of connectors for respective connection to said plurality of operating devices, said plurality of connectors having a predetermined physical arrangement so that in use, operating devices connected with said plurality of connectors are generally disposed at locations corresponding to the predetermined physical arrangement of said plurality of connectors.

7. A control method of a game apparatus that is operated by at least one player, connects to a plurality of operating devices, and executes a game by displaying an image on a display, comprising:

(a) detecting which of said operating devices is connected;

(b) outputting object data to display an object on said display;

(c) assigning a direction for the at least one player in response to which operating device(s) are connected, wherein each player is assigned a direction which corresponds with a connected state of the player'"'"'s operating device;

(d) determining, when an event to be executed for the player occurs, object data to be output depending on which direction the player relating to said event is assigned to; and

(e) outputting image data to display an image on said display on the basis of the object data to be output, wherein a direction of said object is set, and the object data is determined such that a direction of said object is changed in accordance with the assigned direction of the player corresponding to said event.

8. A control method according to claim 7, further including a plurality of aligned connectors for connection to said plurality of operating devices, and the method includes determining a direction to be assigned for each player operating said operating device connected to said connectors in an order of alignment of said connectors.

9. A control method according to claim 8, wherein in said direction of each player is changed depending upon the number of operating devices connected to said connectors.

10. A control method according to claim 7, wherein said object is an object representative of a person including eyes, and the object data is determined such that the eyes of said object are turned to a direction of the player corresponding to the event.

11. A control method according to claim 7, wherein said object is an object representative of a weapon, and the object data is determined such that a firing position of said weapon is determined depending on a direction of the player corresponding to the event.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program to be executed by a processor of a game apparatus that is operated by at least one player, connects to a plurality of operating devices, and executes a game by displaying an image on a display, the program causing the processor to perform:

(a) detecting which of said operating devices is connected;

(b) outputting object data to display an object on said display;

(c) assigning a direction for the at least one player in response to which operating device(s) are detected as connected, wherein each player is assigned a direction which corresponds with a connected state of the player'"'"'s operating device;

(d) determining, when an event to be executed for the player occurs, object data to be output depending on which direction the player relating to said event is assigned to; and

(e) outputting image data to display an image on said display on the basis of the object data to be output wherein a direction of said object is set, and the object data is determined such that a direction of said object is changed in accordance with the assigned direction of the player corresponding to said event.

13. A multi-player game system that is connectable with a plurality of operating devices outputting operating information as operation data, each of said plurality of operating devices being operable by a different player, said game system executing a game by displaying an image on a common display viewable by all players operating said operating devices, said game system comprising:

a connected state detector for detecting which of the plurality of operating devices are connected to said game system;

an object data output mechanism for outputting object data to display an object on said common display;

a direction determining mechanism for assigning a different direction for each player corresponding to a connected state of each player'"'"'s respective operating device detected by said connected state detector;

an object data changing mechanism for changing, when an event to be executed for each player occurs, object data output by said object data output mechanism depending on which direction a player relating to said event is assigned to by said direction determining mechanism; and

an image data output mechanism for outputting image data to display an image on said display on the basis of the object data to be changed by said object data changing mechanism, wherein

a direction of said object is set, and said object data determining mechanism determines the object data such that a direction of said object is changed in accordance with the assigned direction of the player corresponding to said event.