Game system capable of evaluating the correlation of user operation on a game machine with displayed operational information and user operation on another game machine

• US 8,052,511 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ozaki, Yuichi, Nakatsuka, Akito
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pandya; Sunit
• Application Number:
  US11/546,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/7, 463/23, 463/36, 463/43, 273/249, 273/444, 273/445, 273/148.B
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

In a game played by a plurality of game machines through teamwork, an evaluation is performed according to the correlation among operation information obtained through communications with each of the game machines. A plurality of game machines communicate with one another to establish timing synchronization. After the game, input timings at which buttons are operated during the game are collected and then evaluated so as to determine an absolute and relative timing coincidence in a predetermined period (unison part). A predetermined number of points are added to its game score based on the evaluation.

Claims

1. A game machine for executing a predetermined game in response to a player'"'"'s operation, comprising:

a display for displaying a game screen;

operation switches operated by the player;

a communications section for performing data communications among at least one other of game machines;

a start timing synchronization section for establishing start-timing synchronization with said at least one other of the game machines in the game by communications via said communications section;

a prompt information storage section for storing operation timing data defining an operation timing of said operation switches to be operated by the player;

a display controller for having, in response when the game is synchronously started, said display display information about the operation timings of said operation switches to be operated by the player based on said operation timing data;

a first operation timing storage section for storing data relating to the operation timings of said operation switches operated by the player responding to the information displayed on said display;

a second operation timing storage section for acquiring and storing the data which is stored in said first operation timing storage section of said at least one other of the game machines through communications via said, communications section;

a correlation evaluation section for evaluating correlation in terms of game operation with said at least one other of the game machines based on the data stored in said first operation timing storage section and said second operation timing storage section; and

a sound generator for generating a predetermined sound in response to said operation switches whichever operated, wherein

said prompt information storage section stores the operation timing data defining a plurality of the operation timings of said operation switches to be operated by the player for at least one of a plurality of parts relating to music play, and

said display controller has said display display the information about the operation timings of said operation switches relating to at least the one part out of the information based on said operation timing data;

wherein said correlation evaluation section evaluates whether operation timing based on the data stored in said first operation timing storage section and operation timing based on the data stored in said second operation timing storage section are in a predetermined range of each other including determining a time lag between the operation timing based on the data stored in said first operation timing storage section and the operation timing based on the data stored in said second operation timing storage section, wherein said correlation evaluation section also determines a time lag between the operation timing based on the data stored in said first operation timing storage section and the operation timings defined by the operation timing data stored in the prompt information storage section.

2. In a music game executed by a game machine, a method of controlling game play of the music game, comprising:

generating a predetermined sound in response to a player'"'"'s operation of operation switches;

establishing start-timing synchronization in the game through data communications performed among at least one other of game machines;

reading operation timing data defining a plurality of the operation timings of the operation switches to be operated by the player for at least one of a plurality of parts relating to music play;

in response when the game is synchronously started, having a display of the game machine display information about the operation timings of said operation switches to be operated by the player for the at least one of the plurality of parts relating to music play based on said operation timing data;

setting at least one of the plurality of operation timings based on said operation timing data as an evaluation timing;

storing its own data relating to the operation timings corresponding to said evaluation timing out of the operation timings of said operation switches operated by the player in response to the information displayed on said display;

acquiring, through communications, other data relating to the operation timings of said operation switches operated by the player in said at least one other of the game machines; and

evaluating correlation among said at least one other of the game machines in terms of game operation based on said its own data and said other data, wherein said evaluating includes;

determining an absolute time lag between operation timings of the operation switches of at least one of the game machines and the operation timings of operation switches defined by the read operation timing data; and

determining a relative time lag between the operation timings of the operation switches operated by the player on the game machine and the operation timings of the operation switches operated by the another player on the another game machine.

3. A program storage device readable by a game machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the game machine to perform method steps for controlling gameplay in the music game, the method steps comprising:

generating a predetermined sound in response to a player'"'"'s operation of operation switches;

establishing start-timing synchronization in the game through data communications performed among at least one other of game machines;

reading operation timing data defining a plurality of the operation timings of the operation switches to be operated by the player for at least one of a plurality of parts relating to music play;

in response when the game is synchronously started, enabling a display of the game machine display information about the operation timings of said operation switches to be operated by the player for the at least one of the plurality of parts relating to music play based on said operation timing data;

setting at least one of the plurality of operation timings based on said operation timing data as an evaluation timing;

storing its own data relating to the operation timings corresponding to said evaluation timing out of the operation timings of said operation switches operated by the player in response to the information displayed on said display;

acquiring, through communications, other data relating to the operation timings of said operation switches operated by the player in said at least one other of the game machines; and

evaluating correlation among said at least one other of the game machines in terms of game operation based on said its own data and said other data, wherein said evaluating includes;

determining an absolute time lag between operation timings of the operation switches of at least one of the game machines and the operation timings of operation switches defined by the read operation timing data and

determining a relative time lag between the operation timings of the operation switches operated by the player on the game machine and the operation timings of the operation switches operated by the another player on the another game machine.