Video game program and video game device for generating an attribute status image

• US 8,089,484 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanabe, Kensuke, Inoue, Nobuyuki, Ohin, Takeo, Matsuura, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): BROOME, SAID A
• Application Number:
  US11/429,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20070076015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

Displayed on a first LCD 11 are a “fire” planet 40a, a “wood” planet 40b; an “earth” planet 40c, a “wind” planet 40d and a “water” planet 40e, each traveling along an orbit by a unique orbital period. While an attribute symbol is traveling through an active zone that is associated with the attribute symbol, the status of the attribute represented by the attribute symbol is active. An attribute being active affects the space attribute, which is the attribute of a particular space in the game world. The space attribute affects the ability parameters of characters of the same attribute. Thus, it is possible to enrich the strategic aspect of a video game using characters'"'"' attributes.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium having tangibly recorded thereon a video game program to be executed by a video game device including a display, control programmed logic circuitry and computer readable storage memory, the video game program instructing a computer of the video game device to function as:

attribute status changing programmed logic circuitry for automatically switching a status of each of a plurality of types of attributes in a predetermined way, which are respectively assigned to a plurality of characters in a game world, between active and inactive in real time and for storing the status of each attribute in the computer readable storage memory;

attribute status display control programmed logic circuitry for producing an attribute status barometer image and displaying the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active;

space attribute determining programmed logic circuitry for storing, in the computer readable storage memory, an attribute currently being active as a space attribute;

attribute comparison programmed logic circuitry for comparing an attribute of each of the plurality of characters with the space attribute;

character ability changing programmed logic circuitry for changing an ability parameter of each of the plurality of characters based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison programmed logic circuitry; and

game process programmed logic circuitry for performing a game process using the ability parameter, which has been changed by the character ability changing programmed logic circuitry, based on an instruction inputted by a player through the control programmed logic circuitry.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium according to claim 1, wherein a period by which the status of each attribute is switched by the attribute status changing from inactive to active is different from one attribute to another.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the attribute status display control produces the attribute status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active, in terms of positions at which attribute symbols each associated with one attribute are displayed.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the attribute status display control produces the attribute status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium according to claim 4, wherein:

a position of the active zone is different for each attribute symbol; and

the attribute status display control produces the status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for the attribute symbol while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active whereas the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for another attribute symbol while the status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being inactive.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the game processing performs a game process in which a plurality of characters, including a player character and an enemy character, are involved in a battle against each other;

the character ability changing changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison;

the attribute comparison compares an attribute of each character with the space attribute determined by the space attribute determining; and

the character ability changing changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character if the attribute of the character corresponds to the space attribute based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium according to claim 1, wherein each of the attributes is weak to one of the other attributes but is strong against another one of the other attributes.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the attributes include a fire attribute, a water attribute and a wood attribute.

7. A video game device, comprising:

a display for displaying a game image;

control programmed logic circuitry to be controlled by a player;

computer readable storage memory for storing data for a game process;

attribute status changing programmed logic circuitry for automatically switching a status of each of a plurality of types of attributes in a predetermined way, which are respectively assigned to a plurality of characters in a game world, between active and inactive in real time and for storing the status of each attribute in the computer readable storage memory;

attribute status display control programmed logic circuitry for producing an attribute status barometer image and displaying the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active;

space attribute determining programmed logic circuitry for storing, in the computer readable storage memory, an attribute currently being active as a space attribute;

attribute comparison programmed logic circuitry for comparing an attribute of each of the plurality of characters with the space attribute;

character ability changing programmed logic circuitry for changing an ability parameter of each of the plurality of characters based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison programmed logic circuitry; and

game process programmed logic circuitry for performing a game process using the ability parameter, which has been changed by the character ability changing programmed logic circuitry, based on an instruction inputted by a player through the control programmed logic circuitry.

8. The video game device according to claim 7, wherein:

the game process programmed logic circuitry performs a game process in which a plurality of characters, including a player character and an enemy character, are involved in a battle against each other;

the character ability changing programmed logic circuitry changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison programmed logic circuitry;

the attribute comparison programmed logic circuitry compares an attribute of each character with the space attribute determined by the space attribute determining programmed logic circuitry; and

the character ability changing programmed logic circuitry changes an ability parameter of each character so as to increase an attack power of the character if an attribute of the character corresponds to the space attribute based on a result of the comparison by the attribute comparison programmed logic circuitry.

9. The video game device according to claim 7, wherein a period by which the status of each attribute is switched by the attribute status changing programmed logic circuitry from inactive to active is different from one attribute to another.

10. The video game device according to claim 7, wherein the attribute status display control programmed logic circuitry produces the attribute status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active, in terms of positions at which attribute symbols each associated with one attribute are displayed.

11. The video game device according to claim 10, wherein the attribute status display control programmed logic circuitry produces the attribute status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active.

12. The video game device according to claim 11, wherein:

a position of the active zone is different for each attribute symbol; and

the attribute status display control programmed logic circuitry produces the status barometer image and displays the attribute status barometer image on the display, wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for the attribute symbol while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active whereas the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for another attribute symbol while the status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being inactive.

13. The video game device according to claim 7, wherein each of the attributes is weak to one of the other attributes but is strong against another one of the other attributes.

14. The video game device according to claim 13, wherein the attributes include a fire attribute, a water attribute and a wood attribute.

17. A computer implemented method executed by a video game device, the method comprising:

automatically switching a status of each of a plurality of types of attributes in a predetermined way, which are respectively assigned to a plurality of characters in a game world, between active and inactive in real time and storing the status of each attribute in a computer readable storage medium;

producing an attribute status barometer image and displaying the attribute status barometer image on a display, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active;

storing an attribute currently being active as a space attribute in the computer readable storage medium;

comparing an attribute of each of the plurality of characters with the space attribute;

changing an ability parameter of each of the plurality of characters based on a result of the comparison of the attribute of the character in the game world with the space attribute;

receiving an instruction input from a player on the video game device; and

performing a game process using the changed ability parameter based on the received instruction.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a period by which the status of each attribute is switched from inactive to active is different from one attribute to another.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the attribute status barometer image represents whether or not a status of each attribute is currently being active and an amount of time needed before an inactive attribute will next become active, in terms of positions at which attribute symbols each associated with one attribute are displayed.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein:

a position of the active zone is different for each attribute symbol; and

wherein each attribute symbol moves so that the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for the attribute symbol while a status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being active whereas the attribute symbol is located within an active zone for another attribute symbol while the status of the attribute associated with the attribute symbol is being inactive.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein:

the game process involves a plurality of characters, including a player character and an enemy character, in a battle against each other;

an ability parameter of each character is changed so as to increase an attack power of the character based on a result of the comparison of the attribute of the character in the game world with the determined space attribute;

an attribute of each character is compared with the determined space attribute; and

an ability parameter of each character is changed so as to increase an attack power of the character if the attribute of the character corresponds to the space attribute based on a result of the comparison of the attribute of each character is compared with the determined space attribute.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein each of the attributes is weak to one of the other attributes but is strong against another one of the other attributes.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the attributes include a fire attribute, a water attribute and a wood attribute.