Game machine, game machine control method, information recording medium, and program

• US 8,128,497 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US11/575,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20070218993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6615 using models with different levels of detail [LOD]
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6638 for simulating particle systems, e.g. explosion, fireworks
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

To output sounds generated by multiple objects disposed in a virtual space in as easy a manner as possible while giving live feelings, a storage unit (202) of a game machine (201) stores information on objects of a first type and a second type which move in the virtual space. A basic sound acquiring unit (203) acquires basic sound information corresponding to the total number of the objects. An imitation sound acquiring unit (204) acquires imitation sound information imitating a sound generated by an object of the first type from its position in the virtual space. A mixing output unit (205) mixes and outputs the basic sound information and the imitation sound information. An input receiving unit (206) receives an instruction input from the user. In a case where the instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, a deleting unit (207) deletes any of objects of the first type from the storage unit (202) if there is no object of the second type stored in the storage unit (202), and deletes any of objects of the second type from the storage unit (202) if there is.

Claims

1. A game machine, comprising:

a storage unit which stores objects of a first type and objects of a second type, each of the objects being capable of moving in a virtual space, and having an each position in the virtual space, the first and second types defining similar objects;

a basic sound acquiring unit which acquires basic sound information, which functions as a basic environmental sound, such that a volume associated with the basic environmental sound increases as a total number of the objects of the first type and the second type which are stored in said storage unit increases;

an imitation sound acquiring unit which acquires imitation sound information, which imitates positional sounds generated by the objects of the first type stored in said storage unit as a function of the each position in the virtual space of each object of the first type, such that each of the positional sounds is coming from each of the objects of the first type;

a mixing output unit which mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving unit which receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting unit which, in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, deletes at least one of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit and deletes at least one of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit.

2. The game machine according to claim 1,

wherein said basic sound acquiring unit acquires the basic sound information in a manner that a sound volume of the basic sound information monotonically non-decreases when the total number of the objects of the first type and the second type stored in said storage unit increases, and the sound volume monotonically non-increases when the total number decreases.

3. The game machine according to claim 1, further comprising

a display unit which displays states of the objects of the first type and the second type stored in said storage unit, and a sight which moves in the virtual space in accordance with the received instruction input,

wherein in deleting any of the objects of the first type, said deleting unit deletes an object of the first type that is displayed closest to the sight, and in deleting any of the objects of the second type, said deleting unit deletes an object of the second type that is displayed closest to the sight.

4. The game machine according to claim 3,

wherein in deleting any of the objects of the second type, in a case where

(a) there is an object A of the second type, which is displayed closest to the sight among the objects of the second type, and

(b) there is an object B of the first type, object B, which is displayed closer to the sight than the object A is, and which is positioned closest to the object A among the objects of the first type in virtual space,

said deleting unit deletes the object B from said storage unit instead of deleting the object A, and updates the storage unit such that the type of the object A is to be the first type.

5. A game machine control method for controlling a game machine comprising a storage unit, a basic sound acquiring unit, an imitation sound acquiring unit, a mixing output unit, an input receiving unit, and a deleting unit, said storage unit storing objects of a first type and objects of a second type, each of the objects being capable of moving in a virtual space, and having an each position in the virtual space, the first and second types defining similar objects, said method comprising:

a basic sound acquiring step, at which said basic sound acquiring unit acquires basic sound information, which functions as a basic environmental sound, such that a volume associated with the basic environmental sound increases as a total number of the objects of the first type and the second type, which are stored in said storage unit increases;

an imitation sound acquiring step, at which said imitation sound acquiring unit acquires imitation sound information, which imitates positional sounds generated by the objects of the first type stored in said storage unit as a function of the each position in the virtual space of each object of the first type, such that each of the positional sounds is coming from each of the objects of the first type;

a mixing outputting step, at which said mixing output unit mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving step, at which said input receiving unit receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting step, at which in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, said deleting unit deletes at least one of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit and said deleting unit deletes at least one of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium storing a program for controlling a computer to function as:

a storage unit which stores objects of a first type and objects of a second type, each of the objects being capable of moving in a virtual space, and having an each position in the virtual space, the first and second types defining similar objects;

a basic sound acquiring unit which acquires basic sound information, which functions as a basic environmental sound, such that a volume associated with the basic environmental sound increases as a total number of the objects of the first type and the second type which are stored in said storage unit increases;

an imitation sound acquiring unit which acquires imitation sound information, which imitates positional sounds generated by the objects of the first type stored in said storage unit as a function of the each position in the virtual space of each object of the first type, such that each of the positional sounds is coming from each of the objects of the first type;

a mixing output unit which mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving unit which receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting unit which, in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, deletes at least one of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit and deletes at least one of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit.

7. A program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium for controlling a computer to function as:

a storage unit which stores objects of a first type and of a second type, each of the objects being capable of moving in a virtual space, and having an each position in the virtual space, the first and second types defining similar objects;

a basic sound acquiring unit which acquires basic sound information, which functions as a basic environmental sound, such that a volume associated with the basic environmental sound increases as a total number of the objects of the first type and the second type which are stored in said storage unit increases;

an imitation sound acquiring unit which acquires imitation sound information, which imitates positional sounds generated by the objects of the first type stored in said storage unit as a function of the each position in the virtual space of each object of the first type, such that each of the positional sounds is coming from each of the objects of the first type;

a mixing output unit which mixes and outputs the acquired basic sound information and the acquired imitation sound information;

an input receiving unit which receives an instruction input from a user; and

a deleting unit which, in a case where the received instruction input satisfies a predetermined extinction condition, deletes at least one of the objects of the second type from said storage unit if there is any object of the second type stored in said storage unit and deletes at least one of the objects of the first type from said storage unit if there is no object of the second type stored in said storage unit.