Program, game system, and movement control method for assisting a user to position a game object

• US 8,142,277 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: Kato, Masanori, Koyanagi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Munoz, Andres
• Application Number:
  US12/406,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

A game system receives special command input information input by the player when a moving object and a target have a predetermined positional relationship, and moves the moving object to a position at which bullets fired from the moving object can hit the target irrespective of movement input information when the game system has received the special command input information.

Claims

1. A program that is stored in a non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium and implements a shooting game in which a moving object shoots a target in an object space, the program causing a computer to function as:

a movement processing section that moves the moving object based on movement input information input by a player;

a reception section that receives special command input information input by the player when the moving object and the target have a predetermined positional relationship; and

a game calculation section that causes the moving object to fire a bullet based on shooting input information input by the player, determines whether or not the fired bullet has hit the target, and performs game calculations based on the determination result,

the movement processing section controlling the moving object to move to a moving position irrespective of the movement input information when the reception section has received the special command input information, the moving position being a position at which a fired bullet is capable of hitting the target when the moving object fires the bullet from the moving position, and

the reception section receiving the special command input information when the moving object is positioned within a specific area that has been set in the object space based on a position of the target, the specific area moving in the object space along with movement of the target.

2. The program as defined in claim 1, the program causing a computer to further function as:

a drawing section that generates a field-of-view image viewed from a virtual camera in the object space; and

a display control section that displays the field-of-view image, and displays a simplified image that shows a relationship between a position of the moving object and the specific area in a display region differing from a display region of the field-of-view image.

3. The program as defined in claim 1, the program causing a computer to further function as:

an accuracy rate determination section that determines an accuracy rate when a plurality of bullets have been fired based on a period of time in which the moving object and the target have maintained the predetermined positional relationship until the reception section receives the special command input information,

wherein the movement processing section determines the position to which the moving object is moved based on the determined accuracy rate when the reception section has received the special command input information.

4. The program as defined in claim 1, the program causing a computer to further function as:

an accuracy rate determination section that determines an accuracy rate when a plurality of bullets have been fired based on the positional relationship between the moving object and the target when the reception section receives the special command input information,

wherein the movement processing section determines the position to which the moving object is moved based on the determined accuracy rate when the reception section has received the special command input information.

5. The program as defined in claim 1, the program causing a computer to further function as:

a virtual camera control section that controls a virtual camera in the object space; and

a drawing section that generates a field-of-view image viewed from the virtual camera in the object space,

wherein the movement processing section calculates a moving path of the moving object based on the special command input information when the reception section has received the special command input information; and

wherein the virtual camera control section controls at least one of a position, a direction, and an angle of view of the virtual camera based on the moving path of the moving object.

6. A game system that implements a shooting game in which a moving object shoots a target in an object space and includes a hardware processor, the game system comprising:

a movement processing section that moves the moving object based on movement input information input by a player;

a reception section that receives special command input information input by the player when the moving object and the target have a predetermined positional relationship; and

a game calculation section that causes the moving object to fire a bullet based on shooting input information input by the player, determines whether or not the fired bullet has hit the target, and performs game calculations based on the determination result,

the movement processing section controlling the moving object to move to a moving position irrespective of the movement input information when the reception section has received the special command input information, the moving position being a position at which a fired bullet is capable of hitting the target when the moving object fires the bullet from the moving position, and

the reception section receiving the special command input information when the moving object is positioned within a specific area that has been set in the object space based on a position of the target, the specific area moving in the object space along with movement of the target.

7. A movement control method that is used in a shooting game in which a moving object shoots a target in an object space and performed by a hardware processor, the movement control method comprising:

moving the moving object based on movement input information input by a player;

receiving special command input information input by the player when the moving object and the target have a predetermined positional relationship;

causing the moving object to fire a bullet based on shooting input information input by the player, determining whether or not the fired bullet has hit the target, and performing game calculations based on the determination result; and

controlling the moving object to move to a moving position irrespective of the movement input information when the special command input information has been received, the moving position being a position at which a fired bullet is capable of hitting the target when the moving object fires the bullet from the moving position, and

receiving the special command input information when the moving object is positioned within a specific area that has been set in the object space based on a position of the target, the specific area moving in the object space along with movement of the target.