Game apparatus and storage medium having game program stored thereon

• US 8,147,330 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Hirokazu, Kawamura, Masafumi, Koizumi, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOSHI, ANKIT B
• Application Number:
  US11/546,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/35, 463/36, 463/39, 463 40- 43
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• 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 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A game apparatus determines whether or not a predetermined first condition is fulfilled. When the first condition is fulfilled, the game apparatus causes the second speaker to generate a sound and moves an object in a virtual game space. When a predetermined second condition regarding a position of the object is fulfilled as a result of the object being moved by the moving control means, the game apparatus causes the first speaker to generate a sound. The game apparatus causes a display device to display the game space.

Claims

1. A game apparatus for allowing a first speaker provided in an input device and a second speaker provided outside the input device to generate a sound, the game apparatus comprising a processing unit executing an executable program stored on a non-transitory, tangible storage medium readable by the processing unit, wherein the executable program causes the processing unit in the game apparatus to perform:

a determination step to determine whether or not a predetermined first condition is fulfilled;

a first sound control step to cause the second speaker to generate a sound when the first condition is fulfilled;

a moving control step to move an object in a virtual game space in response to the fulfillment of the first condition, wherein the movement of the object immediately after the fulfillment of the first condition differs from a movement of the object immediately prior to the fulfillment of the first condition;

a second sound control step to cause the first speaker to generate a sound when a predetermined second condition regarding a position of the object is fulfilled as a result of the object being moved by the moving control step; and

display control step for causing a display device to display the game space, wherein the display device shows the object moving in the moving control step after the first condition is fulfilled and before the second sound control step.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the executable program further causes the processing unit to perform an indicated position calculation step to calculate an indicated position on a screen of the display device based on an operation input to the input device;

wherein the determination step uses, as the first condition, that the object is designated by the operation input to the input device, and determines whether or not the first condition is fulfilled by comparing the indicated position and the position of the object on the screen.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

at least a moving object movable during the moving control step and a player object operable by a player appear in the game space; and

the second sound control step uses, as the second condition, that the moving object approaches the player object to be within a predetermined distance from the player object.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the input device includes an imaging device; and

the indicated position calculation step calculates the indicated position based on a position of a predetermined imaging target in an image taken by the imaging device.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the first condition is fulfilled, the moving control step causes an object which has been at a pause or moving in accordance with a predetermined first rule to start moving in accordance with a second rule, which is different from the first rule.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

at least a moving object movable during the moving control step and a player object operable by a player appear in the game space; and

the second sound control step uses, as the second condition, that the moving object approaches the player object to be within a predetermined distance from the player object.

7. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer of a game apparatus for causing a first speaker provided in an input device and a second speaker provided outside the input device to generate a sound;

the game program causing the computer to execute;

a determination step to determine whether or not a predetermined first condition is fulfilled;

a first sound control step to cause the second speaker to generate a sound when the first condition is fulfilled;

a moving control step to change a movement of an object in a virtual game space in response to the fulfillment of the first condition;

a second sound control step to cause the first speaker to generate a sound when a predetermined second condition regarding a position of the object is fulfilled as a result of the object being moved in the moving control step; and

a display control step to cause a display device to display the game space, wherein the display device shows the object moving in the moving control step after the first condition is fulfilled and before the second sound control step.

8. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein:

the game program causes the computer to further execute an indicated position calculation step of calculating an indicated position on a screen of the display device based on an operation input to the input device; and

in the determination step, the computer uses, as the first condition, that the object is designated by the operation input to the input device, and determines whether or not the first condition is fulfilled by comparing the indicated position and the position of the object on the screen.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein:

at least a moving object movable in the moving control step and a player object operable by a player appear in the game space; and

in the second sound control step, the computer uses, as the second condition, that the moving object approaches the player object to be within a predetermined distance from the player object.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein:

the input device includes imaging device; and

in the indicated position calculation step, the computer calculates the indicated position based on a position of a predetermined imaging target in an image taken by the imaging device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein when the first condition is fulfilled, in the moving control step, the computer causes an object which has been at a pause or moving in accordance with a predetermined first rule to start moving in accordance with a second rule, which is different from the first rule.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein:

at least a moving object movable in the moving control step and a player object operable by a player appear in the game space; and

in the second sound control step, the computer uses, as the second condition, that the moving object approaches the player object to be within a predetermined distance from the player object.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer of a game apparatus for causing a first speaker provided in an input device and a second speaker provided outside the input device to generate a sound;

the game program causing the computer to execute;

a determination step to determine whether or not a predetermined first condition is fulfilled;

a first sound control step to cause one of the first speaker and the second speaker to generate a sound when the first condition is fulfilled;

a moving control step to change a movement of an object in a virtual game space as a consequence of the first condition being fulfilled;

a second sound control step to cause the other of the first speaker and the second speaker to generate a sound when a predetermined second condition regarding a position of the object is fulfilled as a result of the object being moved in the moving control step; and

a display control step to cause a display device to display the game space, wherein the display device shows the object moving in the moving control step after the first condition is fulfilled and before the second sound control step.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer of a game apparatus for causing a first speaker provided in a first input device and a second speaker provided in a second input device to generate a sound;

the game program causing the computer to execute;

a determination step to determine whether or not a predetermined first condition is fulfilled;

a first sound control step to cause the second speaker to generate a sound when the first condition is fulfilled;

a moving control step to change a movement of an object in a virtual game space as a consequence of the fulfillment of the first condition;

a second sound control step of causing the first speaker to generate a sound when a predetermined second condition regarding a position of the object is fulfilled as a result of the object being moved in the moving control step; and

a display control step to cause a display device to display the game space, wherein the display device shows the object moving in the moving control step after the first condition is fulfilled and before the second sound control step.