Video game program, video game device, and video game method

• US 8,147,331 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• 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: Yokoyama, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US10/595,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,765 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 9, 463/20, 463/23, 463/25, 463 30- 32, 463/34, 463 36- 37, 463 40- 43, 463 46- 47, 463/50, 463/53, 463/56, 273/108.1, 273/108.3, 273/108.4, 273/118.R, 273/150, 273/244, 273/244.1, 273/247, 273/259, 273/317.1, 273/317.3, 273/317.4, 273/317.5, 273/317.6, 273/359, 273/406, 273/440.1, 273460-461, 340/323.R, 340/323.B, 377 4- 5, 446/415, 473/451, 473/468, 473498-499, 473/504, 473564-565, 473/598, 473/600, 473/FOR.102, 473/FOR.135, 473/FOR.169, 473/FOR.192
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• 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 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

A video game player can control the movement of a moving object in a video game during a moving object dispatch operation by a character, thereby allowing the video game player to experience nervousness and a sense of realism when causing the character to dispatch the moving object. This video game program includes a first request receiving function, a operation display function, a second request receiving function, a moving object control function, and a moving object display function. In the video game implemented with this program, a dispatch request for dispatching the moving object is received from the controller in the second request receiving function when the dispatch operation of the character is displayed on the monitor. According to the timing at which the second request receiving function received the dispatch request, the movement of the moving object is controlled in the moving object control function.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a video game program that causes a computer to implement a video game that is executed by means of a controller, in which a character and a moving object are displayed on a monitor, and the moving object is dispatched by the character having a dispatching form that is a posture of the character at a point of dispatching the moving object, the video game program comprising:

code programmed to receive an operation initiation request from the controller in order to cause the character to initiate a dispatch operation until the moving object is dispatched;

code programmed to display the dispatch operation of the character on the monitor when the operation initiation request is received;

code programmed to receive a request to dispatch the moving object from the controller when the dispatch operation of the character is continuously displayed on the monitor;

code programmed to set the point of dispatching the moving object from the character according to a timing at which the dispatch request is received, and to set deviance in a trajectory of the moving object between the point and a destination based on the dispatching form of the character wherein the moving object is controlled to move from the point to the destination on the basis of the deviance;

code programmed to display the moving object controlled on the monitor;

the code programmed to set the point of dispatching the moving object including code programmed to control the deviation of the moving object in the trajectory on the basis of the dispatching form of the character, and controlling the point of dispatching the moving object when the dispatch operation of the character is continuously displayed on the monitor.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 1, further comprising

code programmed to receive a destination indicating request and a trajectory properties specifying request from the controller in order to indicate the destination and to specify the trajectory properties of the moving object up to the destination, before the operation initiation request is received;

wherein

the movement of the moving object is controlled according to the destination indicating request and trajectory properties specifying request received.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 1, further comprising

code programmed to store dispatch information for the character, wherein

the code programmed to set the point of dispatching the moving object from the character includes code programmed to reference the dispatch information stored and to control the movement of the moving object.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 1, wherein

the code programmed to set the point of dispatching the moving object from the character includes code programmed to establish the deviation of the moving object in the trajectory and to control the movement of the moving object, in accordance with the dispatch position of the moving object at the character at the time at which the dispatch request is received.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 1, further comprising

code programmed to display a timing indicator that shows the timing at which the moving object is to be dispatched, after the operation initiation request is received.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 5, wherein

the timing indicator is displayed in conjunction with the dispatch operation of the character.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 1, further comprising

code programmed to display, with text or an image, favorable or unfavorable results of the timing at which the moving object was dispatched.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 1, wherein

the speed of the moving object is determined by operating the controller from when the operation initiation request is received until when the dispatch request is received.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 1, wherein

the character has an ability in dispatching, and

the code programmed to set the point of dispatching the moving object includes code programmed to control the deviation of the moving object in the trajectory on the basis of the dispatching form of the character, and to control the point of dispatching the moving object when the dispatch operation of the character is continuously displayed on the monitor by the operation display function, and the ability.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing the video game program according to claim 9, wherein

the video game is a baseball video game,

the character is a pitcher in the baseball video game,

the moving object is a ball of the baseball video game, and

the ability is a kind of pitch which the pitcher throws.

11. A video game method that executes, by means of a controller, a video game in which a character and a moving object are displayed on a monitor, and the moving object is dispatched by the character being with a dispatching form that is a posture of the character at a point of dispatching the moving object, the video game method comprising:

receiving an operation initiation request from the controller in order to cause the character to initiate a dispatch operation until the moving object is dispatched;

displaying continuously the dispatch operation of the character on the monitor when the operation initiation request has been received;

receiving a request to dispatch the moving object from the controller when the dispatch operation of the character is continuously displayed on the monitor;

setting the point of dispatching the moving object from the character according to a timing at which the request to dispatch has been received;

setting a deviance in a trajectory of the moving object between the point and a destination based on the dispatching form of the character wherein the moving object is controlled to move from the point to the destination on the basis of the deviance; and

displaying the moving object controlled by the moving object control function on the monitor,

the setting the movement of the moving object includes controlling the deviation of the moving object in the trajectory on the basis of the dispatching form of the character, and controlling the point of dispatching the moving object when the dispatch operation of the character is continuously displayed on the monitor.