Video game device and video game program

• US 8,167,692 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HAL Laboratory, Inc., Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: HAL Laboratory, Inc., Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Katayama, Motomi, Gunji, Teruyuki, Mori, Kouji, Fukunaga, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US12/572,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 31- 34
• US Class Current: 463/1
• 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 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car

Abstract

A moving character and a background image are displayed on a display screen with a touch panel thereon. When the player operates the touch panel to draw a line in an intended path extending between a start point and an end point along which the player wishes to guide the moving character, an operation trace image having the shape of the line drawn is displayed on the display screen. Then, the moving character moves along or in parallel to the operation trace image. The operation trace image is gradually erased after a predetermined amount of time elapses. Thus, it is possible to provide a video game device and a video game program in which the player can influence the moving path or the moving direction of the player (moving) character based on the shape and/or the direction of the line drawn by the player.

Claims

1. A video game device, comprising:

a display unit for displaying a game image;

a position inputting unit for inputting a position on a screen of the display unit;

a memory for temporarily storing data;

display control programmed logic circuitry for generating a game image showing an appearance of a game space in which a moving character can move within, and displaying the game image on the display unit;

storage control programmed logic circuitry for successively storing position data representing the position inputted through the position inputting unit as valid position data in the memory during a period from a start of a position inputting operation through the position inputting unit until an end thereof;

invalidation programmed logic circuitry for successively invalidating position data among a group of valid position data stored in the memory for which a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the position data is stored in the memory, in order from old positioned data;

trace display control programmed logic circuitry for overlaying and displaying a trace image on the game image showing an appearance of the game space, based on the group of valid position data stored in the memory; and

game process programmed logic circuitry for controlling a movement of the moving character within the game space using the group of valid position data stored in the memory.

5. The video game device according to claim 1, wherein

a moving game character moves along a trace representing a series of input positions inputted by the position inputting unit, after the moving character has contacted the trace.

2. A non-transitory storage medium storing a video game program for instructing a computer, which is connected to a display unit for displaying a game image, a position inputting unit for inputting a position on a screen of the display unit and a memory for temporarily storing data, to perform:

display control for generating a game image showing an appearance of a game space in which a moving character can move within, and displaying the game image on the display unit;

storage control for successively storing position data representing the position inputted through the position inputting unit as valid position data in the memory during a period from a start of a position inputting operation through the position inputting unit until an end thereof;

invalidation for successively invalidating position data among a group of valid position data stored in the memory for which a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the position data is stored in the memory, in order from old position data;

trace display control for overlaying and displaying a trace image on the game image showing an appearance of the game space, based on the group of valid position data stored in the memory; and

game process for controlling a movement of the moving character within the game space using the group of valid position data stored in the memory.

3. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the video game program instructs the computer to also perform determination for determining whether or not an operation trace formed by valid position data stored in the memory satisfies a predetermined condition; and

the game process performs a different game process according to a result of the determination.

4. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the video game program instructs the computer to perform also trace image producing for producing an image of an operation trace formed by valid position data stored in the memory; and

the display control displays the game image including the image of the operation trace produced by the trace image producing.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

a moving game character moves along a trace representing a series of input positions inputted by the position inputting unit, after the moving character has contacted the trace.

7. A video game device, comprising:

a display unit for displaying a game image;

a position inputting unit for inputting a position on a screen of the display unit;

a memory for temporarily storing data; and

a processing system, including one or more computer processors configured to;

generate a game image showing an appearance of a game space in which a moving character can move within, and display the game image on the display unit;

successively store position data representing the position inputted through the position inputting unit as valid position data in the memory during a period from a start of a position inputting operation through the position inputting unit until an end thereof;

successively invalidate position data among a group of valid position data stored in the memory for which a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the position data is stored in the memory, in order from old position data;

overlay and display a trace image on the game image showing an appearance of the game space, based on the group of valid position data stored in the memory; and

control a movement of the moving character within the game space using the group of valid position data stored in the memory.

8. A method for controlling a movement of a character within a game space, said method comprising:

displaying a game image on a display unit of a video game device;

inputting a position on a screen of the display unit via a position inputting unit;

temporarily storing position data representing the position inputted through the position inputting unit in a memory unit;

generating a game image showing an appearance of a game space in which a moving character can move within, and displaying the game image on the display unit;

successively storing position data representing the inputted position as valid position data in the memory unit during a period from a start of a position inputting operation until an end thereof;

successively invalidating position data among a group of valid position data stored in the memory for which a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the position data is stored in the memory, in order from old positioned data;

overlaying and displaying a trace image on the game image showing an appearance of the game space, based on the group of valid position data stored in the memory; and

controlling a movement of the moving character within the game space using the group of valid position data stored in the memory.