Game control program, game control method, and game device

• US 8,177,642 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikejiri, Daisaku, Muramori, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US12/375,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463/33, 463/35, 463 37- 39
• US Class Current: 463/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• 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 13/54 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 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 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object

Abstract

A highly amusing game apparatus is achieved. A game apparatus controls a game where a character operated by a user and an opponent character play ball to compete against each other by hitting a ball. When the user instructs the hitting of the ball by pressing a button of a controller, a hit control unit determines the timing at which the ball is hit by the character and the type of shot according to which button has been pressed by the user. When a parameter indicating the timing of hitting the ball, height of the ball, balance of the character, position of the character and distance between the character and the ball, or athletic ability of the character lies outside a predetermined range in which normal hitting is performable, the hit control unit changes the type of shot from the determined type of shot to another type of shot favorable to the opponent character.

Claims

1. A game apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of controllers;

a control unit which receives an instruction input from the plurality of controllers and executes a match game;

a controller control unit which, when a predetermined operation input is received from a first controller included in the plurality of controllers while a plurality of objects to be operated by the plurality of controllers are being displayed, displays an objected to be operated by a second controller operating an object to be operated belonging to a same team of an object to be operated by the first controller having received the predetermined operation input in a display format different from the objects to be operated by the controllers other than the first and second controllers.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller control unit sends a control signal to said first controller having received the predetermined operation input so as to vibrate the first controller or have the first controller emit light.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller control unit sends a control signal to said second controller so as to vibrate the second controller or have the second controller emit light.

3. A game control program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for a computer having a processor to receive an instruction input from a plurality of controllers and controlling a match game, the program comprising instructions for the computer to execute:

a module which, when a predetermined operation input is received from a first controller included in the plurality of controllers while a plurality of objects to be operated by the plurality of controllers are being displayed on a display screen, displays an object to be operated by a second controller operating an object to be operated belonging to a same team of an object to be operated by the first controller having received the predetermined operation input in a display format different from the objects to be operated by the controllers other than the first and second controllers.

6. The game control program according to claim 3, further including a module which sends a control signal to said first controller having received the predetermined operation input so as to vibrate the first controller or have the first controller emit light.

7. The game control program according to claim 3, further including a module that sends a control signal to said second controller so as to vibrate the second controller or have the second controller emit light.

5. A game apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of controllers;

a control unit that receives an instruction input from the plurality of controllers and executes a match game;

a controller control unit that, when a predetermined operation input is received from a first controller included in the plurality of controllers while a plurality of objects to be operated by the plurality of controllers are being displayed, displays an object to be operated by the first controller having received the predetermined operation input in a display format different from the objects to be operated by the controllers other than the first controller.

8. A game control program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for a computer having a processor to receive an instruction input from a plurality of controllers and controlling a match game, the program comprising instructions for the computer to execute a module which, when a predetermined operation input is received from a first controller included in the plurality of controllers while a plurality of objects to be operated by the plurality of controllers are being displayed on a display screen, displays an object to be operated by the first controller having received the predetermined operation input in a display format different from the objects to be operated by the controllers other than the first controller.

9. A game control method executed by a computer having a processor comprising:

receiving an instruction input at the computer from a plurality of controllers and controlling a match game;

displaying, on a display screen, when a predetermined operation input is received from a first controller included in the plurality of controllers while a plurality of objects to be operated by the plurality of controllers are being displayed, an object to be operated by a second controller operating an object to be operated belonging to a same team of an object to be operated by the first controller having received the predetermined operation input in a display format different from the objects to be operated by the controllers other than the first and second controllers.

10. The game control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

sending a control signal to said first controller having received the predetermined operation input so as to vibrate the first controller or have the first controller emit light.

11. The game control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

sending a control signal to said second controller so as to vibrate the second controller or have the second controller emit light.

12. A game control method executed by a computer having a processor comprising:

receiving an instruction at the computer input from a plurality of controllers and controlling a match game;

displaying on a display screen, when a predetermined operation input is received from a first controller included in the plurality of controllers while a plurality of objects to be operated by the plurality of controllers are being displayed, an object to be operated by the first controller having received the predetermined operation input in a display format different from the objects to be operated by the controllers other than the first controller.