Game control program, game device and game control method, management server, and data managing method

• US 8,262,481 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ueda, Fumito
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US12/579,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20100197389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/31, 463/33, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game

Abstract

A designer terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is a game device operated by a designer. The designer terminal includes a stage setting unit that generates design data on a virtual space, in which players play games, according to instructions from the designer, a stage distributing unit that distributes the generated design data to an external unit, a game action data acquiring unit that acquires game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space at player terminals that have acquired the design data, and a game action reproducing unit that displays, on the screen of the designer, the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, based on the acquired game data.

Claims

1. A game control program embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a design module operative to generate design data on a virtual space, in which players play a game, according to an instruction from a designer;

a distribution module operative to distribute through a network the generated design data to an external unit;

an acquisition module operative to acquire through the network, from the external unit, game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space at player terminals that have acquired the design data;

a display control module operative to display, on a screen of the designer, a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, based on the acquired game data; and

a display data extraction module operative to extract display data,

wherein the design module generates design data on the virtual space in which a virtual object selected by the designer is placed, acting as an obstruction to a movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space;

wherein the display data extraction module identifies a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracts data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for displaying a reproduction, from the game data, and

wherein the display control module causes the screen of the designer to display the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object based on the data for display.

2. The game control program according to claim 1, further comprising a map setting module operative to generate a map of the virtual space based on the design data and set game actions taken by the players based on the game data,

wherein the display control module causes the screen of the designer to display a map where the game actions taken by the players are drawn.

3. The game control program according to claim 2, wherein the map setting module sets a movement path of a player'"'"'s character on the map of the virtual space, based on the game data, and

wherein the display control module causes the screen of the designer to display the map where the movement path of the player'"'"'s character is drawn.

4. The game control program according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition module acquires, as needed, game data recording current game actions when the game actions are taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, and

wherein the display control module causes the screen of the designer to display a reproduction of the current game actions in the player terminals based on the game data acquired as needed.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a program, executable by a computer, according to claim 1.

6. The game control program according to claim 1, wherein the display data extraction module identifies time elapsed and operational input of game actions taken on or after a specific point corresponding to the beginning of the placement region in the virtual space specified by the designer so as to localize the design data of the placement region.

7. A game control program embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a design module operative to generate design data on a virtual space, in which players play a game, according to an instruction from a designer;

a distribution module operative to distribute through a network the generated design data to an external unit;

an acquisition module operative to acquire through a network, from an external unit, game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space at player terminals that have acquired the design data;

a display control module operative to display, on a screen of the designer, a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, based on the acquired game data; and

a display data extraction module operative to extract display data,

wherein the design module generates design data on a virtual space in which a virtual object selected by the designer is placed;

wherein the display data extraction module identifies a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracts data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for displaying a reproduction, from the game data,

wherein the display control module causes the screen of the designer to display the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object based on the data for display,

wherein the virtual object is an object that obstructs a movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space,

wherein, out of the data recording game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object, the display data extraction module identifies data recording that the movement of a player'"'"'s character has been obstructed in the placement region, as the data for display, and

wherein the display control module causes the screen of the designer to display a state where the movement of a player'"'"'s character has been obstructed in the placement region of the object, based on the data for display.

8. A method for controlling a game, comprising:

generating design data on a virtual space, in which players play the game, according to an instruction from a designer, including generating and placing a virtual object selected by the designer as an obstruction to the movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space;

distributing through a network the generated design data to external units;

acquiring through the network, from the external units, game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space at player terminals that have acquired the design data;

displaying, on a screen of the designer, a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, based on the acquired game data; and

extracting display data, including identifying a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracting data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for the displaying of the reproduction, from the game data,

wherein said displaying causes the screen of the designer to display the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object based on the data for displaying.

9. A management server comprising:

a design data acquiring unit, which acquires design data on a virtual space, in which players play a game, from a designer terminal;

a design data distributing unit, which distributes through a network the acquired design data to player terminals;

a game data acquiring unit, which acquires through the network game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space, from the player terminals;

a game data distributing unit, which distributes the acquired game data to the designer terminal to display a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals on a screen of the designer; and

a display data extraction unit for extracting display data,

wherein the design data contains data on a virtual object placed in the virtual space by the designer, including a virtual object selected by the designer placed as an obstruction to the movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space,

wherein the display data extraction unit identifies a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracts data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for displaying a reproduction, from the game data, and

wherein the game data distributing unit distributes the display data to the designer terminal to display the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object on the screen of the designer.

10. The management server according to claim 9, further comprising a map setting unit which generates a map of the virtual space based on the design data and sets game actions taken by the players based on the game data,

wherein the game data distributing unit distributes data on the map set by the map setting unit to the designer terminal to display a map where the game actions taken by the players are drawn, on the screen of the designer.

11. The management server according to claim 10, wherein the map setting unit sets a movement path of a player'"'"'s character on the map of the virtual space, based on the game data, and

wherein the game data distributing unit distributes the data on the map set by the map setting unit to the designer terminal to display a map where the movement path of a player'"'"'s character is drawn, on the screen of the designer.

12. The management server according to claim 9, wherein the game data acquiring unit acquires, as needed, game data recording current game actions when the game actions are taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, and

wherein the game data distributing unit distributes the game data, acquired as needed, to the designer terminal to display a reproduction of the current game actions played at the player terminals, on the screen of the designer.

13. A game device comprising:

a design data generating unit, which generates design data on a virtual space, in which players play a game, according to an instruction from a designer;

a distribution unit, which distributes through a network the generated design data to external units;

an acquisition unit, which acquires through the network, from the external units, game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space at player terminals that have acquired the design data;

a display control unit, which displays, on a screen of the designer, a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals, based on the acquired game data; and

a display data extraction unit, which extracts display data,

wherein the design data generating unit generates design data on the virtual space in which a virtual object selected by the designer is placed, acting as an obstruction to the movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space,

wherein the display data extraction unit identifies a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracts data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for displaying a reproduction, from the game data, and

wherein the display control unit causes the screen of the designer to display the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object based on the data for display.

14. A management server comprising:

a design data acquiring unit, which acquires design data on a virtual space, in which players play a game, from a designer terminal;

a design data distributing unit, which distributes through a network the acquired design data to player terminals;

a game data acquiring unit, which acquires through a network game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space, from the player terminals;

a game data distributing unit, which distributes the acquired game data to the designer terminal to display a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals on a screen of the designer; and

a display data extraction unit for extracting display data,

wherein the design data contains data on a virtual object placed in the virtual space by the designer,

wherein the display data extraction unit identifies a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracts data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for displaying a reproduction, from the game data,

wherein the game data distributing unit distributes the display data to the designer terminal to display the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object on the screen of the designer,

wherein the design data contains data on an object, as the virtual object, which obstructs a movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space,

wherein, out of the data recording game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object, the display data extraction unit identifies data recording that the movement of a player'"'"'s character has been obstructed in the placement region, as the data for display, and

wherein the game data distributing unit distributes the display data to the designer terminal to display a state where the movement of a player'"'"'s character has been obstructed in the placement region of the object, on the screen of the designer.

15. A method for managing data, comprising:

acquiring design data on a virtual space, in which players play a game, from a designer terminal, including acquiring a placement of a virtual object as an obstruction to the movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space;

distributing the acquired design data to player terminals through a network;

acquiring game data through the network, from the player terminals, recording game actions taken in the virtual space;

distributing the acquired game data to the designer terminal to display a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals on a screen of the designer; and

extracting display data, including identifying a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracting data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for displaying the reproduction, from the game actions,

wherein said extracting allows for the display of the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object based on the data for displaying.

16. A data management program embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a design data acquiring module operative to acquire design data on a virtual space, in which players play a game, from a designer terminal, and operative to acquire a placement of a virtual object as an obstruction to the movement of a player'"'"'s character in the virtual space;

a design data distributing module operative to distribute through a network the acquired design data to player terminals;

a game data acquiring module operative to acquire through the network, from the player terminals, game data recording game actions taken in the virtual space;

a game data distributing module operative to distribute the acquired game data to the designer terminal to display a reproduction of the game actions taken in the virtual space at the player terminals on a screen of the designer; and

an extraction module operative to extract display data, and further operative to identify a placement region of the virtual object in the virtual space based on the design data and extracting data recording game actions taken in the placement region, as data for displaying the reproduction, from the game actions,

wherein said extraction module allows for the display of the reproduction of the game actions taken in the placement region of the virtual object based on the data for displaying.