Video game systems and methods including moving the protected character based with the movement of unprotected game character(s)

• US 8,282,454 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Shigeru, Kimura, Hiroyuki, Asuke, Shigeyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, William M.
• Application Number:
  US12/893,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20120077585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/31, 463/33
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• 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 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

Example systems and methods relate to a multi-player video game in which multiple players each supply inputs to a respective input device to control a corresponding game character in a scrolling-type game world displayed on a display screen. A first predetermined input supplied by one of the players to the respective input device protects the one player'"'"'s game character from harm in the game world and the protected game character moves based on the scrolling/non-scrolling state of the game world in accordance with the movement of one or more unprotected characters. The protecting of the one player'"'"'s game character is stopped in response to one or more protecting stopping conditions, whereby the game character is again controllable by the one player in response to inputs to the respective input device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

while playing a multi-player video game in which multiple players each supply inputs to a respective input device to control a corresponding game character in a scrolling-type game world displayed on a display screen,

receiving inputs supplied by each player to the respective input device for controlling movements and actions of the corresponding game character;

receiving a first predetermined input supplied by one of the players to the respective input device;

in response to the first predetermined input, protecting the one player'"'"'s game character from harm in the game world;

moving the protected game character based on the scrolling/non-scrolling state of the game world in accordance with the movement of one or more unprotected game characters; and

stopping the protecting of the one player'"'"'s game character in response to one or more protecting stopping conditions, whereby the game character is again controllable by the one player in response to inputs to the respective input device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game world is scrollable backward and forward.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protected character is visually distinguished from other unprotected characters.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the protected character is visually distinguished by a bubble wrapped around the protected character.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protected character moves generally toward the center of the game world displayed on the display screen when the game world is in a non-scrolling state.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protected character moves generally in the same direction as the game world background when the game world is in a scrolling state.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first protecting stopping condition comprises contact between the protected character and an unprotected character.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first protecting stopping condition comprises hitting the protected character with a projectile.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stopping of the protecting is further conditioned on the protected character not penetrating a geographic surface feature.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined input comprises a button press.

11. The method according to claim 1, when the game character is protected from harm in the game world, the movement control of the protected character by the one player is limited to movement in a direction determined by a game world state when a second predetermined input is supplied to the respective input device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the second predetermined input comprises shaking the input device.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the second predetermined input causes the character in the protected state to move in the direction of another character.

14. A video game system comprising:

an input device; and

a processing system that executes a multi-player video game program in which multiple players each supply inputs to a respective input device to control a corresponding game character in a scrolling-type game world displayed on a display screen, the video game program being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and comprising instructions for;

receiving inputs supplied by each player to the respective input device for controlling movements and actions of the corresponding game character;

receiving a first predetermined input supplied by one of the players to the respective input device;

in response to the first predetermined input, protecting the one player'"'"'s game character from harm in the game world;

moving the protected game character based on the scrolling/non-scrolling state of the game world in accordance with the movement of one or more unprotected game characters; and

stopping the protecting of the one player'"'"'s game character in response to one or more protecting stopping conditions, whereby the game character is again controllable by the one player in response to inputs to the respective input device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded therein program instructions for a multi-player video game in which multiple players each supply inputs to a respective input device to control a corresponding game character in a scrolling-type game world displayed on a display screen, the instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving inputs supplied by each player to the respective input device for controlling movements and actions of the corresponding game character;

receiving a first predetermined input supplied by one of the players to the respective input device;

in response to the first predetermined input, protecting the one player'"'"'s game character from harm in the game world;

moving the protected game character based on the scrolling/non-scrolling state of the game world in accordance with the movement of one or more unprotected game characters; and

stopping the protecting of the one player'"'"'s game character in response to one or more protecting stopping conditions, whereby the game character is again controllable by the one player in response to inputs to the respective input device.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, comprising an optical disk.

17. A video game apparatus for a multi-player video game program in which multiple players each supply inputs to a respective input device to control a corresponding game character in a scrolling-type game world displayed on a display screen, the video game apparatus comprising:

an input receiving unit for receiving input signals corresponding to inputs supplied by each player to the respective input device for controlling movements and actions of the corresponding game character and for receiving a first predetermined input signal corresponding to a first predetermined input supplied by one of the players to the respective input device;

a game character protecting unit for protecting the one player'"'"'s game character from harm in the game world in response to the first predetermined input;

a movement control unit for moving the protected game character based on the scrolling/non-scrolling state of the game world in accordance with the movement of one or more unprotected game characters; and

a protecting stopping unit for stopping the protecting of the one player'"'"'s game character in response to one or more protecting stopping conditions, whereby the game character is again controllable by the one player in response to inputs to the respective input device.