Game device, method of controlling game device, and information recording medium

• US 8,353,748 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Izumi, Tadakatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/519,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/42, 463/1, 463/4
• US Class Current: 463/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• 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 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• 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 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

Provided is a game device capable of allowing a user to designate a position within a region of a game space which is not being displayed on a game screen. If it is judged that a screen coordinate value according to a user'"'"'s operation is within the game screen showing a state of a first region within the game space, a position-in-first-region acquisition unit (83a) acquires a position within the first region corresponding to the screen coordinate value. If it is judged that the screen coordinate value is not within the game screen, a second display control unit (86b) causes an image showing a state of a second region within the game space to be displayed on a part of the game screen based on a positional relationship between the screen coordinate value and the game screen for at least a predetermined time. If it is judged that the screen coordinate value is within a region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, a position-in-second-region acquisition unit (83b) acquires a position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value in place of the position-in-first-region acquisition unit (83a).

Claims

1. A game device, comprising:

first display control means for causing a game screen showing a state of a first region within a virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed;

screen coordinate value acquisition means for acquiring a screen coordinate value according to a user'"'"'s operation;

first judgment means for judging whether or not the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within the game screen;

position-in-first-region acquisition means for acquiring, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within the game screen, a position within the first region corresponding to the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means;

second display control means for causing, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is not a screen coordinate value within the game screen, an image showing a state of a second region within the virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed on a part of the game screen based on a positional relationship between the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means and the game screen for at least a predetermined time;

second judgment means for judging, if the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, whether or not the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within a region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed;

position-in-second-region acquisition means for acquiring, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, a position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means in place of the position-in-first-region acquisition means; and

game advancing means for advancing a game based on the position acquired by the position-in-first-region acquisition means or the position-in-second-region acquisition means.

2. A game device according to claim 1, wherein:

in the first region, a game character acting according to the user'"'"'s operation is located; and

the second display control means comprises;

means for storing a display position condition related to a display position on the game screen and display size information related to a display size of the image showing the state of the second region on the game screen, in association with each other; and

means for causing the image showing the state of the second region to be displayed on a part of the game screen based on the display size information associated with the display position condition satisfied by the display position of the game character on the game screen.

3. A game device according to claim 1, wherein:

the screen coordinate value acquisition means acquires a screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation for each of a plurality of users;

the first judgment means judges, for each of the plurality of users, whether or not the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is a screen coordinate value within the game screen;

the second display control means, if it is judged for at least some users of the plurality of users that the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is not a screen coordinate value within the game screen, causes the image showing the state of the second region to be displayed on the part of the game screen for at least a predetermined time;

the second judgment means judges, for each of the at least some users, whether or not the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed; and

the position-in-second-region acquisition means, if it is judged for any one of the at least some users that the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, acquires a position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation in place of the position-in-first-region acquisition means.

4. A game device according to claim 3, wherein:

the first display control means causes an image showing the state of the first region to be displayed; and

the second display control means comprises;

means for storing;

a judgment result condition related to a judgment result that has been obtained by the first judgment means for each of the plurality of users from a predetermined time before up to a present time; and

composition manner information related to a manner in which the image showing the state of the second region is combined with the image showing the state of the first region, in association with each other; and

means for causing an image formed by combining the image showing the state of the second region with a part of the image showing the state of the first region to be displayed on the game screen based on the composition manner information associated with the judgment result condition satisfied by the judgment result obtained by the first judgment means for each of the plurality of users from the predetermined time before up to the present time.

7. A game device according to claim 2, wherein:

the screen coordinate value acquisition means acquires a screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation for each of a plurality of users;

the first judgment means judges, for each of the plurality of users, whether or not the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is a screen coordinate value within the game screen;

the second display control means, if it is judged for at least some users of the plurality of users that the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is not a screen coordinate value within the game screen, causes the image showing the state of the second region to be displayed on the part of the game screen for at least a predetermined time;

the second judgment means judges, for each of the at least some users, whether or not the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed; and

the position-in-second-region acquisition means, if it is judged for any one of the at least some users that the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, acquires a position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value according to the user'"'"'s operation in place of the position-in-first-region acquisition means.

8. A game device according to claim 7, wherein:

the first display control means causes an image showing the state of the first region to be displayed; and

the second display control means comprises;

means for storing;

a judgment result condition related to a judgment result that has been obtained by the first judgment means for each of the plurality of users from a predetermined time before up to a present time; and

composition manner information related to a manner in which the image showing the state of the second region is combined with the image showing the state of the first region, in association with each other; and

means for causing an image formed by combining the image showing the state of the second region with a part of the image showing the state of the first region to be displayed on the game screen based on the composition manner information associated with the judgment result condition satisfied by the judgment result obtained by the first judgment means for each of the plurality of users from the predetermined time before up to the present time.

5. A game device control method, comprising:

a first display control step of causing a game screen showing a state of a first region within a virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed;

a screen coordinate value acquisition step of acquiring a screen coordinate value according to a user'"'"'s operation;

a first judgment step of judging whether or not the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step is a screen coordinate value within the game screen;

a position-in-first-region acquisition step of, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step is a screen coordinate value within the game screen, acquiring a position within the first region corresponding to the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step;

a second display control step of, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step is not a screen coordinate value within the game screen, causing an image showing a state of a second region within the virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed on a part of the game screen based on a positional relationship between the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step and the game screen for at least a predetermined time;

a second judgment step of, if the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, judging whether or not the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step is a screen coordinate value within a region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed;

a position-in-second-region acquisition step of, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, acquiring a position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value acquired in the screen coordinate value acquisition step in place of the position-in-first-region acquisition step; and

a game advancing step of advancing a game based on the position acquired in the position-in-first-region acquisition step or the position-in-second-region acquisition step.

6. A computer-readable information recording medium recorded with a program causing a computer to function as:

first display control means for causing a game screen showing a state of a first region within a virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed;

screen coordinate value acquisition means for acquiring a screen coordinate value according to a user'"'"'s operation;

first judgment means for judging whether or not the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within the game screen;

position-in-first-region acquisition means for, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within the game screen, acquiring a position within the first region corresponding to the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means;

second display control means for, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is not a screen coordinate value within the game screen, causing an image showing a state of a second region within the virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed on a part of the game screen based on a positional relationship between the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means and the game screen for at least a predetermined time;

second judgment means for, if the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, judging whether or not the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within a region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed;

position-in-second-region acquisition means for, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, acquiring a position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value acquired by the screen coordinate value acquisition means in place of the position-in-first-region acquisition means; and

game advancing means for advancing a game based on the position acquired by the position-in-first-region acquisition means or the position-in-second-region acquisition means.

9. A game device, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

cause a game screen showing a state of a first region within a virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed;

acquire a screen coordinate value according to a user'"'"'s operation;

judge whether or not the screen coordinate value is a screen coordinate value within the game screen;

acquire, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value is a screen coordinate value within the game screen, a position within the first region corresponding to the screen coordinate value;

cause, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value is not a screen coordinate value within the game screen, an image showing a state of a second region within the virtual three-dimensional game space to be displayed on a part of the game screen based on a positional relationship between the screen coordinate value and the game screen for at least a predetermined time;

judge, if the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, whether or not the screen coordinate value is a screen coordinate value within a region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed;

acquire, if it is judged that the screen coordinate value is a screen coordinate value within the region in which the image showing the state of the second region is displayed, a position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value in place of the position within the first region corresponding to the screen coordinate value; and

advance a game based on the position within the first region corresponding to the screen coordinate value or the position within the second region corresponding to the screen coordinate value.