Game device, game device control method, program, information storage medium

• US 8,506,371 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mimura, Ryuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, William M.
• Application Number:
  US12/937,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20110034245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 464/4, 464/31, 463/4, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• 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 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• 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 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

To provide a game device for enabling a game player to recognize a positional relationship among respective game characters even when the game characters are located densely in an area. A game data update unit (54) carries out a game in which a plurality of player objects appear. A game screen image display control unit (56) displays a game screen image including the image of a player object. However, when player objects numbering a reference number or more are present within a predetermined noted area, the game screen image display control unit (56) restricts displaying of the images of the player objects and instead shows position indicator images having a smaller area than the images in the game screen image.

Claims

1. A game device, comprising:

at least one microprocessor that carries out a game in which a plurality of game characters appear; and

a display controller that displays a game screen image including images of the game characters,

wherein

the display controller, determines a density of game characters within a subset area that is a subset of the game screen image, and when the density is greater than or equal to a non-zero threshold density, restricts displaying of an image of a game character present within the subset area and instead shows a substitute image having a smaller area than the image of the game character in the game screen image.

2. The game device according to claim 1, wherein

the game is a sport game carried out using a moving object,

the game characters include a player character,

the game device further comprises at least one memory that stores a part of the player character so as to be correlated to a condition concerning a manner of movement of the moving object, and

the display controller shows the substitute image at a position in the game screen image, the position corresponding to a position of a part correlated to a condition satisfied by a manner of movement of the moving object among the parts of the player characters present within the noted subset area.

3. The game device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of game characters include a game character correlated to an operating group operated by a game player and a game character correlated to an opponent group opposing the operating group, and

the display controller restricts displaying of an image of the game character correlated to the opponent group among the game characters present within the subset area, and shows the substitute image instead.

6. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of game characters are displayed on a game field in a game screen image, and the subset area is a subset area of the game field.

7. The game device according to claim 1, wherein replacing the game character comprises displaying the image of the game character as transparent and displaying the substitute image within the transparent game character.

8. The game device according to claim 7, wherein the substitute image is an arrow, a circle, a rectangle, or a triangle.

9. The game device according to claim 7, wherein the substitute image indicates a front side of the game character.

11. The game device according to claim 1, wherein replacing the game character comprises displaying the image of the game character as transparent and displaying the substitute image within the transparent game character.

12. The game device according to claim 11, wherein the substitute image is an arrow, a circle, a rectangle, or a triangle.

13. The game device according to claim 11, wherein the substitute image indicates a front side of the game character.

15. The game device according to claim 1, wherein replacing the game character comprises displaying the image of the game character as transparent and displaying the substitute image within the transparent game character.

16. The game device according to claim 15, wherein the substitute image is an arrow, a circle, a rectangle, or a triangle.

17. The game device according to claim 15, wherein the substitute image indicates a front side of the game character.

4. A game control method for controlling a game device that includes at least one memory and at least one microprocessor, the game control method comprising:

carrying out, by the at least one microprocessor, a game in which a plurality of game characters appear; and

displaying, by the at least one microprocessor, a game screen image including images of the game characters,

wherein

displaying the game screen image comprises determining a density of game characters within a subset area that is a subset of the game screen image, and when the density is greater than or equal to a non-zero threshold density, restricting displaying of an image of a game character present within the subset area and instead showing a substitute image having a smaller area than the image of the game character in the game screen image.

10. The game control method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of game characters are displayed on a game field in a game screen image, and the subset area is a subset area of the game field.

5. A non-transitory computer readable information storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

a game executing section that carries out a game in which a plurality of game characters appear; and

a display control section that displays a game screen image including images of the game characters,

wherein

the display control section determines a density of game characters within a subset area that is a subset of the game screen image, and when the density is greater than or equal to a non-zero threshold density, restricts displaying of an image of a game character present within the subset area and instead shows a substitute image having a smaller area than the image of the game character in the game screen image.

14. The computer readable information storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of game characters are displayed on a game field in a game screen image, and the subset area is a subset area of the game field.