Game apparatus and computer readable storage medium storing game program

• US 8,690,656 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoichi, Fujibayashi, Hidemaro, Aonuma, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOWARAH, GEORGE L
• Application Number:
  US12/272,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,968 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game

Abstract

Instead of using an operation inputted by a player, a series of operation data for continuously moving a player character for a predetermined time period of a game is previously stored as automatic operation data. Automatic control means moves the player character based on the automatic operation data. Furthermore, the automatic control means receives a play start operation indicating that the player starts to play the game while the automatic control means moves the player character. A movement of the player character control led based on the automatic operation data is finished at a time when the play start operation is received, and the movement of the player character starts to be controlled based on an operation of the player.

Claims

1. A game apparatus that executes game processing in which a player character is moved based on operation data outputted from an operation that is inputted to an input device controlled by a player, and is displayed on a display device, the game apparatus comprising:

an operation data storage unit configured to store in advance a series of operation data, as automatic operation data, for continuously moving the player character for a period of time, instead of using the operation inputted in real time by the player;

a selection unit configured to cause the player to select whether to play the game based on the operation inputted in real time by the player or to play the game based on the automatic operation data when the player starts a specific game scene selected by the player from a plurality of specific game scenes stored in advance in the operation data storage unit;

an automatic controller configured to read the automatic operation data from the operation data storage unit when to play the game based on the automatic operation data is selected in the selection unit, so as to sequentially move the player character based on the read automatic operation data for the period of time from the start of the specific game scene, and to display the player character on the display device;

a start reception unit configured to receive a play start operation indicating that the player has started to play the game during the period of time in which the player character is moved by the automatic controller;

a game processor configured to stop the automatic controller from moving the player character based on the automatic operation data at a time when the play start operation is received, and to control, after the play start operation is received, movement of the player character so as to be continued from a state of the player character at the time when the play start operation is received, based on the operation data outputted from the operation that is inputted to the input device controlled by the player; and

a speed change reception unit configured to receive, for the period of time during which the player character is moved by the automatic controller, an instruction to change a speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed, wherein the automatic controller displays the movement of the player character based on a speed set by the speed change reception unit; and

wherein the automatic operation data is composed of a plurality of pieces of operation data divided by a unit time equal to or shorter than a time period in which a display is updated, and the automatic controller executes a movement process of sequentially reading the plurality of pieces of operation data divided by the unit time so as to move the player character based on each of the plurality of pieces of operation data, and displays, each time the display is updated, the player character at a time when the display is updated, on the display device, and changes the speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed by changing, in accordance with the speed set by the speed change reception unit, the number of times the movement process is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic controller performs a fast-forward reproduction by increasing the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic controller performs a slow reproduction by decreasing the number of times the movement processing is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes a button which can be pressed, and

the automatic operation data includes button data for indicating whether or not the button has been pressed.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes an acceleration sensor, and

the automatic operation data includes acceleration data outputted from the acceleration sensor.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes a gyro sensor, and

the automatic operation data includes angular rate data outputted from the gyro sensor.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes an imaging unit for imaging at least one imaging target, and

the automatic operation data includes information regarding a position of the at least one imaging target included in a picked up image represented by picked up image data outputted from the input device including the imaging unit.

8. A game apparatus that executes game processing in which a player character is moved based on operation data outputted from an operation that is inputted to an input device controlled by a player, and is displayed on a display device, the game apparatus comprising:

an operation data storage unit configured to store in advance a series of operation data, as automatic operation data, for continuously moving the player character for a period of time, instead of using the operation inputted in real time by the player;

a selection unit configured to cause the player to select whether to play the game based on the operation inputted in real time by the player or to play the game based on the automatic operation data when the player starts a specific game scene;

an automatic controller configured to read the automatic operation data from the operation data storage unit when to play the game based on the automatic operation data is selected in the selection unit, so as to sequentially move the player character based on the read automatic operation data for the period of time from the start of the specific game scene, and to display the player character on the display device;

start reception unit configured to receive a play start operation indicating that the player has started to play the game during the period of time in which the player character is moved by the automatic controller and no player character in the game is moved based upon any operation inputted in real time by the player;

a game processor configured to stop the automatic controller from moving the player character based on the automatic operation data at a time when the play start operation is received, and to control, after the play start operation is received, movement of the player character so as to be continued from a state of the player character at the time when the play start operation is received, based on the operation data outputted from the operation that is inputted to the input device controlled by the player; and

a speed change reception unit configured to receive, for the period of time during which the player character is moved by the automatic controller, an instruction to change a speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed, wherein the automatic controller displays the movement of the player character based on a speed set by the speed change reception unit; and

wherein the automatic operation data is composed of a plurality of pieces of operation data divided by a unit time equal to or shorter than a time period in which a display is updated, and

the automatic controller executes a movement process of sequentially reading the plurality of pieces of operation data divided by the unit time so as to move the player character based on each of the plurality of pieces of operation data, and displays, each time the display is updated, the player character at a time when the display is updated, on the display device, and changes the speed at which the movement of the player character is displayed by changing, in accordance with the speed set by the speed change reception unit, the number of times the movement process is executed within the time period in which the display is updated.