Storage medium having game program stored thereon and game apparatus

• US 8,988,455 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Takahashi, Ryutaro, Masaoka, Takafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Merouan, Abderrahim
• Application Number:
  US12/717,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 345619-689, 345440-475, 472 1-137, 715703-862, 707705-788
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

A reference character is generated by combining part objects prepared for each site. At least one candidate character object is generated by changing at least one part object among the part objects used in the reference character object. The reference character object and the candidate character object are displayed by a display device, and an input for selection from a user is accepted. Next, a site for which different part objects are used between the selected character object and the reference character object is determined. A new character object is generated by changing the part object used for the determined site with priority. The selected character object is displayed as the reference character, and the newly generated character is displayed as the candidate character.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for generating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts which are used for forming a character object appearing in a virtual game space, the program causing a processor to perform:

generating a reference character object by combining part objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective parts;

generating at least one candidate character object by changing at least one part object among the part objects used in the reference character object;

concurrently displaying on a display device the reference character object and the candidate character object;

accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

generating at least one new character object by changing at least one part object used in the selected character object;

updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

updating the candidate character object with the new character object generated.

2. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the reference character object is generated based on a predetermined combination of the plurality of part objects.

3. A computer readable medium according to claim 2, wherein the reference character object is generated based on a combination pattern predetermined in accordance with a parameter input by the user.

4. A computer readable medium according to claim 3, wherein the parameter is gender information of the user.

5. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the reference character object is generated by randomly combining the plurality of part objects.

6. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the reference character object and the candidate character object are each a face object of the character object.

7. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein when generating the at least one new character object, the part object is changed by replacing the part object with a different part object.

8. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein when generating the at least one new character object, the part object is changed by executing a predetermined treatment on the part object.

9. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein when generating the candidate character object and the new character object, the number of part objects to be changed has a predetermined upper limit.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for generating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts which are used for forming a character object appearing in a virtual game space, the program causing a processor to perform:

generating a reference character object by combining part objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective parts;

generating at least one candidate character object which is similar but not identical to the reference character object;

concurrently displaying on a display device the reference character object and the candidate character object;

accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

generating at least one new character object which is similar to but not identical the selected character object;

updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

updating the candidate character object with the new character object generated.

11. A computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the reference character object is generated based on a predetermined combination of the plurality of part objects.

12. A computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the reference character object is generated based on a combination pattern predetermined in accordance with a parameter input by the user.

13. A computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the parameter is gender information of the user.

14. A computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the reference character object is generated by randomly combining the plurality of part objects.

15. A computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the reference character object and the candidate character object are each a face object of the character object.

16. A computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein when generating the at least one new character object, at least one part object among the part objects

a character generation section for generating at least one candidate character object by changing at least one part object among the part objects used in the reference character object;

a display output section for causing a display device to concurrently display the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a selection input acceptance section for accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a changed character generation section for generating at least one new character object by changing at least one part object used in the selected character object;

a reference character update section for updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

a candidate character update section for updating the candidate character object with the character object generated by the changed character generation section.

17. A computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein when generating the at least one new character object, at least one part object among the part objects used in the reference character object is changed by executing a predetermined treatment on the part object.

18. A computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the candidate character object is generated by changing at least one part object among the part objects used to create the reference character object,

the at least one new character object is generated by changing at least one part object used in the selected character object, and

the number of part objects to be changed for each of the candidate character object and the new character object has a predetermined upper limit.

19. A game apparatus for creating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts which are used for forming a character object appearing in a virtual game space, the game apparatus comprising:

a reference character generation section for generating a reference character object by combining part objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective parts;

a display output section for currently displaying on a display device the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a selection input acceptance section for accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a changed character generation section for generating at least one new character object which is similar to but not identical the selected character object;

a reference character update section for updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

a candidate character update section for updating the candidate character object with the new character object generated.

20. A game apparatus for generating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts which are used for forming a character object appearing in a visual game space, the game apparatus comprising:

a reference character generation section for generating a reference character object by combining parts objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective parts;

a candidate character generation section for generating at least one candidate character object which is similar but not identical to the reference character object;

used in the reference character object is changed by replacing the part object with a different part object.

21. A game system for creating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts which are used for forming a character object appearing in a virtual game space, the game system comprising:

a reference character generation section for generating a reference character object by combining part objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective parts;

a character generation section for generating at least one candidate character object by changing at least one part object among the part objects used in the reference character object;

a display output section for causing a display device to concurrently display the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a selection input acceptance section for accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a changed character generation section for generating at least one new character object by changing at least one part object used in the selected character object;

a reference character update section for updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

a candidate character update section for updating the candidate character object with the character object generated by the changed character generation section.

22. A method for generating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts which are used for forming a character object appearing in a virtual game space, comprising:

generating a reference character object by combining part objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective part;

generating at least one candidate character object by changing at least one part object among the part objects used in the reference character object;

concurrently displaying on a display device the reference character object and the candidate character object;

accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

generating at least one new character object by changing at least one part object used in the selected character object;

updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

updating the candidate character object with the new character object generated.

23. A game system for generating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts which are used for forming a character object appearing in a virtual game space, the game system comprising:

a reference character generation section for generating a reference character object by combining parts objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective parts;

a candidate character generation section for generating at least one candidate character object which is similar but not identical to the reference character object;

a display output section for currently displaying on a display device the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a selection input acceptance section for accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

a changed character generation section for generating at least one new character object which is similar to but not identical to the selected character object;

a reference character update section for updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

a candidate character update section for updating the candidate character object with the new character object generated.

24. A method for generating a character object by combining a plurality of part objects, each of which is for each of a plurality of parts, comprising:

generating a reference character object by combining part objects, each of which is selected for each part on the character object among the plurality of part objects stored for the respective part;

generating at least one candidate character object which is similar but not identical to the reference character object;

concurrently displaying on a display device the reference character object and the candidate character object;

accepting an input to select one of the reference character object and the candidate character object;

generating at least one new character object which is similar to but not identical the selected character object;

updating the reference character object with the selected character object; and

updating the candidate character object with the new character object generated.