Apparatus and method for displaying player character showing special movement state in network game

• US 8,992,321 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Fujisawa, Jin, Anzai, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamal, Shahid
• Application Number:
  US14/039,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20140024452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34
• US Class Current: 463/33
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

In a network game, player characters manipulated by individual players of video game apparatuses belong to the same party to battle with an opponent character. When a player character making a special move is not present in the party, the display screen of each video game apparatus becomes a screen focusing on the player character of the player who uses this video game apparatus. When one of the player characters makes a special move, not only the display screen of the video game apparatus corresponding to this player, but also the display screens of the video game apparatuses corresponding to the other player characters in the party become screens focusing on the player character which makes the special move.

Claims

1. A network game system including a server apparatus and a plurality of terminal apparatuses connected to the server apparatus over a network, players who respectively use the plurality of terminal apparatuses manipulating player characters to participate in a game provided by the server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus comprises:

a movement information receiver that receives movement information transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses;

a game processor that progresses with the game on the basis of the movement information received by the movement information receiver;

a special character determiner that determines whether a presence of a special player character showing a predetermined special movement state is identified on the basis of the movement information received by the movement information receiver; and

a game information transmitter that transmits game information according to a progress state of the game progressed by the game processor to at least one of the plurality of terminal apparatuses,

wherein each terminal apparatus of the plurality of terminal apparatuses comprises;

a display;

an input;

a game information receiver that receives the game information;

a graphics processor that causes the display to display an image based on the game information received by the game information receiver; and

a movement information transmitter that transmits the movement information on a movement of a player character according to an input by a player from the input to the server apparatus,

wherein the graphics processor includes;

a normal-mode image display that causes the display to display a normal image basing on the player character of the player who uses the terminal apparatus and a progress state of the game when the special character determiner determines that there is no special player character showing the special movement state; and

a special-mode image display that causes the display to display a special image basing on the special player character showing the special movement state and the progress state of the game when the special character determiner determines that there is the special player character showing the special movement state.

2. The network game system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input disabler that disables the input by the player from the input for a predetermined period of time when the special character determiner determines that there is the special player character showing the special movement state.

3. The network game system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined period of time is when the graphics processor causes the display to display the special image basing on the special player character showing the special movement state.

4. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein, when the special character determiner determines that there is the special player character showing the special movement state, the game processor progresses with the game so as not to put the player characters other than the special player character showing the special movement state at a disadvantage in the game.

5. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein the special character determiner applies different standards to at least two player characters to determine whether the presence of the special player character showing the special movement state is identified.

6. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein, when the game information receiver does not receive the game information for a predetermined period of time, the graphics processor causes the display to display the image basing on the game information that has been received before a specific time of period.

7. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein the server apparatus further comprises:

a controller that controls at least one player character other than the special player character showing the special movement state to become a movement state according to the special movement state when the special character determiner determines that there is the special player character showing the special movement state.

8. A server apparatus for providing a game, the server apparatus being connected to each of a plurality of terminal apparatuses over a network, a plurality of players manipulating player characters to progress with the game, the server apparatus comprising:

a movement information receiver that receives movement information transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the movement information relating to a movement of a corresponding player character according to an input of a corresponding player toward an input provided in a corresponding terminal apparatus;

a game processor that progresses with the game on a basis of the movement information received by the movement information receiver;

a special character determiner that determines whether presence of a special player character showing a predetermined special movement state is identified on the basis of the movement information received by the movement information receiver; and

a game information transmitter that transmits game information according to a progress state of the game progressed by the game processor to at least one terminal apparatus of the plurality of terminal apparatuses,

wherein the game information transmitter transmits the game information for causing a display provided in the terminal apparatus to display a normal image basing on a player character of a player who uses the terminal apparatus and the progress state of the game when the special character determiner determines that there is no special player character showing the special movement state, and

wherein the game information transmitter transmits the game information for causing the display provided in the terminal apparatus to display a special image basing on the special player character showing the special movement state and the progress state of the game when the special character determiner determines that there is the special player character showing the special movement state.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program, the program being executable by a computer for providing a game, the computer being connected to a plurality of terminal apparatuses over a network, a plurality of players manipulating player characters to progress with the game, the program allowing the computer to function as:

a movement information receiver that receives movement information transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the movement information relating to a movement of a corresponding player character according to an input of each of the plurality of players toward an input provided in a corresponding terminal apparatus;

a game processor that progresses with the game on a basis of the movement information received by the movement information receiver;

a special character determiner that determines whether presence of a special player character showing a predetermined special movement state is identified on the basis of the movement information received by the movement information receiver; and

a game information transmitter that transmits game information according to a progress state of the game progressed by the game processor to at least one terminal apparatus of the plurality of terminal apparatuses,

wherein the program further allows the computer to function as the game information transmitter to transmit the game information for causing a display provided in the terminal apparatus to display a normal image basing on a player character of a player who uses the terminal apparatus and the progress state of the game when the special character determiner determines that there is no special player character showing the special movement state, and

wherein the program also allows the computer to function as the game information transmitter to transmit the game information for causing the display to display a special image basing on the special player character showing the special movement state and the progress state of the game when the special character determiner determines that there is the special player character showing the special movement state.