Game program and game apparatus

• US 20070265074A1
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishimura, Kentaro, Miyata, Shingo, Hotta, Takuji, Izuno, Toshiharu, Akahori, Eiji
• Application Number:
  US11/797,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265074A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6072 of an input signal, e.g. pitch and rhythm extraction, voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

Sound generated by handclaps of a player is converted into an electric signal by a microphone, and the electric signal is inputted to a game apparatus. When a jump instruction is inputted, a player character jumps. However, the character jumps in accordance with the handclaps of the player only when the character is positioned on a jump ramp set in a virtual game world. In a case where ambient noise is inputted through the microphone when the character is not positioned on the jump ramp, the player character does not jump, but performs a provocative action. The provocative action does not exert any influence on a movement of the player character. Thus, in an action game for causing the player character to perform a predetermined action in accordance with a sound input, it becomes possible to prevent the player character from performing an action which is not intended by the player, even if the sound input is mistakenly detected.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program instructing a computer of a game apparatus, which is connected to sound inputting means and a display apparatus, to function as:

display controlling means for generating a game image including a player object, of a virtual game world, which is operated by a player, and causing the display apparatus to display the game image;

movement controlling means for causing the player object to move in the virtual game world;

sound detecting means for determining whether a sound is inputted through the sound inputting means;

object position determining means for determining whether the player object is positioned in a specific area of the virtual game world; and

action controlling means for causing the player object to perform a specific action, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world.

2. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the object position determining means determines whether the player object is positioned in the specific area, if the sound detecting means determines that the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means.

3. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

the action controlling means causes the player object to perform an action different from the specific action, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the player object is positioned outside the specific area.

4. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the action controlling means causes the player object to perform:

(a) an action which exerts an influence on a movement of the player object, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world; and

(b) an action which does not exert any influence on the movement of the player object, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the player object is positioned outside the specific area of the virtual game world.

5. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the game program realizes a game providing the player with a specific challenge, and

the action controlling means causes the player object to perform:

(a) an action which exerts an influence on a success or failure of the specific challenge, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world; and

(b) an action which does not exert any influence on the success or failure of the specific challenge, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the player object is positioned outside the specific area of the virtual game world.

6. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the sound detecting means determines whether the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means, if the object position determining means determines that the player object is positioned in the specific area.

7. The computer-readable storage medium according-to claim 1, wherein

the specific action is a jump action.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the specific area indicates a jump ramp disposed in the virtual game world.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the sound detecting means determines that the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means, when a sound having a predetermined volume level or higher is inputted through the sound inputting means.

10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the game apparatus is connected to operation means, and

the movement controlling means causes the player object to move based on a signal outputted from the operation means.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the operation means is a percussion controller.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the game program instructs the computer to further function as input operation detecting means for determining whether the player operates the operation means based on the signal outputted from the operation means, and

the action controlling means causes the player object not to perform the specificaction, at least when the player operates the operation means.

13. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein

the action controlling means causes the player object not to perform the specific action, when the player operates the operation means and while a predetermined time period has not yet passed after the player finishes operating the operation means.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the display controlling means displays an operation guiding image for prompting the player to input the sound in a vicinity of the specific area.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the game program is able to realize a game in which at least a first player and a second player simultaneously play against each other,

a first player object which can be operated by the first player and a second player object which can be operated by the second player exist in the virtual game space,

the movement controlling means causes the first player object and the second player object to individually move in the virtual game world, and

the action controlling means includes:

first player object action controlling means for causing the first player object to perform the specific action, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the first player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world; and

second player object action controlling means for causing the second player object to perform the specific action, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means and the second player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein

the game apparatus is further connected to first operation means operated by the first player and second operation means operated by the second player,

each of the first operation means and the second operation means includes the sound inputting means,

the first player object action controlling means causes the first player object to perform the specific action, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means included in the first operation means and the first player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world, and

the second player object action controlling means causes the second player object to perform the specific action, when the sound is inputted through the sound inputting means included in the second operation means and the second player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein

the game program instructs the computer to further function as:

first virtual camera setting means for setting a parameter of a first virtual camera which images the first player object based on a current position of the first player object;

second virtual camera setting means for setting a parameter of a second virtual camera which images the second player object based on a current position of the second player object; and

display controlling means for causing the display apparatus to simultaneously display, on the display apparatus, a first game image generated by imaging the virtual game space by means of the first virtual camera and a second game image generated by imaging the virtual game space by means of the second virtual camera.

18. A game apparatus comprising:

sound inputting means;

a display apparatus;

display controlling means for generating a game image including a player object, of a virtual game world, which is operated by a player, and causing a display apparatus to display the game image;

movement controlling means for causing the player object to move in the virtual game world;

sound detecting means for determining whether a sound is inputted through the sound inputting means;

object position determining means for determining whether the player object is positioned in a specific area of the virtual game world; and

action controlling means for causing the player object to perform a specific action, when the sound in inputted through the sound inputting means and the player object is positioned in the specific area of the virtual game world.