GAME SYSTEM, COMPUTER-READABLE NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUM, GAME PROCESSING METHOD AND GAME APPARATUS

• US 20130281200A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited, Pokemon
• Original Assignee: Game Freak, Inc., Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: NAGIHASHI, Toru, OHMORI, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 9,999,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/88 Mini-games executed independently while main games are being loaded

Abstract

A first game execution unit executes a first game. A second game execution unit executes a second game. The second game execution unit sets particular first game data or a first game mode which is accessible in the first game so as to be inaccessible in the second game when an execution result of the first game does not satisfy a predetermined condition, and sets the particular first game data or the first game mode so as to be accessible also in the second game in response to the execution result of the first game having satisfied the predetermined condition.

Claims

1. A game system including a single or a plurality of game apparatuses, the game system comprising:

at least one input unit;

a first game execution unit which executes a first game in accordance with an instruction of a player inputted via the input unit; and

a second game execution unit which executes a second game in accordance with an instruction of the player inputted via the input unit, wherein

the second game execution unit includes

a second setting unit which sets particular first game data or a first game mode which is accessible in the first game so as to be inaccessible in the second game when an execution result of the first game does not satisfy a predetermined condition, and sets the particular first game data or the first game mode so as to be accessible also in the second game in response to the execution result of the first game having satisfied the predetermined condition.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the first game execution unit includes:

a first determination unit which determines whether the execution result of the first game satisfies the predetermined condition;

a first data output enabling unit which enables output of predetermined first data indicating that the execution result of the first game satisfies the predetermined condition in response to the execution result of the first game having satisfied the predetermined condition; and

a first data output unit which outputs the first data, and the second game execution unit includes

a first data input unit which receives the first data, and

the second setting unit sets the particular first game data or the first game mode which is accessible in the first game so as to be inaccessible in the second game when the first data is yet to be received, and sets the particular first game data or the first game mode so as to be accessible also in the second game in response to the first data having been received.

3. The game system according to claim 2, wherein

the first data output unit transmits a signal representing the first data via wireless communication, thereby outputting the first data, and

the first data input unit receives the signal via wireless communication, thereby receiving the first data.

4. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the second setting unit sets a particular faculty or area existing in a game world of the first game so as to be inaccessible in the second game when the execution result of the first game does not satisfy the predetermined condition, and sets the particular faculty or area so as to be accessible also in the second game in response to the execution result of the first game having satisfied the predetermined condition.

5. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the second setting unit sets a game mode of a particular degree of difficulty which is accessible in the first game so as to be inaccessible in the second game when the execution result of the first game does not satisfy the predetermined condition, and sets the game mode of the particular degree of difficulty so as to be accessible also in the second game in response to the execution result of the first game having satisfied the predetermined condition.

6. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the first game execution unit includes

a first display control unit which causes a display device to display a setting change screen for urging the player to select whether or not to use the particular first game data or the first game mode, and

the first display control unit causes the display device to display the setting change screen in a different display mode in accordance with whether the particular first game data or the first game mode is set so as to be accessible by the second setting unit.

7. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the first game execution unit includes

a first setting unit which sets particular second game data or a second game mode which is accessible in the second game so as to be inaccessible in the first game when an execution result of the second game does not satisfy a second predetermined condition, and sets the particular second game data or the second game mode so as to be accessible also in the first game in response to the execution result of the second game having satisfied the second predetermined condition.

8. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the game system comprises:

a first game apparatus which includes the input unit and the first game execution unit and;

a second game apparatus which includes the input unit and the second game execution unit.

9. The game system according to claim 1, comprising:

a first storage medium having stored therein a first game program for causing the game apparatus to function as the first game execution unit; and

a second storage medium having stored therein a second game program for causing the game apparatus to function as the second game execution unit, wherein

the game apparatus can selectively access to one of the first storage medium and the second storage medium.

10. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the first game and the second game are different versions of a same game title.

11. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein a game program to be executed in a game system including a single or a plurality of game apparatuses and comprising at least one input unit, the game program causing a computer of the game apparatus to execute:

a first game execution process of executing a first game in accordance with an instruction of a player inputted via the input unit; and

a second game execution process of executing a second game in accordance with an instruction of the player inputted via the input unit, wherein

the second game execution process includes a second setting process of setting particular first game data or a first game mode which is accessible in the first game so as to be inaccessible in the second game when an execution result of the first game does not satisfy a predetermined condition, and setting the particular first game data or the first game mode so as to be accessible also in the second game in response to the execution result of the first game having satisfied the predetermined condition.

12. A game processing method performed in a game system including a single or a plurality of game apparatuses and comprising at least one input unit, the game processing method comprising:

executing a first game process in accordance with an instruction of a player inputted via the input unit; and

executing a second game process in accordance with an instruction of the player inputted via the input unit, wherein

the second game process includes a second setting process of setting particular first game data or a first game mode which is accessible in the first game process so as to be inaccessible in the second game process when an execution result of the first game process does not satisfy a predetermined condition, and setting the particular first game data or the first game mode so as to be accessible also in the second game process in response to the execution result of the first game process having satisfied the predetermined condition.

13. A game apparatus comprising:

an input unit;

a first game execution unit which executes a first game in accordance with an instruction of a player inputted via the input unit; and

a second game execution unit which executes a second game in accordance with an instruction of the player inputted via the input unit, wherein

the second game execution unit includes a second setting unit which sets particular first game data or a first game mode which is accessible in the first game so as to be inaccessible in the second game when an execution result of the first game does not satisfy a predetermined condition, and sets the particular first game data or the first game mode so as to be accessible also in the second game in response to the execution result of the first game having satisfied the predetermined condition.