Video game apparatus, game progress method and game progress program

• US 7,192,353 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Okubo, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Milap
• Application Number:
  US10/174,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/43, 463/44, 463/45, 463/20, 463/30, 463/35, 463/1
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/88 Mini-games executed independently while main games are being loaded
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6036 for offering a minigame in combination with a main game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A game progress program is provided that allows a player to play an interesting secondary game while the main program and associated data are being loaded, without increasing the amount of data to be stored. While the main program and associated data are being loaded into the RAM, the background sound output controller reads the background sound data from the background sound data storage unit and outputs background sounds from the speaker, and the operation sound output controller receives player operations via the first key, second key and fourth key located on the controller, reads out from the operation sound data storage unit the operation sound data associated with each key, and outputs operation sounds from the speaker.

Claims

1. A video game apparatus comprising:

an input device including a plurality of input members for a user to perform input operations respectively on;

storage means for reading in and storing game software in a first game storing phase and a second game storing phase, the game software including a main game program and associated game data configured to execute a main game;

the first game storing phase reading in and storing in a resident memory area a first part of the main game program and associated game data including a game system program and associated game sound data, said game system program including portions for generating operation sounds using said associated game sound data in response to the input operations performed on the input device, respective ones of the operation sounds corresponding to operations on respective ones of said input members, said game system program further including portions for generating background sounds using said associated game sound data stored in said resident memory;

the second game storing phase reading in and storing a second part of the main program and associated game data which is a remainder of the main game program and associated game data other than said first part;

secondary game execution means for executing a secondary game in response to completion of the first game storing phase and during said second game storing phase, said secondary game execution means using said first part of said main game program and associated game data, including said game system program of said main game for generating the respective ones of said operation sounds using said associated game sound data on the respective input members corresponding to said respective operation sounds, and said secondary game execution means using said first part of said main game program and associated game data for generating background sounds using said portions of said game system program for generating background sounds to enable the user to perform said input operations on the respective input members in response to the generated background sounds; and

a main game program execution means for executing said main game, after completion of said second game storing phase, the main game using said first part of the main game program, including said game system program stored in said resident memory during said first game program storing phase, and said second part of the main game program stored during said second game storing phase.

2. The video game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said secondary game execution means comprises:

background sound output means using said game system program of said first part of the main game program for generating said background sounds using said associated game sound data stored in said resident memory area while the remainder of the main game program and the associated game data are loaded into said storage means; and

an operation sound output means using said game system program of said first part of the main game program for outputting said respective ones of said operation sounds by reading out the associated game sound data, from said resident memory area of the storage means, corresponding to the input operations given by the user while the remainder of the main game program and the associated game data are loaded into said storage means.

3. A recording medium storing in executable form a game storage and execution program for operating a video game apparatus including a storage unit having a resident memory, and a user input unit having a plurality of input members for accepting input operations by the user, the program operating the video game apparatus to execute the steps of:

reading in and storing game software in a first game storing phase and a second game storing phase, the game software including a main game program and associated game data configured to execute a main game;

the first game storing phase reading in and storing in a resident memory area a first part of the main game program and associated game data including a game system program and associated game sound data, said game system program including portions for generating operation sounds using said associated game sound data in response to the input operations performed on the input device, respective ones of the operation sounds corresponding to operations on respective ones of said input members, said game system program further including portions for generating background sounds using said associated game sound data stored in said resident memory;

the second game storing phase reading in and storing a second part of the main program and associated game data which is a remainder of the main game program and associated game data other than said first part;

receiving input operations from said input unit;

executing a secondary game in response to completion of the first game storing phase and during said second game storing phase, said executing said secondary game using said first part of said main game program and associated game data, including executing said game system program of said main game for generating for generating the respective ones of said operation sounds using said associated game sound data on the respective input members corresponding to said respective operation sounds, and said secondary game execution using said first part of said main game program and associated game data for generating background sounds using said portions of said game system program for generating background sounds to enable the user to perform said input operations on the respective input members in response to the generated background sounds; and

executing said main game, after completion of said second game storing phase, the main game using said first part of the main game program, including said game system program stored in said resident memory during said first game program storing phase, and said second part of the main game program stored during said second game storing phase.

4. The recording medium of claim 3 wherein said executing of said secondary game comprises:

using said game system program of said first part of the main game program for generating said background sounds using said associated game sound data stored in said resident memory area while the remainder of the main game program and the associated game data are are being stored; and

using said game system program of said first part of the main game program for outputting said respective ones of said operation sounds by reading out the associated game sound data, from said resident memory area, corresponding to the input operations given by the user while the remainder of the main game program and the associated game data being stored.