Multi-player game system and multi-player game program

• US 7,229,349 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US10/430,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20030211877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/25, 463 29- 31, 463 40- 42, 709/220
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor

Abstract

A multi-player game system includes number-of-players detection means for detecting the number of players participating in the game; primary game field data storage means for storing primary game field data; secondary game field data storage means for storing at least two units of secondary game field data 150, such that each unit of secondary game field data is associated with a different number of participating players; secondary game field data selection means for selecting, in accordance with the number of participating players as detected by the number-of-players detection means, one of the at least two units of secondary game field data from the secondary game field data storage means; game field generation means for combining the primary game field data with the secondary game field data to generate a game field. A plurality of players are allowed to play a game on the generated game field. Thus, in a multi-player game, it is possible to vary data concerning the game field, e.g., geography and objects, depending on the number of participating players.

Claims

1. A multi-player game system for allowing a plurality of players to play a game, comprising:

a number-of-players detector which detects the number of players participating in the game;

a primary game field data storage memory which stores primary game field data concerning a predetermined primary game field which does not vary depending on the number of participating players;

a secondary game field data storage memory which stores at least two units of secondary game field data concerning a secondary game field which varies depending on the number of participating players, wherein each unit of secondary game field data is associated with a different number of participating players;

a secondary game field data selector which selects, in accordance with the number of participating players as detected by the number-of-players detector, one of the at least two units of secondary game field data from the secondary game field data storage memory;

a game field generator which combines the primary game field data which has been read from the primary game field data storage memory with the secondary game field data which has been selected by the secondary game field data selector to generate a game field; and

a game progression mechanism which allows the plurality of players to play the game on the game field generated by the game field generator;

wherein each unit of secondary game field data contains obstacle data representing an obstacle on the game field;

the game field generator generates the game field so as to include a different obstacle depending on the number of participating players;

the obstacle has a different size depending on the number of participating players;

the system further comprises a collision determination mechanism for detecting the number of player objects which are pushing the obstacle; and

if the collision determination mechanism has determined that the player objects corresponding to a predetermined number of players are pushing the obstacle, the game field generator generates the game field such that the obstacle appears to have moved.

2. The multi-player game system according to claim 1, wherein,

each unit of secondary game field data also contains geography data representing a geography of the game field, and

the game field generator generates the game field so as to have a different geography depending on the number of participating players.

3. The multi-player game system according to claim 1, wherein

the secondary game field data also contains item data representing an item which affects the progress of the game, and

the game field generator generates the game field so as to include a different item depending on the number of participating players.

4. The multi-player game system according to claim 3, wherein the generated game field includes a different number of items depending on the number of participating players.

5. The multi-player game system according to claim 1, wherein the generated game field includes a plurality of secondary game fields, such that each of the plurality of secondary game fields is defined as a predetermined region on the generated game field from predetermined coordinates.

6. The multi-player game system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-player game system comprises a plurality of game machines, wherein

each player operates a corresponding one of the plurality of game machines,

each game machine includes a display , the display displaying a portion of the game field near the player object operated by each player.

7. The multi-player game system according to claim 1, wherein

the secondary game field includes a region of the primary game field,

the game field generator applies the secondary game field data which is selected by the secondary game field data selector to a portion of the primary game field data which is read from the primary game field data storage memory.

8. A multi-player program stored in at least one game machine readable medium to be executed by a plurality of game machines on which a plurality of players are allowed to play a game, each of the plurality of game machines comprising:

primary game field data storage memory which stores primary game field data concerning a predetermined primary game field which does not vary depending on the number of participating players;

secondary game field data storage memory which stores at least two units of secondary game field data concerning a secondary game field which varies depending on the number of participating players, wherein each unit of secondary game field data is associated with a different number of participating players,

wherein the multi-player game program comprises;

a number-of-players detection program for detecting the number of players participating in the game;

a secondary game field data selection program for selecting, in accordance with the number of participating players as detected by the number-of-players detection program, one of the at least two units of secondary game field data from the secondary game field data storage memory;

a game field generation program for combining the primary game field data which has been read from the primary game field data storage memory with the secondary game field data which has been selected by the secondary game field data selection program to generate a game field; and

a game progression program for allowing the plurality of players to play the game on the game field generated by the game field generation program;

wherein each unit of secondary game field data contains obstacle data representing an obstacle on the game field;

the game field generation program generates the game field so as to include a different obstacle depending on the number of participating players;

the obstacle has a different size depending on the number of participating players;

the game program further comprises a collision determination program for detecting the number of player objects which are pushing the obstacle, and

if the collision determination program has determined that the player objects corresponding to a predetermined number of players are pushing the obstacle, the game field generation program generates the game field such that the obstacle appears to have moved.

9. The multi-player game program according to claim 8, wherein,

each unit of secondary game field data also contains geography data representing a geography of the game field, and the game field generation program generates the game field so as to have a different geography depending on the number of participating players.

10. The multi-player game program according to claim 8, wherein the secondary game field data also contains item data representing an item which affects the progress of the game, and

the game field generation program generates the game field so as to include a different item depending on the number of participating players.

11. The multi-player game program according to claim 10, wherein the generated game field includes a different number of items depending on the number of participating players.

12. The multi-player game program according to claim 8, wherein the generated game field includes a plurality of secondary game fields, such that each of the plurality of secondary game fields is defined as a predetermined region on the generated game field from predetermined coordinates.

13. The multi-player game program according to claim 8, wherein the number-of-players detection program, the secondary game field data selection program, and the game field generation program are simultaneously executed on the plurality of game machines.

14. The multi-player game program according to claim 8, wherein

the secondary game field includes a region of the primary game field,

the game field generation program applies the secondary game field data which is selected by the secondary game field data selection program to a portion of the primary game field data which is read from the primary game field data storage memory.