Video game apparatus and information storage medium for video game

• US 7,783,535 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Koizumi, Yoshiaki, Iwawaki, Toshio, Yamada, Yoichi, Miyamoto, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US10/757,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20040224760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,413 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/1, 463/2, 463 6- 8, 463/23, 463 29- 37, 463/59, 273/317.1, 273/333, 273/108.1, 345/418, 345/419, 345/425, 345/427, 345/440, 345/441, 345/473, 345/474
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• 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 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A video game apparatus includes a CPU that detects a program control code included in a land object in the vicinity of a player object, and then, the CPU determines a kind of the land object. If the land object is “hole”, the CPU executes a “hole operation” subroutine. Similarly, if the land object is “wall”, “door” or “ladder”, the CPU performs “wall operation”, “door operation” or “ladder” subroutine.

Claims

1. A video game apparatus for generating, and supplying to a display, an image signal for displaying a player object and a land object existing at the foot of the player object in a virtual three dimensional space by processing image data for the player object and the land object according to a program, said video game apparatus comprising:

a player object image data generator that generates player object image data to display a player object, said player object being at least partially controllable by a user;

a land object image data generator that generates land object image data to display a land object including one of a hollow and a hole, said land object image data containing a jump code;

a jump code detector that detects the jump code included in the land object image data for displaying the land object in the vicinity of said player object;

a moving speed detector for detecting a moving speed of the player object being controlled by the user;

jump distance calculating programmed logic circuitry for calculating a jump distance of the player object based on the moving speed; and

animation data output programmed logic circuitry outputting animation data to cause the player object to automatically jump over one of said hollow and said hole formed by the land object image data according to said jump distance when the jump code is detected.

2. A video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said land object image data generator also contains a sound switching code, and said video game apparatus further comprising:

a sound switching code detector that detects the sound switching code included in the land object image data for displaying the land object in the vicinity of said player object;

a sound data generator to generate sound data for a plurality of ones of sound; and

sound switching programmed logic circuitry to automatically switch the sound data depending upon said detected sound switching code.

3. A video game apparatus according to claim 1, said game apparatus for also supplying a sound signal to sound output programmed logic circuitry by processing sound data according to a program,

wherein said land object image data also contains a sound switching code, and said video game apparatus further comprising:

a sound switching code detector that detects the sound switching code included in the land object image data, a sound data generator to generate sound data for a plurality sounds; and

a sound switching program to automatically switch the sound data depending upon the sound switching code.

4. A video game apparatus for generating, and supplying to a display, an image signal for displaying a player object and a land object existing at the foot of the player object in a virtual three dimensional space by processing image data for the player object and the land object according to a program, said video game apparatus comprising:

a player object image data generator that generates player object image data to display a player object, said player object being at least partially controllable by a user;

a land object image data generator that generates land object image data to display a land object including a wall surface, said land object image data containing a climb code;

a climb code detector that detects the climb code included in the land object image data for displaying the land object in the vicinity of said player object being controlled by the user;

wall surface height calculating programmed logic circuitry that calculates a height of the wall surface displayed by the land object image data;

said animation data output programmed logic circuitry outputting such animation data that the player object automatically climbs in accordance with the height of the wall surface when the climb code is detected.

5. A video game apparatus for generating, and supplying to a display, an image signal for displaying a player object and a land object existing at the foot of the player object in a virtual three dimensional space by processing image data for the player object and the land object according to a program, said video game apparatus comprising:

a player object image data generator that generates player object image data to display a player object, said player object being at least partially controllable by a user;

a land object image data generator that generates land object image data to display a land object, said land object image data containing a camera switching code;

a camera switching code detector that detects the camera switching code included in the land object image data for displaying the land object in the vicinity of said player object being controlled by the user;

a plurality of virtual cameras;

camera switching programmed logic circuitry to automatically switch between said plurality of virtual cameras dependent upon said camera switching code detected by said camera switching code detector.

6. A video game apparatus for generating, and supplying to a display, an image signal to display a player object and a land object existing at the foot of the player object in a virtual three dimensional space by processing image data for the player object and land object according to a program, and further supplying a sound signal to sound output programmed logic circuitry by processing sound data according to a program, said video game apparatus comprising:

a player object image data generator that generates player object image data to display a player object, said player object being at least partially controllable by a user;

a land object image data generator that generates land object image data to display a land object including one of a hollow and a hole, said land object image data containing a jump code;

a jump code detector that detects the jump code included in the land object image data for displaying the land object in the vicinity of said player object;

a moving speed detector for detecting a moving speed of the player object being controlled by the user;

jump distance calculating programmed logic circuitry for calculating a jump distance of the player object based on the moving speed; and

animation data output programmed logic circuitry outputting animation data to cause the player object to automatically jump over one of said hollow and said hole formed by the land object image data according to said jump distance when said jump code is detected.

7. A video game apparatus for generating, and supplying to a display, an image signal to display a player object and a land object existing at the foot of the player object in a virtual three dimensional space by processing image data for the player object and land object according to a program, and further supplying a sound signal to sound output programmed logic circuitry by processing sound data according to a program, said video game apparatus comprising:

a player object image data generator that generates player object image data to display a player object, said player object being at least partially controllable by a user;

a land object image data generator that generates land object image data to display a land object including a wall surface, said land object image data containing a climb code;

a climb code detector that detects the climb code included in the land object image data for displaying the land object in the vicinity of said player object being controlled by the user;

wall surface height calculating programmed logic circuitry that calculates a height of the wall surface displayed by the land object image data;

an animation data output program outputting such animation data that the player object automatically performs an optimal action depending upon the wall height when the climb code is detected.

8. A video game apparatus for generating, and supplying to a display, an image signal to display a player object and a land object existing at the foot of the player object in a virtual three dimensional space by processing image data for the player object and land object according to a program, and further supplying a sound signal to sound output programmed logic circuitry by processing sound data according to a program, said video game apparatus comprising:

a player object image data generator that generates player object image data to display a player object, said player object being at least partially controllable by a user;

a land object image data generator that generates land object image data to display a land object including a wall surface, said land object image data containing a camera switching code;

a camera switching code detector that detects the camera switching code included in the land object image data for displaying the land object in the vicinity of said player object being controlled by the user;

a plurality of virtual cameras; and

a camera switching program to automatically switch between said plurality of virtual cameras dependant upon said camera switching code detected by said camera switching code detector.