Video game processing apparatus, a method and a computer program product for processing a video game

• US 8,251,823 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Kando, Tatsuya, Hasegawa, Tomohiro, Arakawa, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCULLOCH JR, WILLIAM H
• Application Number:
  US11/947,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 463/39, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/40 characterised by details of platform network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Game information delivered from other video game processing apparatus different from a player'"'"'s own video game processing apparatus is received via radio communication. Conditional read data and unconditional read data are stored in an information storage as the game information received by the information receiver. The conditional read data cannot be read when a specific condition is met, while the unconditional read data can be read unconditionally. It is determined whether or not the specific condition is met during progress of the video game. When the game information indicates the unconditional read data, the unconditional read data are set to readable in the case where the unconditional read data are stored in the information storage. On the other hand, when the game information indicates the conditional read data, the conditional read data are set to readable in the case where it is determined that the specific condition is met.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus that causes an image display apparatus to display a player character on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the video game processing apparatus controlling a progress of a video game by controlling an action of the player character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

an information receiver that searches for other video game processing apparatuses, which are other parties present within a communication range of the video game processing apparatus of the player, establishes, when a found video game processing apparatus of the other video game processing apparatuses is found, a wireless one-to-one communication link to the found video game processing apparatus automatically, and receives game information from the found video game processing apparatus by close-range radio communication, the game information including conditional read data, unconditional read data, and conversion execution data, the conditional read data being unreadable until a specific condition is met, the unconditional read data being readable unconditionally, the conversion execution data being for rewriting an arbitrary part of a game program of the video game stored by the video game processing apparatus of the player that receives the game information;

a rewriter that rewrites, as a trigger when the game information is acquired by the video game processing apparatus of the player, data at the arbitrary part of the game program in accordance with the conversion execution data included in the game information;

a condition determiner that determines whether the specific condition is met during the progress of the video game, the condition determiner determining that the specific condition is met when a predetermined processing is carried out for the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter; and

a condition releaser that changes the game information so that the conditional read data becomes readable for the player when the condition determiner determines that the specific condition is met.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication result information memory that stores communication result information, the communication result information including apparatus identification information and a time period of the close-range radio communication with the found video game processing apparatus, the apparatus identification information specifying the found video game processing apparatus that delivered the received game information.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a status information updater that updates status information of the player character in accordance with a number of pieces of the communication result information stored in the communication result information memory.

4. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rewriter is configured to randomly select the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are to be rewritten whenever game information is received from any other of the other video game processing apparatuses.

5. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a second player of the found video game processing apparatus who is a transmitter of the game information corresponding to the conversion execution data is allowed to set the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter.

6. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter is arbitrarily selected from background data displayed while playing a game, and

wherein the predetermined processing is processing for carrying out an operation to find and specify the rewritten part of the background data.

7. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rewriter is configured to randomly select the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are to be rewritten whenever game information is received from any other of the other video game processing apparatuses.

8. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a second player of the found video game processing apparatus who is a transmitter of the game information corresponding to the conversion execution data is allowed to set the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter.

9. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter is arbitrarily selected from background data displayed while playing a game, and

wherein the predetermined processing is processing for carrying out an operation to find and specify the rewritten part of the background data.

10. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rewriter is configured to randomly select the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are to be rewritten whenever the game information is received from any other of the other video game processing apparatuses.

11. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a second player of the found video game processing apparatus who is a transmitter of the game information corresponding to the conversion execution data is allowed to set the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter.

12. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter is arbitrarily selected from background data displayed while playing a game, and

wherein the predetermined processing is processing for carrying out an operation to find and specify the rewritten part of the background data.

13. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second player of the found video game processing apparatus who is a transmitter of the game information corresponding to the conversion execution data is allowed to set the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter.

14. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter is arbitrarily selected from background data displayed while playing a game, and

wherein the predetermined processing is processing for carrying out an operation to find and specify the rewritten part of the background data.

15. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter is arbitrarily selected from background data displayed while playing a game, and

wherein the predetermined processing is processing for carrying out an operation to find and specify the rewritten part of the background data.

16. A method of processing a video game by causing an image display apparatus to display a player character on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the method controlling a progress of a video game by controlling an action of the player character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the method comprising:

searching for other video game processing apparatuses, which are other parties within a communication range of the video game processing apparatus of the player;

establishing, when a found video game processing apparatus of the other video game processing apparatuses is found, a wireless one-to-one communication link to the found video game processing apparatus automatically;

receiving game information from the found video game processing apparatus by close-range radio communication, the game information including conditional read data, unconditional read data, and conversion execution data, the conditional read data being unreadable until a specific condition is met, the unconditional read data being readable unconditionally, the conversion execution data being for rewriting an arbitrary part of a game program of the video game stored by the video game processing apparatus of the player that receives the game information;

rewriting, as a trigger when the game information is acquired by the video game processing apparatus of the player, data at the arbitrary part of the game program in accordance with the conversion execution data included in the game information;

determining whether the specific condition is met during the progress of the video game, the specific condition being determined as being met when a predetermined processing is carried out for the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter; and

changing the game information so that the conditional read data becomes readable for the player when the condition determiner determines that the specific condition is met.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program for processing a video game, a progress of the video game being controlled by causing an image display apparatus to display a player character of the video game on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, and controlling an action of the player character displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the non-transitory computer readable medium causing a computer to:

search for other video game processing apparatuses, which are other parties present within a communication range of the video game processing apparatus of the player;

establish, when a found video game processing apparatus of the other video game processing apparatuses is found, a wireless one-to-one communication link to the found video game processing apparatus automatically;

receive game information from the found video game processing apparatus by close-range radio communication, the game information including conditional read data, unconditional read data, and conversion execution data, the conditional read data being unreadable until a specific condition is met, the unconditional read data being readable unconditionally, the conversion execution data being for rewriting an arbitrary part of a game program of the video game stored by the video game processing apparatus of the player that receives the game information;

rewrite, as a trigger when the game information is acquired by the video game processing apparatus of the player, data at the arbitrary part of the game program in accordance with the conversion execution data included in the game information;

determine whether the specific condition is met during the progress of the video game, the specific condition being determined as being met when a predetermined processing is carried out for the arbitrary part of the game program at which the data are rewritten by the rewriter; and

change the game information so that the conditional read data becomes readable for the player when it is determined that the specific condition is met.