Program, information storage medium, and image generation system

• US 8,915,784 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.), Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc., Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamanaka, Aisaku, Okamoto, Tatsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US11/797,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,792 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 37, 463/30, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• 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 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

A program for playing a game based on an input from an operation section including a first controller and a second controller, the program causing a computer to function as: a movement operation input detection section which determines whether or not an output value from a movement sensor provided in at least one of the first controller and the second controller satisfies a detection condition for a movement operation input; a game calculation section which performs a game calculation process based on the movement operation input; an operation input display control section which performs a display control process of a movement operation input display object for displaying a detection result of the movement operation input; and an image generation section which generates a game image including the movement operation input display object.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing a program for playing a game based on a first input and a second input from an operation unit including a first controller and a second controller, the program causing a computer processor to perform steps of:

determining whether or not output values from a movement sensor provided in the first controller and a movement sensor provided in the second controller satisfy an acceptance condition for a given command input;

accepting the given command input when the output values satisfy the acceptance condition for the given command input;

performing a game calculation process including a process to control movement or motion of an operation target object of a player base on the given command input when the given command input is accepted;

performing a display control process of a movement operation input display object based on the output values for displaying whether or not the given command input is accepted, the movement operation input display object being configured to display a magnitude of the output values of the movement sensors in the first and second controllers;

generating a game image including (i) the movement operation input display object that is generated based on the display control process of the movement operation input display object, and (ii) the operation target object that is generated based on a game calculation process;

receiving the first input; and

receiving the second input in response to a state of the movement operation input display object displaying that the acceptance condition has not been met, the movement operation input display object being displayed based on the first input;

wherein;

the operation target object is a target object of the player'"'"'s operation and is different from the movement operation input display object.

2. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the determining step further determines the acceptance condition for the given command input based on (i) the output value from the movement sensor provided in at least one of the first controller and the second controller, and (ii) another operation input value.

3. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the performing the display control process further controls the movement operation input display object to be displayed or changed during a predetermined period of time at a predetermined timing.

4. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the performing the display control process further displays the movement operation input display object for displaying a detection result of the given command input.

5. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the performing the game calculation process further calculates a game parameter for controlling orientation or rotation of the operation target object of the player based on the given command input, and

wherein the performing the display control process further changes orientation or rotational direction of the movement operation input display object based on the given command input.

6. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the detecting step further detects an amount of operation associated with the given command input based on the output value from the movement sensor;

wherein the performing the game calculation process further calculates a game parameter associated with the given command input according to the amount of operation associated with the given command input; and

wherein the performing the display control process further changes a form of the movement operation input display object based on the amount of operation associated with the given command input.

7. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the determining step further determines whether or not the condition for the given command input is satisfied based on (i) an output value from a first movement sensor provided in the first controller, and (ii) an output value from a second movement sensor provided in the second controller;

and

wherein the performing the display control process further performs the display control process for displaying detection of the given command input by using a first movement operation input display object associated with the first controller and a second movement operation input display object associated with the second controller.

8. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the detecting step further detects movement performed in a given period based on the output value from the movement sensor provided in at least one of the first controller and the second controller;

and

wherein the performing the display control process further displays the movement operation input display object indicating the detected movement.

9. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the determining step further determines whether or not the acceptance condition for the given command input is satisfied based on a total value of a first output value from a first movement sensor and a second output value from a second movement sensor;

and

wherein the performing the display control process further displays a total movement operation input display object indicating the total value of the first output value from the first movement sensor and the second output value from the second movement sensor.

10. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the performing the game calculation process further calculates a game parameter of an object based on a command corresponding to an operation input provided in the operation unit other than the movement sensor, and

wherein the performing the display process further performs a display control of an operation input display object for displaying a detection result of an operation input corresponding to an operation input provided in the operation unit other than the movement sensor.

11. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, the program further causing the computer processor to perform further steps of:

setting an initial setting operation period in which an initial setting operation input for a given command input is accepted, and adjusting a setting value of a condition for the given command input based on an output value from the movement sensor obtained by operation of the controller during the initial setting operation period.

12. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, the program further causing the computer processor to perform steps of:

performing an output control process of movement operation input notification sound for indicating a detection result of the given command input.

13. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the movement sensor is capable of measuring acceleration or velocity or displacement of at least one of the first controller and the second controller.

14. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the first controller and the second controller are each configured to be held and operated by a single hand of a user.

15. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1,

wherein the movement operation input display object is selected from a group consisting of a bar gauge, a semi-circular gauge, an arrow, graphical icons visually similar to and representing the controllers, and graphical icons visually similar to and representing inputs on the controllers.

16. The information storage medium of claim 1, wherein the performing step further performs the display control process of the movement operation input display object for displaying the detection result of the given command input, irrespective of the movement or motion of the operation target object of the player.

17. An image generation system for playing a game based on a first input and a second input from an operation unit including a first controller and a second controller, the image generation system comprising:

a memory having instructions,

and a computer processor configured to execute the instructions to;

determine whether or not output values from a movement sensor provided in the first controller and an output value from a movement sensor provided in the second controller satisfy an acceptance condition for a given command input;

accept the given command input when the output values satisfy the acceptance condition for the given command input;

perform a game calculation process including a process to control movement or motion of an operation target object of a player based on the given command input when the given command input is accepted;

perform a display control process of a movement operation input display object based on the output values for displaying whether or not the given command input is accepted, the movement operation input display object being configured to display a magnitude of the output values of the movement sensors in the first and second controllers;

generate a game image including (i) the movement operation input display object that is generated based on the display control process of the movement operation input display object, and (ii) the operation target object that is generated based on a game calculation process;

receive the first input; and

receive the second input in response to a state of the movement operation input display object displaying that the acceptance condition has not been met, the movement operation input display object being displayed based on the first input;

wherein;

the operation target object is a target object of the player'"'"'s operation and is different from the movement operation input display object.

18. An image generation system as defined in claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the step of:

performing an output control process of movement operation input notification sound for indicating a detection result of the given command input.

19. The information storage medium of claim 17, wherein the performing step further performs the display control process of the movement operation input display object for displaying the detection result of the given command input, irrespective of the movement or motion of the operation target object of the player.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing a program for playing a game based on first input and a second input from an operation section including a first controller and a second controller, the program causing a computer processor to perform steps of:

determining whether or not output values from a movement sensor provided in at least one of the first controller and the second controller satisfy an acceptance condition for a given command input;

accepting the given command input when the output values satisfy the acceptance condition for the given command input;

performing a game calculation process including a process to control movement or motion of an operation target object of a player based on the given command input when the given command input is accepted;

performing a display control process of a movement operation input display object based on the output values for displaying whether or not the given command input is accepted. the movement operation input display object being configured to display a magnitude of the output values of the movement sensors in the first and second controllers;

generating a game image including (i) the movement operation input display object that is generated based on the display control process of the movement operation input display object, and (ii) the operation target object that is generated based on a game calculation process;

receiving the first input; and

receiving the second input in response to a state of the movement operation input display object displaying that the acceptance condition has not been met the movement operation input display object being displayed based on the first input;

wherein;

the operation target object is a target object of the player'"'"'s operation and is different from the movement operation input display object,

the given command input is input by causing at least one of the entire first controller and the entire second controller to make predetermined movements or holding at least one of the first controller and the second controller in predetermined postures,

the operation input display control section controls the movement operation input display object to be displayed or changed by displaying the presence or absence of the given command input or displaying the amount of operation when the input amount of operation of the given command input is also used as a control element, and

the movement sensor is capable of detecting a change in spatial position of at least one of the entire first controller and the entire second controller.