Game system, game apparatus, storage medium having game program stored therein, and game process method

• US 9,132,347 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishida, Kenichi, Shimamura, Takayuki, Yamashita, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JEFFREY KEITH
• Application Number:
  US13/212,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• 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 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

An example game system includes a game apparatus, an operating device, and a hand-held device. The game apparatus receives first operation data from the operating device and second operation data from the hand-held device, and performs a predetermined game control process. Furthermore, the game apparatus generates a first game image of a virtual game space representing a result of the game control process, based on a first virtual camera, and the game apparatus also generates a second game image based on a second virtual camera. The first game image is outputted to a first display device provided independently of the hand-held device. The second game image is outputted to a second display device of the hand-held device. Moreover, the game apparatus performs as the game control process a process for controlling a position of the second virtual camera based on the first operation data and an attitude of the second virtual camera based on the second operation data.

Claims

1. A game system comprising a game apparatus, an operating device, and a hand-held device, wherein

the game apparatus includes:

a first reception section for receiving data transmitted from the operating device and the hand-held device;

a game process section for performing a game control process for a multiplayer game in which a first player uses the operating device while a second player uses the hand-held device;

a first image generation section for generating a first game image of a virtual game space based on a first virtual camera set in the game virtual space, the virtual game space representing a result of the game control process;

a second image generation section for generating a second game image of the game space based on a second virtual camera set in the game space;

a first image output section for outputting the first game image to a first display device provided independently of the hand-held device; and

a second image output section for outputting the second game image to the hand-held device,

the operating device includes;

a first operation data output section for outputting first operation data representing manipulation by the first player on the operating device; and

a first operation data transmission section for transmitting the first operation data to the game apparatus, and

the hand-held device includes;

a second operation data output section for outputting second operation data representing manipulation by the second player on the hand-held device;

a second operation data transmission section for transmitting the second operation data to the game apparatus;

a second reception section for receiving the second game image from the game apparatus; and

a display process section for displaying the second game image on a second display device provided in the hand-held device, and

the game process section performs, as the game control process for the multiplayer game, control of a position of the second virtual camera based on the first operation data in concert with control of an attitude of the second virtual camera based on the second operation data.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game process section further performs, as the game control process for the multiplayer game, control of the first virtual camera based on the first operation data.

3. The game system according to claim 2, wherein the game process section at least controls a position of the first virtual camera based on the first operation data such that the first virtual camera moves simultaneously with movement of the second virtual camera.

4. The game system according to claim 2, wherein

the first operation data output section includes a sensor for outputting data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the operating device,

the first operation data includes data outputted by the sensor included in the first operation data output section, and

the game process section controls the position of the second virtual camera based on the movement of the operating device.

5. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the second operation data output section includes a sensor for outputting data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the hand-held device,

the second operation data includes data outputted by the sensor included in the second operation data output section, and

the game process section controls the attitude of the second virtual camera in accordance with the movement of the hand-held device.

6. The game system according to claim 5, wherein

the second operation data output section includes an acceleration sensor and/or a gyroscope, and

the second operation data includes acceleration data sensed by the acceleration sensor included in the second operation data output section and/or angular rate data sensed by the gyroscope included in the second operation data output section.

7. The game system according to claim 5, wherein

the first operation data output section includes a sensor for outputting data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the operating device,

the first operation data includes data outputted by the sensor included in the first operation data output section, and

the game process section controls the position of the second virtual camera based on the movement of the operating device.

8. The game system according to claim 7, wherein

the first operation data output section includes an acceleration sensor and/or a gyroscope, and

the first operation data includes acceleration data sensed by the acceleration sensor included in the first operation data output section and/or angular rate data sensed by the gyroscope included in the first operation data output section.

9. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game process section further performs, as the game control process for the multiplayer game, control of the action of an object arranged in the game space based on the first operation data, and also controls the second virtual camera to be positioned in accordance with a position of the object.

10. The game system according to claim 9, wherein the game process section controls the first virtual camera based on the first operation data such that a first game image including the object is generated, and also controls the position of the second virtual camera based on the first operation data such that a second game image as viewed from the position of the object is generated.

11. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game process section further performs, as the game control process for the multiplayer game, shooting toward a position within the game space that corresponds to a position on a screen of the second display device.

12. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the second operation data output section includes a touch panel provided on a screen of the second display device,

the second operation data includes touch data representing a touch position on the touch panel, and

the game process section further performs, as the game control process for the multi-player game, a game process based on a position within the game space that corresponds to the touch position.

13. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game process section sets a reference attitude and calculates a degree and a direction of tilt of the second virtual camera from the reference attitude based on the second operation data, thereby calculating aspects of the attitude of the second virtual camera.

14. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game process section sets an attitude determined based on the first operation data as a reference attitude, and calculates a degree and a direction of tilt of the second virtual camera from the reference attitude based on the second operation data, thereby calculating aspects of the attitude of the second virtual camera.

15. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the first image generation section generates as the first game image a game image representing the game space as viewed from the first virtual camera and having the second game image superimposed on a part thereof.

16. A game system comprising a game apparatus, an operating device, and a hand-held device, wherein

the system includes:

a first operation data output section for outputting first operation data representing manipulation by a first player on the operating device;

a second operation data output section for outputting second operation data representing manipulation by a second player on the hand-held device;

a game process section for performing a game control process for a multiplayer game;

a first image generation section for generating a first game image of a virtual game space based on a first virtual camera set in the virtual game space, the virtual game space representing a result of the game control process;

a second image generation section for generating a second game image of the game space based on a second virtual camera set in the game space;

a first image output section for outputting the first game image to a first display device provided independently of the hand-held device; and

a display process section for displaying the second game image on a second display device provided in the hand-held device, and

the game process section performs, as the game control process for the multiplayer game, control of a position of the second virtual camera based on the first operation data in concert with control of an attitude of the second virtual camera based on the second operation data.

17. A game apparatus capable of communicating with an operating device and a hand-held device, the apparatus comprising:

a first reception section for receiving first operation data transmitted from the operating device and second operation data transmitted from the hand-held device;

a game process section for performing a game control process for a multiplayer game in which a first player uses the operating device while a second player uses the hand-held device;

a first image generation section for generating a first game image of a virtual game space based on a first virtual camera set in the virtual game space, the virtual game space representing a result of the game control process;

a second image generation section for generating a second game image of the game space based on a second virtual camera set in the game space;

a first image output section for outputting the first game image to a first display device provided independently of the hand-held device; and

a second image output section for outputting the second game image to the hand-held device so as to be displayed on a second display device provided in the hand-held device, wherein

the game process section performs, as the game control process for the multiplayer game, control of a position of the second virtual camera based on the first operation data in concert with control of an attitude of the second virtual camera based on the second operation data.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program executable in a computer of a game apparatus capable of communicating with an operating device and a hand-held device, the program causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving first operation data transmitted from the operating device and second operation data transmitted from the hand-held device;

performing a game control process for a multiplayer game in which a first player uses the operating device while a second player uses the hand-held device;

generating a first game image of a virtual game space based on a first virtual camera set in the virtual game space, the virtual game space representing a result of the game control process;

generating a second game image of the game space based on a second virtual camera set in the game space;

outputting the first game image to a first display device provided independently of the hand-held device; and

outputting the second game image to the hand-held device so as to be displayed on a second display device provided in the hand-held device, wherein

the game control process for the multiplayer game controls a position of the second virtual camera based on the first operation data in concert with an attitude of the second virtual camera based on the second operation data.

19. A game process method to be executed in a game system including a game apparatus, an operating device, and a hand-held device, wherein

the game apparatus performs:

receiving first operation data transmitted from the operating device and second operation data transmitted from the hand-held device;

performing a game control process for a multiplayer game in which a first player uses the operating device while a second player uses the hand-held device;

generating a first game image of a virtual game space based on a first virtual camera set in the virtual game space, the virtual game space representing a result of the game control process;

generating a second game image of the game space based on a second virtual camera set in the game space;

outputting the first game image to a first display device provided independently of the hand-held device; and

outputting the second game image to the hand-held device,

the operating device performs;

outputting the first operation data; and

transmitting the first operation data to the game apparatus,

the hand-held device performs;

outputting the second operation data;

transmitting the second operation data to the game apparatus;

receiving the second game image from the game apparatus; and

displaying the second game image on a second display device provided in the hand-held device, and

the game control process for the multiplayer game controls a position of the second virtual camera based on the first operation data in concert with an attitude of the second virtual camera based on the second operation data.