System for multi-user communications using discrete video game platforms

• US 9,403,085 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Eguchi, Katsuya, Miyamoto, Shigeru, Tezuka, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wei
• Application Number:
  US11/178,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,039 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 345/531
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

A multi-user video game with communications capabilities allows players to communicate with one another via simulated mail, leaflets and conversations. Different installations of the game on different discrete video game playing platforms may be unique or different depending upon random or other data available at the platform. For example, different installations may have different subsets of characters, different landscapes, or the like. Player characters from one virtual environment or village may visit another virtual environment or village and return home to his or her resident environment or village. Non-player characters may move from one virtual environment or village to another—thereby providing an ever-changing variety of characters. Communications between different game playing platforms can be provided via portable memory devices, portable game playing devices, or conventional communications means such as networks.

Claims

1. A game playing system comprising:

a processor configured to execute game software to establish a first gaming environment on a first gaming device, said processor having writable storage associated therewith;

said processor being structured to provide at least one animated non-player character and at least one animated player character within the first gaming environment;

at least one input device connected to the processor, the input device being structured to facilitate user interaction with the first gaming environment; and

a portable non-volatile transfer memory device operable to transfer the at least one animated player character from the first gaming environment to a second gaming environment on a second gaming device, and to secretly transfer the at least one non-player item from the first gaming environment to the second gaming environment on the second gaming device, by a player decoupling the portable non-volatile transfer memory device from the first gaming device, physically carrying the portable non-volatile transfer memory device to the second gaming device, and coupling the portable non-volatile transfer memory device to the second gaming device to thereby share data with the second gaming device, the portable non-volatile transfer memory device configured to alternatively couple to the first gaming device or to the second gaming device,

the portable non-volatile transfer memory device receiving data relating to the at least one non-player item and the at least one animated player character from the first gaming device and storing the received data relating to the at least one non-player item with data relating to the at least one animated player character, the portable non-volatile transfer memory device providing the stored data to the second gaming device, the second gaming device in response animating both the at least one non-player item and the at least one animated player character in the second gaming environment for presentation to a user of the second gaming device, the second gaming device being structured to modify at least one parameter stored on the portable non-volatile transfer memory device, the at least one modified parameter being associated with the animated player character, the modification being made as a result of animated game play of the animated player character on the second gaming device, the portable non-volatile transfer memory device being configured to transfer the animated player character with the modified parameter from the second gaming environment without transferring the non-player item from the second gaming environment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transferred at least one non-player item comprises a non-player animated character operable to remember interactions with other player characters that are not transferred from the first gaming device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the transferred at least one non-player item comprises a non-player animated character operable to remember interactions with the first gaming environment.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one animated player character interacts with the first gaming environment to change the first gaming environment.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the portable non-volatile transfer memory device is structured to transfer at least some of the first gaming environment changes to the second gaming environment.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first gaming device comprises a portable game device.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a portable game system operable to communicate with the portable non-volatile transfer memory device and receive game content, the at least one non-player item, and the at least one animated player character.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the portable game device provides a subset of functionality included in the first gaming device.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the portable game device is configured to interact with the second gaming environment.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-player item generates travel data in response to departure from the first gaming environment and then leaves the first gaming environment to move to the second gaming environment.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable non-volatile transfer memory device stores player data comprising player name and level.

11. A first game system providing a first game environment, the first game system comprising:

a portable transfer device configured to alternately couple to the first game system or to a second game system, the portable transfer device being adapted to receive characteristics of at least one player character from the first game system and store the received characteristics of the at least one player character, the portable transfer device being further adapted to provide the stored at least one player character characteristics to the second game system;

a processor configured to;

facilitate the placement of the at least one player character in the first game environment provided by the first game system;

remove the at least one player character from the first game environment in response to game player action that the at least one player character is to travel via the portable transfer device to a second game environment provided by the second game system;

randomly select a non-player animated game character within the first game environment for transfer with the player character on the portable transfer device out of the first game environment into the second game environment;

use the portable transfer device to return the at least one player character from the second game environment to the first game environment without returning the non-player animated character from the second game environment back to the first game environment; and

a game control input interface coupled to the processor, the game control input interface controlling the processor to control animation of the player character within the first game environment.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising non-player character circuitry to animate the non-player character in the first game environment, the non-player character circuitry operable to store results of non-player character animated interactions with the player character into the portable transfer device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the non-player character circuitry provides animated interactions between the at least one non-player character and other player characters concerning the player character.

14. A first game system having at least some writeable storage, the system comprising:

a communication interface operable to receive at least one non-player item from a second game environment provided by a second game system;

a processor configured to;

execute game software to establish a first game environment on a first game system different from the second game system;

create game content within the first game environment;

store the created game content in the at least some writeable storage;

generate other game content in response to the at least one non-player item'"'"'s interactions with the first game environment;

store a portion of the other game content with the at least one non-player item on a portable storage device alternatively coupleable to either the first game system or to the second game system, wherein the portable storage device secretly transfers the at least one non-player item away from the first game environment;

receive, via the portable storage device from the second game system, at least one stored parameter that the second game system modified as a result of game play on the second game system, without receiving the previously-transferred non-player item; and

a user input interface coupled to the processor and configured to control user interaction with the first game environment, the non-player item, and the game content.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to create a player character in the first game environment.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the stored portion of the other game content includes interactions between the at least one non-player item and the player character.

18. A non-transitory portable storage device configured to transfer game data between first and second game systems, the portable storage device being configured to:

couple to the first game system;

when coupled to the first game system, receive from the first game system and store data relating to an animated player character;

when coupled to the first game system, secretly receive from the first game system and secretly store data relating to an additional game item;

decouple from the first game system and couple instead to a second game system;

when coupled instead to the second game system, transfer the stored data relating to the animated player character and the stored data relating to the additional game item to the second game system;

receive, from the second game system, at least one stored parameter associated with the animated player character that the second game system modified as a result of animated game play on the second game system, without receiving the previously-transferred data relating to the additional game item;

decouple from the second game system and instead recouple to the first game system; and

when recoupled to the first game system, provide the first game system with the parameter the second game system modified.

19. The portable storage device of claim 18 wherein the additional game item comprises an additional animated game character.