Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a game including a simulated projectile
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-05
2002-05-28
Cheng, Joe H. (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a game including a simulated projectile
C463S016000, C463S040000, C463S043000, C273S139000, C700S091000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394895
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates mainly to a game apparatus, method, storing medium and transmitting medium for predicting results of a sports game (sports contest) in parallel with the progress of an actual sports game.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been various video games featuring sports. One of these video games is the type in which a video game player participates in a sports game acting as a very player of the sport. For example, in a baseball game, one of two video game players acts as a pitcher and the other video game player acts as a batter and both operate controllers with skilled techniques to pitch and hit a ball with good timing. Some video games in this category are arranged to produce different results by adding historical data of performances of actual professional baseball players. In addition, as a video game utilizing more data, there is a simulation game for developing sports teams. For example, in a video game simulating professional baseball, video game players make contracts with baseball player characters with the actual names and abilities of professional baseball players within a limit of a predetermined budget, build professional baseball teams with their favorite baseball players by trading baseball players with each other and make the teams compete for the pennant. Data of each actual baseball player are utilized in the pennant race simulation, and victory or defeat is determined.
However, there have been no video games that can proceed in parallel with the progress of a sports game that is actually being performed. In a sports game such as baseball in which plays are intermittent, there is a considerable interval between the time when a pitcher receives a ball from a catcher and the time when the pitcher throws the ball to a batter after deciding a course and a type of pitching (where and how to throw the pitch). It is great fun for spectators in a baseball stadium or viewers of a baseball program brought by a television broadcast to imagine and predict what type of ball a pitcher throws, whether a batter lets a pitch go by or swings, whether a runner starts or not, whether a manager and coaches are packing some surprises and so on, and to talk about the prediction with other spectators or viewers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised in view of the above, and an object of the present invention therefore mainly resides in providing a video game for predicting results of sports, which can be played while a user of the video game is watching an actual sports game.
In order to attain the above object, a game apparatus for predicting results of sports according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: storing means for storing as data a plurality of factors changing and/or being generated and disappearing in accordance with a change in the situations of a game for a sports game that has actually been performed in the past; prediction inputting means (also referred to herein as “prospect inputting means”) for inputting a video game player's prediction of how a particular factor, hereinafter “prediction subject factor,” changes and/or is generated and disappears (a result) for at least one factor out of the plurality of factors under the situations specified by the plurality of factors; prediction preparing means (also referred to herein as “prospect preparing means”)for preparing a data-based prediction (for example, a computer-generated prediction) about the prediction subject factor; and determining means for receiving inputs including the video game player's prediction, the data-based prediction and result of the prediction subject factor, and for determining whether it is right or wrong for each of the predictions by comparing each of the predictions with the results.
In a game apparatus for predicting results of sports according to the first aspect of the present invention, a video game player makes a prediction on how a prediction subject factor changes and/or is generated and disappears under specific situations of a game indicated by a plurality of factors that change and/or are generated and disappear. The video game player's prediction is input via the prediction inputting means. On the other hand, a plurality of factors are stored as data in the storing means and the prediction preparing means prepares a data-based prediction about a result of the prediction subject factor based on the stored data. The determining means determines whether the prediction is right or wrong by comparing each prediction with the results of the prediction subject factor.
If a game apparatus is a computer, the storing means can consist of a main memory (RAM) storing data read out from an auxiliary memory of the computer, an auxiliary memory such as a hard disc, a CD-ROM, a magneto optical disc, a floppy disc and a ROM card, or the storing means may be comprised of a database connected to the computer. The prediction inputting means can consist of an inputting apparatus such as a pointing device, e.g., a keyboard and a mouse, and the prediction preparing means and the determining means can consist of a CPU. If the storing means is a database, the prediction preparing means and the determining means can consist of a host computer that is connected to the database via a communications network such as the internet, personal computer communication and a LAN, or of a host computer that is connected to the database not via a communications network, and the prediction inputting means can consist of a computer terminal that is connected to the host computer and via a communications network. If a game apparatus is a computer game machine for personal use, the storing means consists of a RAM, a CD-ROM or a ROM cassette, the prediction inputting means consists of a controller, and the prediction preparing means and the determining means consist of a CPU. It is also possible to use the telephone as the prediction inputting means and input a prediction in a host computer via a telephone communication network.
If a game apparatus is a computer, the computer executes each function of the above-mentioned storing means, prediction inputting means, prediction preparing means and the determining means with computer programs loaded therein. The programs are read by the computer via a storing medium such as a magneto optical disc, a ROM cassette, a floppy disc, a ROM disc, and a CD-ROM, or via a transmitting medium such as the internet and personal computer communication. However, a part of the above mentioned each function might be performed by an OS or a BIOS installed in the computer in advance, or an external computer such as a host computer connected via a communications network might alternatively execute a part of the functions.
Any sport can be played in the present invention, but one that progresses intermittently by elaborating tactics is more suitable than one requiring an instantaneous decision. Typically, baseball and American football are most suitable. In the case of soccer, the present invention is not suitable for usual soccer plays where the decision made is instantaneous and the motion is consecutive, but it can be applied to a part of plays such as a penalty kick. In the case of baseball, factors stored in the storing means are such as teams, scores, counts (S, O, B), whether bases are empty or runners are on bases, stolen base percentage of specific runners, percentage of preventing base steals by specific catchers, win-loss records data regarding specific pitchers and batters, respective percentages of tactics for determining motions of batters and runners such as base steals, bunts, bunt-and-runs, hit-and-runs and ball waiting instructions for each team, each batter and each runner under a certain situation, and types and courses of balls thrown by specific pitchers, among which a prediction subject factor is thought to be a type of ball of the next pitch of a pitcher and tactics of a team at bat. For example, assume a situation in which a t
Cheng Joe H.
Jones Scott E.
Rabin & Berdo P.C.
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