Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-23
2004-02-17
Jiang, Chen Wen (Department: 3744)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C463S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06692360
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a commercial game apparatus for executing games using a trained object trained by individual players. Further, the present invention relates to a network game apparatus, connected via a network to a plurality of remotely located client devices, and executing network games in which players using the client devices can participate. Further, the present invention relates to a game system comprising the commercial game apparatus and the network game apparatus. Further, the present invention relates to a client device connected via the network to the network game apparatus. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a recording medium, such as a computer readable medium, having recorded a program for controlling a computer included in the network game apparatus.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 2000-220656 and 2000-228454, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various kinds of commercial game apparatus for running games in which trained objects trained by individual players are used. For example, in a horse racing simulation game, players own horses that they train for themselves and enter in races as the trained objects. In a car racing game, players modify their individual race cars as the trained objects and have them compete in car races. Some of these training-type games allow the players to take part in a game in a group or compete against another player.
In these training-type games, many players wish to have their own trained objects seen by many other players or compete against trained objects owned by many other players. In conventional training-type games, however, the players are generally only allowed to use their trained objects in the commercial game apparatus where they trained the trained objects. As a result, a player with his or her trained object is only able to take part or compete in games against those other players who are playing in the same commercial game apparatus.
In some commercial game apparatus for running horse racing simulation games, a system has been proposed to allow the players to record information on the training results of their horses trained in the particular games on a prearranged card. In this system, the player can record on the card the training result information of his or her horse trained in the particular system provided at a particular store or arcade. The player can take the card to another arcade where the same type of commercial game apparatus is installed, and the player can enter the horse in races there. However, in order for the player to play the game against a number of other players, the players must all visit the same arcade equipped with the particular commercial game apparatus, which is inconvenient for the players. In particular, if a player wants to play against another player who is far away, either one or the other party has to travel the distance between them, thus restricting the playing of games against players living in remote areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above background, it is an object of the present invention to provide a common ground where greater numbers of players can play the training games using their trained objects. In order to achieve this, the present invention provides a more convenient game system for playing games against players in remote areas, a commercial game apparatus and a network game apparatus for the game system, a client device connected via a network to the network game apparatus, and a recording medium, such as a computer readable medium, having recorded a program for controlling a computer included in the network game apparatus.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system which comprises:
a commercial game apparatus which performs a game in which a trained object, that is trained by each player, is used; and
a network game apparatus, which is connected via a network to a plurality of client devices located in remote areas, and which executes a network game in which players using the client devices can participate,
wherein the commercial game apparatus comprises:
a trained object information recording medium in which trained object information including training result information about the result of training of the trained object is recorded; and
a trained object information output device which outputs at least a part of the trained object information recorded in the trained object information recording medium to the player who has played the game, and
wherein the network game apparatus comprises:
a trained object information receiving device which receives the trained object information from the player;
a training result information reading device which reads out, based on the trained object information received by the trained object information receiving device, the training result information about the result of training of the trained object;
a game advancing device which advances the network game based on the training result information as read by the training result information reading device; and
a game information distributing device which distributes the game information advanced by the game advancing device to the plurality of client devices via the network.
In this game system, the trained object information of the trained object trained by the player in the commercial game apparatus can be delivered to the network game apparatus for playing the network game, in which a number of players in remote areas can participate via the network. The network connecting the client device used by the players and the network game is not limited to such a global network as the Internet. Thus, the network may include a closed network to which only a limited number of persons have access, or a network laid out within a limited space such as a game arcade. The trained object information includes parameters unique to each trained object and relevant to the proceeding of the game, such as the name of the trained object, and personal information on the player, as well as information concerning the result of training, i.e. the training result information. Apart or all of the trained object information recorded on the trained object information recording medium is output from the commercial game apparatus to the player via the trained object information output device. The trained object information output may, for example, display a password including the trained object information on the screen of the commercial game apparatus, or record the trained object information on a portable recording medium such as a floppy disc (FD) in the form of electronic data. The thus output trained object information is delivered by the player to the network game apparatus via the trained object information receiving device. Based on the received trained object information, the network game apparatus reads the training result information of the trained object by way of the training result information reading device. The training result information reading device reads the training result information from the received trained object information if it contains one. If, however, the received trained object information does not contain the training result information, the training result information reading device reads the training result information associated with the trained object information from other locations such as a database where the training result information is recorded. The thus read training result information affects the advancement of the network game for the trained object. Game information including visual and sound components of the network game are delivered to the multiple client device via the network, thereby enabling the players to play the network game using their client device.
In this game system, the training result information read by the network game apparatus is used as parameters unique to
Kusuda Kazuhiro
Sasaki Yosuke
Tomaru Hiroshi
Jiang Chen Wen
Konami Corporation
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
LandOfFree
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