Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-12
2003-09-02
Harrison, Jessica (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C463S040000, C463S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06612931
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a game system provided with a message exchange function.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In recent years, many game machines are provided with a communication function, and a variety of game softwares capable of exchanging data or playing match-up games by utilizing this communication function are offered.
However, the conventional game machines have been positioned as a simple network terminal cheaper than the personal computer, that can be operated without special knowledge, and characteristics as a game machine have not been utilized sufficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game system and a message exchange system capable of message exchange taking profit of functions proper to the game machine, and a computer readable storage medium appropriate for them.
Now, the present invention will be described. Reference numbers in the attached drawing will be added between parentheses to facilitate the understanding of the invention; however the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment thereby.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system comprising: a first game apparatus (
1
) including a device for creating a message (
4
,
10
) and a device (
10
) for transmitting the created message; and a second game apparatus (
1
) including a reception device (
10
) of said message and a display control device (
10
) for displaying the received message on a screen of a predetermined display apparatus (
3
), wherein said second game apparatus includes a game execution device (
10
) for making a user play a predetermined game, and a display permission control device (
10
) for prohibiting to display at least a part of said message until a predetermined condition is met in said game, and permitting to display the prohibited part of said message when said condition is met.
According to this game system, at least a part of a received message is not displayed, unless the message receiver plays a predetermined game and a predetermined condition is satisfied. This allows to add an entertainment to the message reading, and to enjoy exchanging message compared to the case of simple message exchange. In addition, even when a same game is repeated, the message displayed as a result of playing is different each time, preventing the user from losing interest in the repetition of the game, maintaining the charm of the game for a long time.
In the above described game system, said display permission control device may expand the display permitted range of said message as said game progresses. In this way, the message contents is revealed progressively as the game progresses, allowing to maintain the interest of the receiving user securely.
Said second game apparatus may comprise a music reproduction device (
10
,
7
) for selecting and reproducing any one piece of music among a plurality of pieces of music prepared beforehand, said game execution device (
10
) is composed to make the user play a game requiring an operation related to the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device, and said first game apparatus is provided with a music designation device (
10
) for designating the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device of said second game apparatus in relation to said message.
According to this game system, as the sender can designate the piece of music to be used in the reception side game, the message can include information that can not be transferred only by characters by designating a piece of music appropriate for the message contents or the feeling at the time of transmission.
The game execution device of said second game apparatus may comprise, an operation instruction device (
10
,
3
) showing a series of operations to an input device provided in said second game apparatus to the user through the screen of said display apparatus, based on operation instruction data prepared beforehand, and an evaluation device (
10
) for evaluating each one of said series of operations, based on the level of agreement of each one of the series of operations designated by said operation instruction device, and individual operation actually performed by the user to said input apparatus, a correspondence is established between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, and said display permission control device permits to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation equal or superior to a predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device, and prohibits to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation inferior to said predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device.
According to this game system, when the user follows exactly each one of the series of operations designated through the screen of the display apparatus, an evaluation equal or superior to the predetermined level is afforded to the operations, and characters related to the operations are displayed as a reward. Accordingly, the condition for displaying the message is easy to understand for the user.
Said first game apparatus may be provided with a device (
10
,
4
) for creating data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, said message transmission device is capable of transmitting said data designating the correspondence along with said message, and said reception device of said second game apparatus can receive said data designating the correspondence with said message.
According to this case, as data designating the correspondence between each character of said message and the operations in a game is created by message transmission side, the reception side is required only to play the game based on the data.
Said device for creating data designating the correspondence may comprise an operation selection device (
10
) for selecting an operation as an object to be allocated with a character from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data, based on the instruction by said user; and an allocation character decision device (
10
) for deciding at least one character to be allocated from said created message to the operation selected by said operation selection device based on the instruction by the user. According to this invention, the user as a sender can define said correspondence at their own discretion.
Said device for creating data designating the correspondence may comprise a character extraction device (
10
) for extracting automatically at least one character from said created message independently of the instruction by the user, and an operation selection device (
10
) for selecting automatically an operation to which said extracted character is to be allocated from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data independently of the instruction by the user. According to this embodiment, said correspondence is created automatically without user's instruction.
Said second game apparatus may be provided with a device for creating data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, said device for creating data designating the correspondence comprises: a character extraction device (
10
) for extracting automatically at least one character from said created message independently of the instruction by the user, and an operation selection device (
10
) for selecting automatically an operation to which said extracted character is to be allocated from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data independently of the instruction by the user. In this case, said correspondence is set according to the message received by the second game apparatus side. Consequently, the sender is not required to take the correspondence into the consideration.
Said second game apparatus may comprise a music repro
Kojima Hideo
Murata Shuyou
Okamura Noriaki
Cherubin Yveste
Harrison Jessica
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Konami Corporation
LandOfFree
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