Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-30
2001-04-10
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C463S001000, C382S308000, C345S426000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213878
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to image processing device, an image processing method, a game device and a recording medium, more particularly to providing video games which may be easily used by players who cannot finish such games until the end.
BACKGROUND ART
Among video game devices for domestic and commercial uses, there are game devices which are structured of a plurality of game stages and which players successively complete (hereinafter referred to as “clear”) the game stages and thereby compete for the scores. At each game stage, the players operate input devices such as joysticks and joypads (trademark) etc., and moves a certain segment (hereinafter referred to as the “character”, meaning a segment operated by the player and expressed with outward appearances of human being etc.) which is displayed in the displaying image in the direction operated by the player.
For example, SEGASONIC THE HEDGEHOG (manufactured by SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD.) is made so that the character in the displayed screen will move as it avoids obstacles, and the players compete for the degree of progress of the character, whereby high scores may be obtained.
In each game stage, the obstacles displayed in the display stage attack and interfere with the character operated by the player. If the character receives any attack or interference from the obstacles, the character is damaged, and if damaged a certain number of times, the game will be over leaving that game stage uncompleted. If the character is damaged, the progress of the game is returned to the starting position of the first stage or returned to the starting point of the currently challenging stage as a penalty imposed on the player. Accordingly, so long as the character is set to be returned to the starting position, the player can never proceed to the next stage unless he is substantially proficient in the operation of the game.
Therefore, conventionally, game devices were devised to control the game so as to be returned only mid way even if the character is damaged.
However, if the character's returning positions are set only in the memory, the player may not confirm those returning positions with his own eyes. Moreover, the amusement of the game will be limited if the frequency of the allowed return is unchanged.
Among other conventional game devices were those adopting an idea of specific predetermined points (“continuing points”), that is, by passing the continuing points a character is allowed, to restart from the points even if the character is damaged.
However, even such games were not easy to use for all of the players because it is meaningless if the character is unable to reach the continuing points.
In other words, if a player can not store the progress of the game when the player determines he is unable to overcome the game stage, the player will be obliged to restart from the beginning again and again.
On the other hand, there were games which allowed players to store the progress of the game at any point during the game. Nonetheless, such function, on the contrary, easily lowered the degree of difficulty of the game operation and deprived the amusement of the game itself. For, in the most extreme case, by repeating storage of the game process upon every step forward, the game will proceed little by little even if the player does not have a high operating technique.
As described above, conventional game devices were inconvenient in that the players insufficiently skilled in the operation could not advance the game over a certain degree, or, on the contrary, by excessively lowering the difficulty of the game, the amusement of the game was reduced.
Furthermore, there was a further inconvenience that, by limiting the frequency of the allowed restart, the progress of the game would become rigid and the amusement of the game would be limited.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised for solving the problems mentioned above. By improving the operational performance without reducing the degree of difficulty of the game, the present invention aims at providing image processing technology enjoyable for insufficiently skilled players.
In other words, the first purpose of the present invention is to set a returning position along the progress of the game for uncompleted games and display such position so that players insufficiently skilled in the operation may concentrate on the operation of the game without being bored.
The second purpose of the present invention is to avoid lowering the degree of difficulty of the game in excess by providing limitation to the settable returning positions, and thereby adjusting the degree of difficulty of the game according to each player.
The third purpose of the present invention is to alter the difficulty of the game operation by changing the settable returning positions, and thereby increasing the amusement of the game operation. The image processing device of claim
1
is for accomplishing the first purpose, and comprises:
an image processing means for generating a displaying image including a segment and for advancing respective steps of game control in sequence;
a movement control means for moving displaying positions of said segment;
a mark displaying means for displaying specific marks in said displaying image during the progress of a game; and
a storing means for storing displaying positions of the displayed marks,
wherein, when said segment is unable to continue moving, said movement controlling means causes said segment to move to the displaying positions of said marks and restart the movement from such displaying positions.
The image processing device of claim
2
according to claim
1
is for accomplishing the first purpose and has said mark displaying means displays in the displaying image said marks at said displaying positions instructed from the outside.
The image processing device of claim
3
according to claim
1
is for accomplishing the second purpose and has said mark displaying means displays said marks within the limit of a predetermined number of the marks in hand.
The image processing device of claim
4
according to claim
1
is for accomplishing the third purpose has said mark displaying means eliminates displayed marks already set by the instruction of the player, and displays the eliminated marks at different displaying positions.
The image processing device of claim
5
according to claim
1
is for accomplishing the first purpose and the game is structured of a plurality of stages, said mark displaying means displays said marks for each of the plurality of stages, and said movement controlling means displays said segment at the displaying positions of said respective marks and thereafter restarts movements of said segment when said segment is unable to continue moving for each of said plurality of stages.
The image processing device of claim
6
according to claim
5
is for accomplishing the third purpose and has said mark displaying means renews the number of said marks in hand allotted to each stage if the progress of said stage is compeleted.
The image processing device of claim
7
according to claim
5
is for accomplishing the third purpose and comprises a mark adding means for adding a predetermined number of marks to the number of said marks in hand and for storing added marks in said storing means when the new stage is commenced.
The image processing device of claim
8
according to claim
5
is for accomplishing the first purpose and comprises a mark calculating means for implementing calculating processing, as of the end of the progress of said stage, on the basis of the number of marks in hand displayed in said stage and for storing the calculated number of marks in hand into said storing means.
The image processing device of claim
9
according to claim
8
is for accomplishing the first purpose and has said mark calculating means adds the number of said marks displayed in said stage excluding the marks used by said movement controlling means for restarting the movement of said segment to the number o
Nishino Akira
Setsumasa Akio
Tanaka Takeshi
Yoshida Yusuke
Clayton Sheila
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
Martin-Wallace Valencia
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