Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a game requiring an element of a participants physical...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-18
2001-11-27
Harrison, Jessica J. (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a game requiring an element of a participants physical...
C463S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322444
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video game system using a cassette-type recording medium which may comprise an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or a semiconductor memory that stores program data, a method of indicating a target position to be reached in a video game, and a recording medium that stores a program for indicating a target position to be reached in a video game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been proposed many video game systems. They include a system comprising a game machine for home use only and a television monitor, a system for use as an arcade game machine only, and a system comprising a personal computer or a work station, a display unit, and an audio output unit.
Either of these video game systems is constructed of a manual controller manually operable by the game player, a recording medium storing game program data, a CPU for controlling the generation of audio and image data based on the game program data, a video processor for generating video data, an audio processor for generating audio data, a CRT for displaying images based on the generated video data, and a speaker for reproducing sounds based on the generated audio data. The recording medium is often in the form of a CD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, a cassette with a built-in semiconductor memory, or the like.
One video game that can be played on such video game systems is a game for moving, i.e., shooting or throwing, a movable character displayed on a game screen from a preset position to a target. One example of such a video game is a target shooting game.
In a target shooting game, the game player may be allowed to establish a target position to be reached by a movable character before shooting the movable character at a target. It is desirable to guide the game player to easily establish such a target position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a video game system which is capable of guiding the game player to easily establish a target position to be reached by a movable character in a video game.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of indicating a target position to be reached in a video game by guiding the game player to easily establish such a target position.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium which stores a program to indicate a target position to be reached in a video game by guiding the game player to easily establish such a target position.
According to the present invention, a video game system imparts an initial speed to a movable character in a game space to start moving the movable character from a preset position to a target position. The video game system has display means for displaying a game image, manual control means for entering a manual action of a game player, target position establishing means for establishing a target position to be reached by the movable character in the game image depending on the manual action entered by the manual control means, and display control means for controlling the display means to display a bar extending from the preset position to the target position in the game image when the target position is to be established.
Inasmuch as the bar extending from the preset position to the target position is displayed in the game image, the game player can easily recognize the distance and the direction to the target position, and is guided to establish the target position.
The video game system further may comprise initial value calculating means for calculating an initial speed and an initial direction for the movable character depending on the target position established by the target position establishing means. The movable character can thus start moving from the predetermined position to the target position in the initial direction depending on the target position at the initial speed depending on the target position.
The video game system may further comprise movement control means for controlling movement of the movable character by imparting a predetermined deceleration to the movable character while in motion in the game image. The movable character is decelerated at the predetermined deceleration so that it will stop at the target position.
The manual control means may comprise a stick-type controller having a control stick tiltable from an upstanding position in any directions, including lateral and back-and-forth directions, within a 360° range in response to the manual action, for outputting information representative of a direction in which and an angle through which the control stick is tilted.
The display control means may comprise means for setting a width of the bar to a value commensurate with a distance from the predetermined position to the target position. Specifically, the width of the bar is set to a value which is maximum at the predetermined position and progressively smaller toward the target position. Therefore, the bar is of a tapered shape which allows the game player to clearly recognize the target position and the direction from the predetermined position to the target position, and hence effectively guides the game player to establish the target position.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of indicating a target position in a video game for imparting an initial speed to a movable character in a game space to start moving the movable character from a preset position to the target position. The method comprises the step of displaying a bar extending from the preset position to the target position in a game image when the target position is to be established.
According to the present invention, there is further provided a recording medium storing a program for indicating a target position in a video game for imparting an initial speed to a movable character in a game space to start moving the movable character from a preset position to the target position. The program comprises the step of displaying a bar extending from the preset position to the target position in a game image when the target position is to be established.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention by way of example.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5435554 (1995-07-01), Lipson
patent: 5634095 (1997-05-01), Wang et al.
patent: 5808613 (1998-09-01), Marrin et al.
patent: 5835085 (1998-11-01), Eick et al.
patent: 5926186 (1999-07-01), Itoh et al.
patent: 5-9590 (1993-02-01), None
Foley et al, “Computer Graphics princilples and practice”, second edition, Addition-Wesley Publishing Company, 1990.*
“Monthly Game Walker” Aug. 1, 1996, p. 112.
“Monthly Game Walker” Nov. 1, 1997, p. 109.
“Monthly Game Walker” Sep. 1, 1995, p. 91.
Matsui Masanori
Sakurai Masashi
Harrison Jessica J.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Konami Co. Ltd.
Nguyen Kim T.
LandOfFree
Video game with displayed bar for indicating target position does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Video game with displayed bar for indicating target position, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Video game with displayed bar for indicating target position will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2610221