Video game device and its control method, program of video game and computer readable storage medium for recording this program

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a video game device and a control method thereof, and a video game program and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded. In particular, a network support capable of jointly playing by a plurality of players via a network. Regarding type video games.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, a multiplayer-compatible video game in which multiple players can operate their respective player characters in a common virtual space using a network to play against or cooperate with other players. Is increasing.

【0003】

In a multiplayer video game in which a player character fights against a computer-controlled enemy character, various players can start the game independently, and other players select one of these games and participate in the middle. Some are designed to do so. In this case, the player who participates in the game later selects the game to participate in by referring to the character name of the player who has already advanced the game, its growth level, the comment input by the player at the start of the game, and the like.

【0004】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, many players think that this information is not sufficient for selecting a game to participate in, and more detailed information is required as a judgment material for selecting a game.

【0005】

Therefore, the present invention provides a video game device and its control method, a video game system and its control, which provide detailed information about a game being played by another player and make it easier for the player to select a game in which his or her character participates. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method, a video game program, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

【0006】

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention realizes a video game in which a plurality of players can jointly play via a network. In the present invention, a computer connected to a server via a network displays a virtual lobby. A player character operated by using this computer and a player character operated by using another computer connected to the server can enter and exit the virtual lobby. The virtual lobby has a game display surface. On the game display surface, a game being played by a player who operates another computer is displayed. Note that the player playing the game cannot place his or her own player character in the virtual lobby. The computer accepts a movement command to the player character by the player, and when the player enters the player character into the game display surface in the virtual lobby, the player character participates in the game displayed on the game display surface.

【0007】

Participating a player character in a game displayed on the game display surface sends a request to participate in the game to the server, and when the server receives a notification that participation in the game is permitted, the player character is sent. It may include participating in the game.

【0008】

As described above, in the present invention, the game played by another player is displayed on the game display surface of the virtual lobby, and the player can see the game play. Therefore, the player can select a game in which his / her character participates by referring to the game play displayed on the game display surface. Further, the player can participate in the game displayed on the game display surface by letting his / her character enter the game display surface, so that the player's operation necessary for starting the game can be performed. It's simple.

【0009】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a video game device according to the present embodiment. As an example, the video game device 1 includes a control device 2 that controls the video game device 1, an input device (for example, a keypad) 3 and an output device (for example, a television set) 6 connected to the control device 2. ing. The game device 1 further includes a memory card 5 for storing game data such as game progress data and environment setting data.

【0010】

The control device 2 is one computer. In this example, the control device 2 is a home-use game machine. However, it is not limited to this.

【0011】

As shown in FIG. 1, as an example of the configuration of the control device 2, the main control unit 11, RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, interface unit 13, sound processing unit 14, graphic processing unit 15, It has a CD-ROM drive 16, a communication interface 17, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 18, and a bus 19 that connects these components to each other. In addition, the CD-ROM drive 16 is detachably equipped with a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) 4, which is a recording medium that stores programs, image data, sound data, etc. for realizing processing related to games, which will be described later. It is configured to be able to.

【0012】

The main control unit 11 is a circuit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and the CPU is a program stored in a RAM 12 (ROM in some cases). Each part of the control device 2 is controlled according to the above. The ROM stores basic programs such as the boot program of the control device 2 and the OS (Operating System). Further, the main control unit 11 includes an oscillator and a timer counter (both not shown), generates a clock signal based on a timing signal output from the oscillator at predetermined intervals, and uses this clock signal as a timer counter. The time is measured by counting according to.

【0013】

The RAM 12 is a main storage device used by the CPU of the main control unit 11 to execute a program, and stores the program executed by the CPU and the data required for the execution. RAM12 is also used as a work area when executing a program.

【0014】

The interface unit 13 is configured so that the input device 3 and the memory card 5 can be detachably connected to each other. The interface unit 13 controls data transfer between each unit (mainly the main control unit 11) connected to the bus 19 and the input device 3 or the memory card 5.

【0015】

The sound processing unit 14 is a circuit that performs processing for displaying audio data such as game BGM (Back Ground Music) and sound effects. The sound processing unit 14 generates an audio signal based on the data stored in the RAM 12 in accordance with a command from the main control unit 11, and supplies the audio signal to the output device 6.

【0016】

The graphic processing unit 15 includes a frame buffer (not shown), and draws an image in response to a command from the main control unit 11 on the frame buffer. Further, the graphic processing unit 15 adds a predetermined synchronization signal to the image data drawn in the frame buffer to generate a video signal, and supplies the video signal to the output device 6.

【0017】

The CD-ROM drive 16 is a reading device that reads data stored in the CD-ROM 4, which is a recording medium. The game device 1 realizes control related to the game described later by causing the control device 2 to execute control according to the game program recorded on the CD-ROM 4.

【0018】

The communication interface 17 is a circuit that controls communication when exchanging various data with other devices on the network 100, and is connected to the network 100 via a communication line 99 as needed. The communication interface 17 controls the exchange of information (programs and data) between the control device 2 and the communication network 100. Game programs and data downloaded from the external communication network 100 via the communication interface 17 and the communication line 99 can be stored in the HDD 18.

【0019】

The HDD 18 is an auxiliary storage device used by the CPU of the main control unit 11 to execute a program. The HDD 18 can store various data and programs such as information downloaded using the communication interface 17 and information read from the CD-ROM 4.

【0020】

CD-ROM4 stores game software. This game software includes a game program and necessary data that cause a main control unit to perform processing necessary for executing a computer game. This game program includes a program that causes the game device 1 to execute the method according to the present embodiment. The game software stored in the CD-ROM 4 can be read by operating the CD-ROM drive 16.

【0021】

The game device 1 can also store the game software in the HDD 18. This game software may be pre-installed on HDD18, installed from CD-ROM4, or downloaded from another device on the communication network 100 as described above.

【0022】

The input device 3 includes a plurality of operating tools operated by the player to input various instructions related to the game to the control device 2. When the operation tool is operated, the input device 3 sends a command signal corresponding to the operation tool to the control device 2 via the interface unit 13. In the present embodiment, as an example, a keypad 30 generally attached to a home-use game machine is prepared as an input device 3.

【0023】

FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the keypad 30, and FIG. 2B is a rear view showing the keypad 30. As shown in FIG. 2A, the keypad 30 has a cross key 31 for inputting a direction instruction and an operation key for inputting various commands to the control device 2 (for example, button 32, button 33, button 34, × button 35, start button 36, select button 42), etc. are provided as operation tools. The keypad 30 is also provided with joysticks 37a and 37b as operating tools. As shown in FIG. 2B, a plurality of operation keys (R1 button 38, R2 button 39, L1 button 40, L2 button 41) are also provided on the back surface of the keypad as operation tools. Further, the keypad 30 has a vibration function. That is, the keypad 30 has a built-in motor, and the motor operates by receiving a predetermined control signal from the control device 2, so that the keypad 30 can be vibrated as a whole.

【0024】

The memory card 5 is an auxiliary storage device composed of a flash memory and controlled by the control device 2 to store game data. The main control unit 11 controls the writing of data to the memory card 5 and the reading of data from the memory card 5 via the interface unit 13.

【0025】

The output device 6 displays a game image based on a video signal or an audio signal from the control device 2, and outputs an audio. In this embodiment, a television (TV) set is prepared as the output device 6. This television set includes a display screen 61 for displaying images and a speaker 62 for audio output. The television set displays an image on the display screen 61 in response to the video signal from the graphic processing unit 15, and outputs sound from the speaker 62 in response to the sound signal from the sound processing unit 14. Therefore, the television set functions as both a display device and an audio output device.

【0026】

The main control unit 11 controls the operation of the control device 2 based on the basic software stored in the ROM or the game software read from the CD-ROM 4 by the CD-ROM drive 16 and stored in the RAM 12. For example, the main control unit 11 reads graphic data from the CD-ROM 4 and transfers it to the graphic processing unit 15, and instructs the graphic processing unit 15 to generate an image. In response to this instruction, the graphic processing unit 15 generates a video signal using the graphic data. This video signal is sent to the output device 6. As a result, the image is displayed on the display screen of the output device 6.

【0027】

In the present embodiment, a role playing game (RPG) in which a plurality of players can participate via a network is displayed on the screen 61 of the display device 6. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an online game system that provides such a network-compatible video game service. In this system, the video game devices 1a, 1b, 1c, etc. having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 are connected to the server group 102 via the Internet 100. That is, each video game device 1 is connected to any server in the server group 102 and becomes a client of that server.

【0028】

The server group 102 provides an authentication server group 111 that manages accounts for user authentication, an interface between the game device 1 and other server groups, and a content server group that provides a content viewing service such as voice and video. 112, a message server group 113 that provides a chat and messenger environment, a mail server group 114 that provides an e-mail service, a profile server group 115 that manages a user's profile, and a game environment. Includes game server group 116. These server groups 111 to 116 are connected to each other via LAN 117.

【0029】

When the CD-ROM 4 on which the game program is recorded is set in the CD-ROM drive 16, the initial screen (maker logo, etc.) is displayed, the memory card 5 is checked, the title screen is displayed, and the data is displayed, just like a normal game. Basic processing including loading is performed. Next, a menu is displayed on the display device 6, and when the player selects "Internet connection" from the menu item, the process shown in FIG. 4 is executed by the video game device 1.

【0030】

First, the login process is performed (step S102). In this process, the video game device 1 is connected to one server in the content server group 112 via the Internet 100, and then the player authentication procedure is executed. Specifically, when the game device 1 is connected to the content server, the authentication request screen is displayed on the display device 6. The player inputs the information required for authentication in the displayed authentication request screen. The input information is sent from the game device 1 to the authentication server group 111 via the content server, and authentication is performed there. When the authentication is obtained, the video game device 1 is connected to one game server included in the game server group 116.

【0031】

After that, the initial screen is displayed on the display device 6 (step S104). The initial screen displays a menu window containing two menu items, "Start Game" and "Enter Lobby". When the player selects one of the menu items (step S106), the video game device 1 determines the selected menu item (step S108), and performs processing according to the menu item.

【0032】

When the menu item "Start Game" is selected, the video game device 1 starts a single-player game (step S109). The video game device 1 displays a game screen on the display device 6 and accepts input from the player. The player can operate the player character to play the game by operating the keypad 30 and inputting an operation command to the player character. Initially, this single-play game is played by a player alone, but as will be described later, other players can participate in the game in the middle.

【0033】

On the other hand, when the menu item "Enter lobby" is selected, the lobby screen showing the virtual lobby provided in the virtual three-dimensional space is displayed (step S110). Characters of various players can enter and leave this virtual lobby, and players can communicate with each other through chat and the like.

【0034】

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing the overall structure of an example of a virtual lobby. This virtual lobby 200 consists of a large room 210 and three small rooms 220. The large room 210 and the small room 220 are connected by a passage 225. When the lobby screen is displayed, the player character appears at position 215. The player can freely move the player character in the large room 210 and the small room 220 by operating the cross key 31 of the keypad 30 or the joystick 37a or 37b. The virtual lobby 200 may have various images such as ancient caves and modern buildings.

【0035】

FIG. 6 shows an example of a lobby screen displayed on the display device 6 when the player character is in the large room 210. In this embodiment, the scene in the virtual lobby is displayed three-dimensionally. Characters 230 to 232 of other players are also displayed in the virtual lobby. Data about these characters is transmitted from the game server to the video game device 1.

【0036】

A player can chat with another player while the lobby screen is displayed. In this embodiment, two types of chat methods are prepared. One is "normal chat". In normal chat, a player's remarks are transmitted to all other players who have their characters in the large room 210. The player can make a statement in a normal chat by writing the content of the statement in the chat window 234 and finally pressing the button 32 on the keypad 30. The input content of the statement is transmitted from the video game device 1 to the game server, and is transferred from there to another video game device 1. As shown by reference numeral 235 in FIG. 6, when the video game device 1 receives the remark content of another player, the video game device 1 displays the remark content together with the character name of the player in the lobby screen. In the normal chat mode, the content of the statement is displayed on the display devices 6 of all the players who have the characters in the large room 210.

【0037】

Another chat method is "target chat". The player can convey his / her own remark only to the player who operates the player character (character 230 in FIG. 6) with which the pointer 240 is aligned. The pointer 240 is displayed by pressing the R1 key 38 on the keypad 30, and can be moved by operating the direction key 31 or the joystick 37a or 37b. When the pointer 240 is placed on the player character, the name 242 of the player character is displayed.

【0038】

In the target chat, the content of the statement written in the chat window 234 is transmitted from the video game device 1 to the game server, and then transferred to the video game device 1 that operates the player character 230 to which the pointer 240 is aligned. The video game device 1 that has received the content of the remark in the target chat displays the content of the remark in a color different from the content of the remark in the normal chat.

【0039】

Using these chat methods, the player can talk with another player who has a character in the virtual lobby and search for a partner to play the game with.

【0040】

FIG. 7 is an example of a screen displayed when the player moves his / her character 250 to the small room 220. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, each chamber 220 is surrounded by seven upright panels 301-307. FIG. 7 shows three of these panels 301 to 303. On the surfaces 301a to 307a of each panel facing the player character 250 (only 301a to 303a are shown in FIG. 7), the gameplay of another player who has already started the game is displayed. Numbers assigned to each gameplay are displayed in the upper right part of these game display surfaces 301a to 307a. Information necessary for displaying on the game display surfaces 301a to 307a is transmitted from the game server.

【0041】

Since the gameplay of another player is displayed in the lobby screen in this way, the player can select a game in which his / her character participates with reference to this gameplay. Since there are more judgment materials than the conventional video game in which the player character's name and comment are used as a reference to select the game to participate in, the player can easily select the game.

【0042】

When the select button 42 on the keypad 30 is pressed while the lobby screen is displayed, a menu window containing three menu items "Start Game", "Exit Lobby" and "Show Game List" is displayed. Will be done. When the player selects the menu item "Start Game", the video game device 1 starts a single-player game in the same manner as in step S109 of FIG. As described above, the gameplay is displayed on the game display panel on the display device 6 used by other players. Further, when the player selects the menu item "Exit the lobby", the lobby screen is deleted and the above-mentioned initial screen is displayed again.

【0043】

When the player selects the menu item "Display game list", a list of games played by other players is displayed. FIG. 8 shows an example of the displayed game list. The game list includes the identification number assigned to each game (indicated as "play number" in Fig. 8), the character name of the player who started the game (indicated as "main player" in Fig. 8), and the main player starts. Includes the character name of the player who participated in the game in the middle (denoted as "sub player" in Fig. 8) and the highest growth level of the character participating in the game (denoted as "situation" in Fig. 8). I'm out.

【0044】

The "play number" is equal to the number displayed on the game display surfaces 301a to 307a of each game display panel 301 to 307. Therefore, by referring to the game list, the player can know the player characters participating in the game displayed on each game display panel 301 to 307 and their levels, and the player himself / herself participates in the information known here. It can be useful for game selection.

【0045】

The player can make the character 250 participate in the game by inserting his / her character 250 into the game display surface of the panel on which the game he / she wants to participate in is displayed. FIG. 9 shows an example of a screen displayed when the player character 250 is entering the game display surface 303a of the panel 303. In this way, each game display surface is accessible to the player character, and the entered player character participates in the game with the permission of the player playing the game displayed on the surface. Will be possible. The player can let his / her character participate in the game by such an intuitive and simple operation.

【0046】

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the video game device 1a of the player P1 when one player P1 joins his / her character C1 in a game played by another player P2. It is a flowchart which shows the process executed by the video game apparatus 1b of a player P2 at this time. For the sake of clarity, the components of the video game device 1a operated by the player P1 will be subscripted a, and the components of the video game device 1b operated by the player P2 will be subscripted b.

【0047】

As shown in FIG. 10, when the player P1 enters the character C1 into the game display panel (step S202), the video game device 1a transmits a participation request signal to the game server (step S204). This participation request signal includes game identification number (play No.) data displayed by the panel and identifier data of the character C1 who intends to participate in the game.

【0048】

When the game server receives the participation request signal from the video game device 1a, the game server identifies the video game device 1b based on the game identification number data and transmits the request notification signal to the video game device 1b. The request notification signal includes identifier data and name data of the character C1 requesting participation.

【0049】

As shown in FIG. 11, when the video game device 1b receives the request notification signal, it sends a message asking the player P2 whether or not to allow the participation of the character C1 by the characters "YES" and "NO". Is displayed (step S304). Player P2 can allow character C1 to participate by selecting "YES" (step S306: YES route), in which case the video game device 1b sends a permission notification signal to the game server (step S308). ). On the other hand, if the player P2 selects "NO", the participation of the character C1 is rejected (step S306: NO route). At this time, the video game device 1b transmits a rejection notification signal to the game server (step S312).

【0050】

When the game server receives the permission notification signal or the refusal notification signal from the video game device 1b, the game server transfers the signal to the video game device 1a. When the video game device 1a receives any of the notification signals (step S206), the video game device 1a displays the result notification screen (step S208). This screen displays a message notifying you that you have been allowed or denied participation in the game.

【0051】

When the video game device 1a receives the permission notification signal (step S210: YES route), the video game device 1a executes the game participation process (step S212). In this process, the result notification screen is erased, and the game screen showing the virtual space on the game played by the player P2 is displayed. In addition, the character C1 is placed at a predetermined position in this virtual space. The position data of the character C1 is stored in both the video game device 1a and the game server. The game server also stores the position data of the character C2. When displaying the game screen, the video game device 1a receives information about the virtual space from the game server, and also needs information about the character C2 operated by the player P2 (necessary for displaying position data and the character C2). Information) is also received. After displaying the game screen, the video game device 1a receives an operation command from the player P1 to the character C1 so that the player P1 can play the game.

【0052】

The video game device 1b also sends a permission notification signal (step S308), and then updates the displayed game screen (step S310). Specifically, the inquiry message is deleted, and a message notifying that the character C1 has joined the game is displayed. When the position of the character C1 is included in the display range, the video game device 1b receives the information necessary for displaying the character C1 from the game server and displays the character C1 on the screen.

【0053】

After that, since the video game devices 1a and 1b share information about the virtual space via the game server, the players P1 and P2 operate their respective characters C1 and C2 in the common virtual space to play the game. Can be done. As a result, the character C1 has participated in the game played by the player P2.

【0054】

On the other hand, when the video game device 1a receives the permission notification signal (step S210: NO route), a menu including two menu items "find another player" and "go to the initial screen" is displayed in the result notification screen. It is displayed (step S214). The video game device 1a determines the menu item selected by the player P1 (step S216), and executes processing according to the menu item. That is, when the player P1 selects "Find another player", the result notification screen is cleared and the virtual lobby is displayed again. At this time, the character C1 appears in the center of the small room having the game display panel that has just entered. Further, when the player selects "Proceed to the initial screen", the initial screen is displayed again in the same manner as in step S104 of FIG. 4 (step S220).

【0055】

After transmitting the refusal notification signal (step S312), the video game device 1b deletes the inquiry message from the game screen. After this, the player P2 can continue playing as before the inquiry message was displayed.

【0056】

As described above, in the present embodiment, the gameplay of another player is displayed on the panel arranged in the virtual lobby, and the player can see the gameplay. Therefore, the player selects a game in which his / her character participates. It will be easier to do. Further, since the player can participate in the game displayed on the surface of the game by letting his / her character enter the game display surface, the player can start the game quickly with a simple operation.

【0057】

Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the order of the plurality of steps associated with the method according to the present invention can be changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

【0058】

In the above embodiment, the player can join his / her own player character in the game played by the player only when the permission of the other player is obtained. However, when the player character enters the game display surface without requiring the permission of another player, the player character may automatically participate in the game displayed on that surface.

【0059】

In the above embodiment, a video game device including a home-use game machine as the control device 2 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer, an arcade game machine, or the like. It is possible.

【0060】

In the above embodiment, the display device, the input device, and the control device are separated, but the present invention can be applied to a video game device in which the display device, the input device, and the control device are integrated.

【0061】

In the above embodiment, a CD-ROM is used as a computer-readable recording medium for recording a game program and data. However, the recording medium is not limited to a CD-ROM, and may be another magnetic or optical recording medium or semiconductor memory that can be read by a computer such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a ROM card. Further, a program or data for realizing the present invention may be provided by a method of pre-installing it in a storage device of a game machine or a computer.

【0062】

The program or data for realizing the present invention may be downloaded to the HDD 18 from another device on the network 100 connected via the communication line 99 by the communication interface 17 shown in FIG. It is also possible to record programs and data in the memory of other devices on the communication line 99, and if necessary, sequentially read the programs and data into RAM 12 via the communication line 99 and use them. is there.

【0063】

The program or data provision form for realizing the present invention may be provided as a computer data signal superimposed on a carrier wave from another device on the network 100. For example, the control device 2 requests the transmission of the computer data signal from the communication interface 17 to another device on the communication network 100 via the communication line 99, receives the transmitted computer data signal, and stores the transmitted computer data signal in the RAM 12. Therefore, the present invention may be realized.

【0064】

[Effect of the invention]

According to the present invention, since the game played by another player is displayed on the game display surface of the virtual lobby, the player can easily select the game in which his / her character participates. Further, the player can participate in the game by letting his / her own character enter the game display surface, and can start the game quickly with a simple operation.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the video game apparatus which concerns on embodiment.

[Figure 2]

(a) is a plan view showing a keypad, and (b) is a rear view showing a keypad.

[Fig. 3]

It is a figure which shows an example of the game system using a network.

[Fig. 4]

It is a flowchart which shows the process executed by a video game apparatus.

[Fig. 5]

It is a plan sectional view which shows the structure of a virtual lobby.

[Fig. 6]

It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen.

[Fig. 7]

It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen.

[Fig. 8]

It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen.

[Fig. 9]

It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen.

[Fig. 10]

It is a flowchart which shows the process executed by a video game apparatus.

[Fig. 11]

It is a flowchart which shows the process executed by a video game apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... video game device, 2 ... control device, 3 ... input device, 4 ... CD-ROM, 5 ... memory card, 6 ... output device, 11 ... main control Department, 12 ... RAM, 13 ... Interface Department, 14 ... Sound Processing Department, 15 ... Graphic Processing Department, 16 ... CD-ROM Drive, 17 ... Communication Interface, 18.. .Hard disk drive, 19 ... bus, 99 ... communication line, 100 ... communication network.