Game device, game control method and game control program

The present invention relates to a game control technique, and more particularly to a game device, a game control method, and a game control program that control a game that recognizes commands according to a plurality of operation input types and rhythms.

In a simulation game, when a player operates a character or the like, an interface for displaying a menu screen for inputting a command and selecting a command to be input is common.

<p> While the menu screen is displayed, it is often necessary to temporarily stop the progress of the game. The game may proceed while the menu screen is displayed, but since the player temporarily gazes at the menu screen, he / she will leave the game world every time he / she inputs a command, which is a great view of the world. May be compromised.</p><p> The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a more entertaining game control technique.</p>

<p> One aspect of the present invention relates to a game control program. This game control program has a function of outputting an index sound or an index display which is an index of the timing of the player's operation input, a function of acquiring the type and timing of the player's operation input, and a plurality of operation input types and rhythms. The type and timing of the acquired operation input of the player are determined by referring to the command holding unit that stores the pattern and the command that is issued when the operation input of the pattern is received. The function of determining whether or not the pattern matches the pattern stored in the above, and when it is determined that the player has performed an operation input matching the pattern, a sound or display corresponding to the operation input is displayed as an index sound. Alternatively, the computer can realize a function of outputting in synchronization with the index display and a function of issuing a command corresponding to the pattern when it is determined that the player has performed an operation input matching the pattern. It is a feature.</p><p> It should be noted that any combination of the above components and the conversion of the expression of the present invention between methods, devices, systems and the like are also effective as aspects of the present invention.</p>

<p> According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a more entertaining game control technique.</p>

The game device according to the embodiment provides a user interface for inputting a command by operating a button to which a predetermined sound or display is assigned with a predetermined rhythm. For example, in a real-time simulation game, a command for giving an instruction to a character or generating an event is input by a button operation in accordance with a predetermined rhythm, instead of being input via a menu screen. The player inputs a command by performing a predetermined pattern operation with a good rhythm according to the music or display played in the background, and advances the game. With such a technique, it is possible to provide a novel game having both the elements of a music game and the elements of a simulation game.

In the present embodiment, as an example, a simulation game in which a group of a plurality of characters obtains items, fights and defeats monsters, rescues friends, and advances an adventure will be described. The player operates a button to which the sound of the drum is assigned, and gives instructions to the characters to move forward, fight, retreat, etc. with the rhythm of the drum. Since commands can be input without going through the menu screen, the game can proceed smoothly without interruption due to command input.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the game device 10 according to the embodiment. The game device 10 includes a controller 20, an input reception unit 30, a control unit 40, a command holding unit 60, a speaker 62, a screen generation unit 66, and a display device 68. Speaking of hardware components, these configurations are realized by the CPU, memory, programs loaded in the memory, etc. of any computer, but here, the functional blocks realized by their cooperation are drawn. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof.

The input receiving unit 30 receives a control signal input from the controller 20 operated by the player. The control unit 40 executes the game program based on the instruction from the user received by the input reception unit 30, and advances the simulation game. The command holding unit 60 holds a pattern of button operations accepted as a command. The speaker 62 outputs the sound of the game controlled by the control unit 40. The screen generation unit 66 generates a screen of the game controlled by the control unit 40 and displays it on the display device 68.

FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the game device 10. A display device 68 and a controller 20 are provided on the front surface of the game device 10. The controller 20 includes four types of buttons 22, 23, 24, and 25. Predetermined figures are drawn on the four types of buttons 22 to 25 in order to distinguish them from each other. That is, the button 22 is marked with a circle, the × button 23 is marked with a cross, the button 24 is marked with a quadrangle, and the button 25 is marked with a triangle.

In the present embodiment, the sound of a drum is assigned to each button, and a command can be input by combining the sounds. Figure 3 shows the sounds assigned to each button. The button 22 is assigned a pon sound, the button 24 is assigned a patter sound, the button 25 is assigned a chaka sound, and the × button 23 is assigned a don sound. In this way, since sounds are assigned to each button, the player can easily remember the contents of the operations required to activate the command. For example, it is easier to remember the operation with the sound "Don Pon Don Don Don" than to remember the operation "× × × ", and it is easier to connect to the operation. Therefore, by adopting such a technique, it is possible to provide a user interface with good operability.

Returning to FIG. 1, the explanation of each configuration is continued. The command holding unit 60 stores the type of button operation and the rhythm pattern received as a command in association with the command issued when the operation input of the pattern is received. FIG. 4 shows an example of the internal data of the command holding unit 60. The command holding unit 60 is provided with an operation pattern column 202, a flag column 204, and a command column 206. The operation pattern column 202 stores the type of button operation and the rhythm pattern. The flag field 204 stores a flag indicating whether or not the command is available. The command field 206 stores the command to be issued. For example, when the player operates the button "× × × ", the sound "Don Pon Don Don Don" is output and the command "Advance" is activated.

The background sound output unit 42 is an example of the first output unit, and outputs a background sound that engraves a predetermined rhythm as an index sound for timing the operation of a button when a player inputs a command. The background sound output unit 42 may output sound such as a drum sound at a predetermined tempo, or may output music at a predetermined tempo. The background sound output unit 42 may output the background sound at all times during the game, or may output the background sound when the player is inputting a command. In the latter case, the background sound output unit 42 outputs the background sound from the time when the player performs some button operation until the time required to input the operation pattern held in the command holding unit 60 elapses. You may. Even in the former case, the timing of outputting the background sound may be shifted so that the first beat is when the player performs some button operation. As a result, even when the player cannot start the operation with good rhythm according to the background sound, it is possible to assist the input of the command. Instead of the background sound output unit 42, an index display output unit that outputs an index display that serves as a timing index may be provided.

The command determination unit 41 acquires the type and timing of the button input by the player, compares the type and timing of the button with the operation pattern held in the command holding unit 60, and determines the command input by the player. .. The command determination unit 41 acquires the type and timing of button input for the period required to input the operation pattern held in the command holding unit 60, and determines the command by comparing with the pattern held in the command holding unit 60. It may be compared with the pattern every time the player presses a button. In the latter case, even in the middle of command input, when the button operation input by the player does not match any operation pattern held in the command holding unit 60, or when there is a deviation of more than a predetermined timing. May terminate the acceptance of the command by notifying the player that the command input has failed at that time. When the type and rhythm of the button input by the player match the operation pattern stored in the command holding unit 60, the command determination unit 41 notifies the game control unit 48 of the corresponding command.

The confirmation sound output unit 43 outputs the sound assigned to the button input by the player. For example, the confirmation sound output unit 43 outputs a pop sound assigned to the button 22 when the player presses the button 22. The confirmation sound output unit 43 may output the sound assigned to the pressed button regardless of the timing when the player presses the button. The confirmation sound output unit 43 emits a confirmation sound when the timing at which the player presses the button does not match any of the operation patterns held by the command holding unit 60, or when the timing is more than a predetermined deviation. By not outputting it, it may be indicated that the input is inappropriate and cannot be accepted as a command. The confirmation sound output unit 43 may change the output sound according to the accuracy of the player's operation. For example, when the deviation is small, a loud sound with a bright tone may be output, and when the deviation is large, a small sound out of tune may be output. As a result, the player can easily aurally grasp the accuracy of the operation timing.

The repeat unit 44 is an example of the second output unit, and when the command determination unit 41 accepts a command, the operation input included in the pattern of the accepted command is included in order to show the accepted command to the player for confirmation. The sound assigned to each type is output in synchronization with the background sound with the rhythm of that pattern. At this time, the character displayed on the game screen may output the sound corresponding to the command as the utterance of the character in the form of reciting the instruction in response to the command input by the player. As a result, the player can easily aurally grasp whether or not the intended command is accepted. The repeater 44 may change the output sound according to the accuracy of the player's operation. For example, when the deviation is small, a bright tone may be output as a loud sound, and when the deviation is large, a dark tone may be output as a small sound. Further, as will be described later, the output sound may be changed according to the number of times the player succeeds in inputting a command in succession. For example, if the number of successful continuous command inputs increases, a repeat sound may be added, or a sound effect synchronized with the repeat sound may be added to output a sound in which a large number of characters repeat the command lively. Good. Further, the rhythm of the repeated sound may be changed or the melody may be modulated so that the same sound as the pattern input by the player is not only repeated, but the sound is expanded and output. Thereby, the entertainment of the game can be improved.

The repeat section 44 repeats the command according to the background sound following the operation input by the player. When the repeat unit 44 finishes reciting, the command determination unit 41 subsequently accepts the input of the next command. For example, when a 4-beat command is prepared, when the player inputs a 4-beat command, the command determination unit 41 determines the command and notifies the game control unit 48. While the repeat unit 44 repeats the 4-beat command in response to the command input by the user, the game control unit 48 executes the command notified from the command determination unit 41 to advance the game. While the command is being repeated, the player can visually check the progress of the game by the command while audibly checking the command entered by the player. Then, the command to be input next is determined according to the situation of the game progressed by the command, and the buttons are operated according to the pattern for inputting the next command according to the background sound following the repetition by the repeat unit 44. To do. As described above, in the game of the present embodiment, it is possible to alternately repeat the acquisition of the operation input of the player and the output of the sound or display assigned to the operation input included in the pattern. By continuously advancing such interaction, it is possible to realize a rhythmic and musical game progression.

When the command determination unit 41 receives a command, the repeat unit 44 may output a sound or phrase previously associated with the pattern of the received command in synchronization with the background sound. When assigning a display or vibration of the controller 20 instead of sound to each button, an output unit that outputs the display or vibration assigned to each button is provided instead of the confirmation sound output unit 43 and the repeat unit 44. May be good.

The evaluation unit 46 evaluates the accuracy of the player's operation and calculates the points given to the player. The evaluation unit 46 acquires the timer value when the button is input from the timer, and calculates the timing deviation from the operation pattern stored in the command holding unit 60. The evaluation unit 46 calculates the deviation from the timing to be input for each of the plurality of operations included in the command, evaluates the accuracy of the player's operation according to them, and calculates the points. For example, the total timing deviation may be calculated, and the smaller the total deviation, the higher the points may be given. The evaluation unit 46 notifies the point control unit of the evaluation result. As described above, when the confirmation sound output unit 43 or the repeat unit 44 changes the output sound according to the evaluation result, the confirmation sound output unit 43 or the repeat unit 44 is also notified of the evaluation result.

In addition to the points described above, the evaluation unit 46 further calculates the points given to the player according to the number of times the player succeeds in inputting the command. For example, the higher the number of consecutive successful commands, the higher the bonus points may be given. As a result, even a player who is not good at operating buttons with good rhythm can get high points if he / she operates buttons without deviation more than a predetermined value and succeeds in inputting commands continuously. Therefore, the difficulty level of the game can be adjusted appropriately and the entertainment of the game can be improved.

The point control unit 47 controls the points given to the player. The point control unit 47 stores the current value of the points in the memory, and adds the points notified from the evaluation unit 46. This point is reflected in the parameters for controlling the game progressed in the game control unit 48. For example, it may be used as points consumed in the progress of the game, such as the physical strength of the character and magic points, or may be used as various ability values of the character. For example, the point control unit 47 determines the offensive power and the defensive power of the character according to the points given to the player. Players can play the game by not only selecting the correct command according to the situation, but also by inputting commands with an accurate rhythm or by successfully inputting commands in succession to earn points and grow the character. It can be advanced advantageously.

The game control unit 48 advances the game while executing the command notified from the command determination unit 41.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a game screen. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the player tries to input a command for advancing the character 80, and inputs the operation " × " according to the background sound. At this time, the confirmation sound output unit 43 outputs the sound "pon-don-pon-pon-" assigned to the button. In the example of FIG. 5, the sound is output and characters such as "pon" are displayed on the screen, but these characters may or may not be displayed.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a game screen. When the player inputs an operation as shown in the example shown in FIG. 5, the command determination unit 41 compares the type and timing of the operation input of the player with the operation pattern held in the command holding unit 60, and inputs the operation pattern. It is determined that the command issued is "forward". Then, the repeater 44 makes the sound assigned to each of the button inputs included in the operation pattern of this command, in the form of the character 80 uttering in the rhythm of the pattern, "Pon Don Pon Pon".Is output in synchronization with the background sound. As a result, the player can know that the input command has been accepted.

FIG. 7 schematically shows the flow of progress of the game. Each row in FIG. 7 shows a set of measures for which the player inputs an operation and a measure for which the repeater 44 repeats. In the upper part of FIG. 7, when the player inputs the operation " × ", the confirmation sound output unit 43 outputs the sound "Pon Don Pon Pon". At this time, the evaluation unit 46 evaluates the accuracy of the timing of each operation input. Here, the accuracy of the timing is evaluated on a scale of 10, and the evaluation value is given so small that the timing shifts. In FIG. 7, the shaded rectangles indicate the range in which the timing deviation of the operation input is allowed. If the operation input is performed at a timing outside this range, it is determined that the operation input has failed. In addition, when the background sound output is started with the player's first input as a trigger and the command input is started to be accepted, the point is not calculated for the player's first input without considering the timing difference. You may.

When the command determination unit 41 determines that the input command is "forward", the repeat unit 44 repeats the sound corresponding to the command. The evaluation unit 46 totals the evaluation values of each operation input and calculates the points as "24" points. In addition, the evaluation unit 46 increments the counter for the number of consecutive successful commands to "1" and calculates bonus points for the counter. In this example, "(number of consecutive successes-1) x 10" points are given as bonus points for continuous success of commands. Therefore, at this point, the bonus points are "0" points. The point control unit 47 adds the points and bonus points notified from the evaluation unit 46 to the accumulated points. The game control unit 48 executes the "advance" command notified from the command determination unit 41 to advance the character.

Next, in the middle of FIG. 7, when the player inputs the operation " × " again, the confirmation sound output unit 43 outputs the sound "Pon Don Pon Pon". To do. Since the timing deviation of all operation inputs is within the permissible range, it is determined that the command input is successful, and the sound corresponding to the command is repeated by the repeat unit 44. The evaluation unit 46 calculates points based on the accuracy of the timing of each operation input, increments the counter of the number of consecutive command successes to "2", and gives an additional "10" points as bonus points. The point control unit 47 calculates the cumulative points, and the game control unit 48 executes the "forward" command.

Next, in the lower part of Fig. 7, the player is trying to input the operation input " × ", but the timing difference of the operation input of the third beat exceeds the permissible range. , The command determination unit 41 determines that the command input has failed. In this case, the repeater 44 does not repeat and no points are given. The evaluation unit 46 resets the counter for the number of consecutive successful commands to "0".

In conventional simulation games, pursuing improved entertainment tends to lead to the construction of an elaborate game world, which can lead to complicated settings, complicated operations, and difficult capture. Although there were many cases, in the present embodiment, entertainment can be improved from a completely new viewpoint of adding a musical element to the simulation game and proceeding the game with good rhythm.

Also, for players who like music games, instead of just pursuing accurate operations determined according to the music as in conventional music games, select commands according to the situation and the commands. Since it is required to perform the operation to activate the above with good rhythm and accuracy, you can enjoy a completely new enjoyment. In a conventional music game, once cleared, there is often no fun other than clearing at a higher point, but in this embodiment, the operation is performed with good rhythm according to the situation of the simulation game that changes every time. Therefore, it is possible to provide a timeless game that can be played many times.

One command is associated with one operation pattern, but for example, the type and rhythm of the operation may have meanings independently, and one command may be issued by a combination thereof. For example, even if the meaning of "forward" is associated with a certain operation type, the meanings of "fast", "slow", etc. are associated with a certain rhythm, and the same combination of button types is input, the rhythm Depending on the situation, it may be used as "fast forward" or "slow forward".

The present invention has been described above based on examples. This embodiment is an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

<figref num="1">It is a figure which shows the structure of the game apparatus which concerns on embodiment.</figref><figref num="2">It is a figure which shows the appearance of the game apparatus.</figref><figref num="3">It is a figure which shows the sound assigned to each button.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which shows the example of the internal data of a command holding part.</figref><figref num="5">It is a figure which shows the example of the game screen.</figref><figref num="6">It is a figure which shows the example of the game screen.</figref><figref num="7">It is a figure which shows typically the flow of the progress of a game.</figref>

Code description

10 game device, 20 controller, 22 button, 23 × button, 24 button, 25 button, 30 input reception unit, 40 control unit, 41 command judgment unit, 42 background sound output unit, 43 confirmation sound output unit, 44 Repeat section, 46 evaluation section, 47 point control section, 48 game control section, 60 command holding section, 62 speakers, 66 screen generator, 68 display device.