Storage medium, information-processing device, information-processing system, and information-processing method for controlling movement of game characters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112117-B2
Application number	US-201715485874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Movement amount identifying unit 111 of exemplary game device 1 identifies, for each of characters, a movement amount, based on which a character is moved on a map, the movement amount being randomly determined. Movement processing unit 112 moves, for each of the characters, a character on the map based on a movement amount determined for the character. Mini-game executing unit 113 executes a mini-game on detecting that a first character included in the characters has reached a predetermined first cell on the map. When doing so, mini-game executing unit 113 starts the mini-game, the first character joining the mini-game from the start of the mini-game, and causes a second character included in the characters to join the mini-game subsequent to the first character with a delay, the second character having failed to reach the first cell as of the start of the mini-game.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for enabling a player to play a game in which characters including at least a player character operated by the player are moved on a map including cells displayed on a display unit, and for causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:
identifying, for each of the characters, a movement amount, based on which each of the characters is moved on the map, the movement amount being randomly determined;
moving each of the characters, on the map based on a movement amount determined for each of the characters; and
executing a mini-game on detecting that a first character included in the characters has reached a predetermined first cell on the map, wherein:
the step of moving each of the characters comprises moving the player character on the map based on an input operation performed by the player and a movement amount determined for the player character; and
the step of executing a mini-game comprises:
starting the mini-game, the first character joining the mini-game from the start of the mini-game; and
causing a second character included in the characters to join the mini-game subsequent to the first character with a delay, the second character having failed to reach the first cell as of the start of the mini-game.

2. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises determining a time of the delay according to a distance from a cell occupied by the second character as of the start of the mini-game to the first cell.

3. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the step of executing a mini-game comprises shortening a time of the delay in response to a predetermined input operation performed by the player operating the player character, the player character being the second character.

4. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the step of moving each of the characters comprises moving the player character on the map based on a movement amount determined for the player character along a route selected by the player.

5. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises causing the second character to obtain an item on detecting that the second character has reached a predetermined second cell.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 5 , wherein the item enables an increase in a ranking of the second character determined as a result of the mini-game.

7. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 5 , wherein:
the process further comprises identifying, subsequent to acquisition of the item by the second character, for each of the characters, a movement amount, based on which each of the characters is moved on the map; and
the item enables an increase in a movement amount determined for the second character subsequent to the acquisition of the item, as compared to a case where the item is not used, or enables a reduction in a movement amount determined for another character subsequent to the acquisition of the item, as compared to the case where the item is not used.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 5 , wherein the item enables an increase in a value that determines winning or losing of the game.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the step of executing a mini-game comprises causing the display unit to display simultaneously an execution screen of the mini-game and a delay time display screen showing a time that elapses before the second character joins the mini-game.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the delay time display screen shows an animation of the second character or a mark indicating the second character, the second character or the mark moving from a cell occupied by the second character as of the start of the mini-game to the first cell.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the mini-game, a ranking is determined for each of the characters as a result of the mini-game, the ranking being proportional to a value accumulated during a period from the start of the mini-game until a predetermined end condition for the mini-game is satisfied.

12. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises identifying, subsequent to conclusion of the mini-game, for each of the characters, a movement amount, based on which each of the characters, is moved on the map, the movement amount being randomly determined.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the step of moving each of the characters comprises simultaneously moving the characters on the map based on movement amounts determined for the characters.

14. An information-processing device that enables a player to play a game in which characters including at least a player character operated by the player are moved on a map including cells displayed on a display unit, the information-processing device comprising:
a movement amount identifying unit configured to identify, for each of the characters, a movement amount, based on which each of the characters is moved on the map, the movement amount being randomly determined;
a movement processing unit configured to move each of the characters on the map based on a movement amount determined for the character; and
a mini-game execution unit configured to execute a mini-game on detecting that a first character included in the characters has reached a predetermined first cell on the map, wherein:
the movement processing unit is configured to move the player character on the map based on an input operation performed by the player and a movement amount determined for the player character; and
the mini-game execution unit is configured to:
start the mini-game, the first character joining the mini-game from the start of the mini-game; and
cause a second character included in the characters to join the mini-game subsequent to the first character with a delay, the second character having failed to reach the first cell as of the start of the mini-game.

15. The information-processing device according to claim 14 , further comprising a delay time determining unit configured to determine a time of the delay according to a distance from a cell occupied by the second character as of the start of the mini-game to the first cell.

16. The information-processing device according to claim 14 , wherein the mini-game execution unit is configured to shorten a time of the delay in response to a predetermined input operation performed by the player operating the player character, the player character being the second character.

17. The information-processing device according to claim 14 , wherein the mini-game execution unit is configured to cause the display unit to display simultaneously an execution screen of the mini-game and a delay time display screen showing a time that elapses before the second character joins the mini-game.

18. The information-processing device according to claim 14 , wherein in the mini-game, a ranking is determined for each of the characters as a result of the mini-game, the ranking being proportional to a value accumulated during a period from the start of the mini-game until a predetermined end condition is satisfied for the mini-game.

19. An information-processing system that enables a player to play a game in which characters including at least a player character operated by the player are moved on

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Toshiaki
• Tsuchiyama Yoshinori
• Nishiya Shuichiro
• SUGIMOTO Takeru

Classifications

• A63F13/44

  involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot · CPC title

• A63F13/88 Primary

  Mini-games executed independently while main games are being loaded · CPC title

• A63F13/56

  Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding · CPC title

• A63F13/48

  Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session · CPC title

• A63F13/798

  for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame · CPC title