Non-transitory storage medium having stored therein game program, game apparatus, game system, and game method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11633664-B2
Application number	US-201916595936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A game system includes a mode switching unit switching a play mode between a one-player play mode and a two-player play mode, on the basis of at least one of first operation data from a left controller and second operation data from a right controller, and a control unit controlling a player character and a sub-player character in a virtual space. In the one-player play mode, the control unit switches an operation target between the player character and the sub-player character is set as an operation target, on the basis of the first operation data and the second operation data, and in the two-player play mode, the control unit controls the player character on the basis of the first operation data and controls the sub-player character on the basis of the second operation data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein a game program for causing a computer of an information processing apparatus to provide execution comprising:
acquiring first operation data from a first controller and second operation data from a second controller;
switching a play mode between a first mode in which one player plays a game and a second mode in which two players play the game, on a basis of at least one of the first operation data and the second operation data;
for a first player character and a second player character in a virtual space:
switching an operation target to be controlled between the first player character and the second player character on the basis of at least one of the first operation data and the second operation data and control the operation target on the basis of at least one of the first operation data and the second operation data, in the first mode; and
controlling the first player character on the basis of the first operation data and control the second player character on the basis of the second operation data, in the second mode, wherein

the one player can control the first player character or the second player character in the first mode using the first controller and the second controller,
in the first mode, the first controller is configured to be held by the one player in one hand, and the second controller is configured to be held by the one player in another hand,
in the second mode, the first controller is configured to be held by one player, of the two players, in both hands, and the second controller is configured to be held by another player, of the two players, in both hands,
the first controller and the second controller are configured to vibrate,
in the first mode, the first controller and/or the second controller vibrate when the second player character is in a state of not being visible in the virtual space, and
in the second mode, the first controller and/or the second controller vibrate when a second player operates the second player character.

2. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first controller includes a first vibrator,
the second controller includes a second vibrator, and
the game program further causes the computer to provide execution comprising:
generating a signal to vibrate the first vibrator and/or the second vibrator, on a basis of a position of the first player character or the second player character to be the operation target with respect to a predetermined object in the virtual space, in the first mode; and
generating a signal to vibrate the first vibrator and/or the second vibrator, on a basis of a position of at least one of the first player character and the second player character with respect to the predetermined object, in the second mode.

3. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first controller includes a first vibrator,
the second controller includes a second vibrator, and
the game program further causes the computer to provide execution comprising:
determining at least one of an intensity to vibrate the first vibrator and an intensity to vibrate the second vibrator, on a basis of a position of the first player character or the second player character to be the operation target with respect to a predetermined object in the virtual space, and generating a signal to vibrate the first vibrator and/or the second vibrator with the determined intensity, in the first mode; and
determining an intensity to vibrate at least one of the first vibrator and the second vibrator, on a basis of a position of at least one of the first player character and the second player character with respect to the predetermined object, and generating a signal to vibrate the first vibrator and/or the second vibrator with the determined intensity, in the second mode.

4. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 3 ,
wherein the game program, in the second mode, further causes the computer to provide execution comprising determining an intensity to vibrate the second vibrator, on a basis of a distance between the predetermined object and the second player character, and generating a signal to vibrate the second vibrator with the determined intensity.

5. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein
the first player character is controlled as the operation target, and the second player character, operating without being controlled as a non-operation target, enters a waiting state on a spot in the virtual space, and
the second player character is controlled as the operation target, and the first player character, operating without being controlled as the non-operation target, enters the waiting state on the spot in the virtual space.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein a characteristic associated with the virtual space affects the first player character differently than the second player character.

7. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the first player character and the second player character have different accessible ranges in the virtual space.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 ,
wherein the game program, in the first mode, further causes the computer to provide execution comprising:
performing control for causing the second player character to enter a waiting state in the virtual space, performing control for temporarily erasing the second player character, or performing control for causing the erased second player character to reappear, when the first player character is controlled; and
performing control for causing the first player character to enter a waiting state in the virtual space, when the second player character is controlled.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the game program further causes the computer to provide execution comprising performing control for causing the first player character or the second player character to enter a waiting state at a position immediately before the switching of the operation target, when the first player character or the second player character is caused to enter a waiting state.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the game program further causes the computer to provide execution comprising performing control for causing the first player character or the second player character to enter a waiting state in a state in which a predetermined action performed immediately before the switching of the operation target is performed, when the first player character or the second player character is caused to enter a waiting state.

11. A game apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the game apparatus to:
acquire first operation data from a first controller and second operation data from a second controller;
switch a play mode between a first mode in which one player plays a game and a second mode in which two players play the game, on a basis of at least one of the first operation data and the second operation data; and
control a first player character and a second player character in a virtual space,

wherein the game apparatus is configured to:
switch an operation target to be controlled between the first player character and the second player character is set as an operation target, on the basis of the first operation data and the second operation data and control the operation target on the basis of at least one of the first operation data and the second operation data, in the first mode, an

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kira Satoshi
• Ikebata Yoshihito
• Holliday Bryce
• Rice Christopher
• Wu Jeffrie

Classifications

• A63F13/58

  by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level · CPC title

• A63F13/23 Primary

  for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console · CPC title

• A63F13/285

  Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback · CPC title

• A63F13/24

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• A63F13/843 Primary

  involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player · CPC title