Storage medium storing game program, game system, game apparatus, and game processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12194382-B2
Application number	US-202217882634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2022
Priority date	Sep 27, 2021
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A place designated by a player on a user interface is set according to an operation input. An item or character that the player is to transmit to another information processing apparatus for exchange is designated according to an operation input. In the exchange, information about the place and information about the item or character are transmitted as information about a thing to be exchanged to the another information processing apparatus. Information about the place designated by an exchanging partner and information about the item or character designated by the exchanging partner are received as information about a thing to be exchanged from the another information processing apparatus. The item or character that has been obtained as the thing to be exchanged from the exchanging partner by the exchange, is displayed on the user interface at the place designated by the exchanging partner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program that when executed by a processor of an information processing apparatus, causes the processor to communicate with another information processing apparatus and exchange items or characters used in a game with another player, and to perform operations comprising:
setting a place in a virtual world designated by a player via a user interface including a display device, according to an operation input;
designating an item or character that the player is to transmit to the another information processing apparatus for the exchange, according to an operation input;
in the exchange,
transmitting, to the another information processing apparatus, information about the place in the virtual world designated by the player and information about the item or character designated by the player, as information about a thing to be exchanged, and
receiving, from the another information processing apparatus, information about the place designated by an exchanging partner and information about the item or character designated by the exchanging partner, as information about a thing to be exchanged; and

displaying, in the virtual world and via the user interface, at least one of the item or character that has been obtained as the thing to be exchanged from the exchanging partner either as a result of the exchange, or upon selecting the place.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein:
the another information processing apparatus is a server configured to store at least one of the transmitted information about a thing to be exchanged, and
the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising communicating with the server to execute the exchange with the another player through the server.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising in the exchange, receiving, from the server, a most recently stored one of the information about a thing to be exchanged that is stored in the server, as information about a thing to be exchanged of the exchanging partner.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising in the exchange, receiving, from the server, a randomly chosen one of the information about a thing to be exchanged that is stored in the server, as information about a thing to be exchanged of the exchanging partner.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising in the exchange, receiving, from the server, one of the information about a thing to be exchanged that is stored in the server, a place designated for the one being the same as the place designated by the player, as information about a thing to be exchanged of the exchanging partner.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising displaying each item or character that is stored as the information about a thing to be exchanged in the server and that has not yet been exchanged at the respective place designated on the user interface, based on at least one of the information about a thing to be exchanged that is stored in the server.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising giving a reward to the player in the game, based on the number of the places designated by the exchanging partner where the exchange has been done.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein:
the user interface includes a spherical user interface representing the earth in a virtual space, and
the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising setting a place designated by the player on the earth according to an operation input.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein;
the user interface includes a spherical user interface representing the earth in a virtual space, and
the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising setting a place designated by the player specifying coordinates on the spherical user interface, according to an operation input.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising rotating the spherical user interface in a virtual space according to an operation input.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein:
the user interface includes a map, and
the game program further causes the processor to perform operations comprising setting a place designated by the player choosing an area on the map, according to an operation input.

12. A game system including an information processing apparatus having a processor, and another information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus and the another information processing apparatus are configured to communicate with each other to exchange items or characters used in a game with another player, and the processor is configured to at least:
set a place in a virtual world designated by a player via a user interface including a display device, according to an operation input;
designate an item or character that the player is to transmit to the another information processing apparatus for the exchange, according to an operation input;
in the exchange,
transmit, to the another information processing apparatus, information about the place in the virtual world designated by the player and information about the item or character designated by the player, as information about a thing to be exchanged, and
receive, from the another information processing apparatus, information about the place designated by an exchanging partner and information about the item or character designated by the exchanging partner, as information about a thing to be exchanged; and

display, in the virtual world and via the user interface, at least one of the item or character that has been obtained as the thing to be exchanged from the exchanging partner either as a result of the exchange, or upon selecting the place.

13. The game system according to claim 12 , wherein the another information processing apparatus is a server configured to store at least one of the transmitted information about a thing to be exchanged.

14. The game system according to claim 13 , wherein the server is further configured to, in the exchange, transmit the information about a thing to be exchanged that has been most recently stored in the server to the information processing apparatus, and newly store the information about a thing to be exchanged that is transmitted from the information processing apparatus.

15. The game system according to claim 14 , wherein the server is further configured to, in the exchange, transmit the information about a thing to be exchanged that has been most recently stored in the server to the information processing apparatus, and delete therefrom the information about a thing to be exchanged that has been most recently stored in the server.

16. The game system according to

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd
• The Pokemon Company

Inventors

• Kinashi Akira
• Masuda Junichi
• Ueda Yuichi

Classifications

• A63F13/795

  for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list · CPC title

• A63F13/58

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

• A63F13/537

  using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen · CPC title

• A63F13/533 Primary

  for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu · CPC title

• A63F2300/575

  for trading virtual items · CPC title