Storage medium, game apparatus, game system and game controlling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9526987-B2
Application number	US-201113253340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2011
Priority date	Oct 5, 2010
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

An example game apparatus includes a CPU, and the CPU reproduces a BGM according to BGM data. When a ball object and an item object are shot at a predetermined timing, and a player object catches or receives the ball object at a point of impact, a part of melody of a main theme of the BGM is output. In a case that each player object catches or receives a ball object of the same color as that assigned to the own player object, a correct melody is output, but in a case that it catches or receives a ball object of a different color, a melody being different in pitch is output. Alternatively, in a case that the ball object cannot be caught or received, no melody is output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing a game program of a game apparatus that includes at least one processor, the game program comprising a rhythm game provided with a timing data storage storing timing data set to music, said game program comprising instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, that are configured to:
move a player object to different positions within a three-dimensional game space based on an operation input provided by a player;
set an arrival position within the three-dimensional game space for an object for determination, where the arrival position is set as a function of a position, within the three-dimensional game space, of the player object;
move said object for determination in the three-dimensional game space so as to drop on a ground of the three dimensional game space at said arrival position at a first timing that is indicated by said timing data;
perform a success determination depending on whether or not said player object is positioned within a first predetermined range from said arrival position for a predetermined period that includes the first timing that is indicated by the timing data; and
control a sound output based on the performed success determination.

2. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the arrival position is set such that said object for determination drops to the ground at a second predetermined range away from a position of said player object.

3. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the arrival position is set such that said object for determination drops to the ground outside of a threshold distance from a position of said player object.

4. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the operation input is based on a direction input operation performed on an operating device, and
the success determination is performed depending on whether or not said player object moves into a third predetermined range including the first predetermined range from said arrival position by the first timing, and a swinging operation of the operating device is performed within said predetermined period.

5. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein
the operation input is based on a direction input operation performed on the operating device, and
the success determination is performed depending on whether or not said player object moves into a third predetermined range including the first predetermined range from said arrival position by the first timing, and a predetermined key operation is performed on the operating device within said predetermined period.

6. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein;
when the performed success determination is success, the controlled sound output includes sound effects that represent success, and
when the performed success determination is failure, the controlled sound output includes sound effects that represent failure.

7. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein
the controlled sound output includes music in relation to said timing data as BGM, and
at least one of volume and a part of the BGM is increased when the performed success determination is successful, and at least one of the volume and the part of the BGM is decreased when the performed success determination is failure.

8. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , the instructions further configured to:
move a plurality of player objects according to respective operations performed by a plurality of players.

9. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein
said object for determination has an appearance that identifies with a corresponding player object, and
the arrival position is set on the basis of the position of the corresponding player object.

10. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further configured to:
display an index indicating said first predetermined range so as to identify the corresponding player object at said arrival position.

11. A non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to:
arrange an item object other than said object for determination in said three-dimensional game space, and
give said player object a predetermined effect depending on whether or not said player object touches said item object.

12. A computing apparatus, comprising:
a storage medium configured to store timing data that is set to music; and
a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to:
move at least one virtual user object that is presented in a virtual space based on user provided input;
determine an arrival position within the virtual space for another object that is a non-user controlled object, wherein the arrival position is determined based on a position of a virtual user object within the virtual space;
automatically move, without input from the user, the another object from an originating position in the virtual space to the determined arrival position, the arrival of the another object at the determined arrival position being set in accordance with a first timing indicated by the stored timing data;
cause images of the virtual space to be displayed on a display screen, the images including the at least one virtual user object and the another object;
perform a determination that includes (1) whether or not the at least one virtual user object is positioned within a first predetermined range of the arrival position of the another object, and (2) whether the position of the at least one virtual user object within the first predetermined range occurs within a time period that is in accordance with the arrival of the another object at the arrival position at the first timing; and
control a sound output based on a result of the performed determination.

13. A game apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the at least one virtual user object is a plurality of virtual user objects that are moved in accordance with respective input provided from a plurality of users.

14. A computing system, comprising:
a timing data storage configured to store timing data set to music;
a player object controller configured to move a player object in a three-dimensional game space based on an operation by a player;
an object mover configured to:
set an arrival position of an object for determination; and
move said object for determination in the three-dimensional game space so as to drop on a ground of the three dimensional game space at said arrival position at a timing indicated by said timing data; and

a determiner configured to perform a success determination depending on whether or not said player object is positioned within a first predetermined range from said arrival position for a predetermined period including said timing; and
a sound controller configured to control a sound output based on a result of the determination by said determiner,
wherein the arrival position is set in accordance with a position of the player object within the three-dimensional game space.

15. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein
said player object controller is further configured to move each of a plurality of player objects according to an operation by each of a plurality of players.

16. A method of using a computing apparatus that is configured to store timing data set to music, the method comprising:
moving a virtual controlled player object that exists in a virtual world in accordance with operat

Assignees

• Horita Jumpei
• Ikuta Nagako
• Nonaka Toyokazu
• Azuma Shin
• Matsuoka Hideki
• Nintendo Co Ltd
• Square Enix Kk

Inventors

• Horita Jumpei
• Ikuta Nagako
• Nonaka Toyokazu
• Azuma Shin
• Matsuoka Hideki

Classifications

• A63F13/54 Primary

  involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall · CPC title

• A63F2300/638

  according to the timing of operation or a time limit · CPC title

• A63F13/814

  Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation · CPC title

• A63F13/44 Primary

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

• A63F2300/8047

  Music games · CPC title