Game apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656170-B2
Application number	US-201313929035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides a game apparatus in which the variation width of a computation result in a battle between a player character and an enemy character is increased, and a difference in result can be brought about even with the same attack by a player's operation, and furthermore, a player can play a game while he/she feels the sense of realism and tension where he/she manipulates the character that is difficult to manipulate as intended. A chain used by a main character to manipulate a dragon is displayed on a display screen. A player manipulates the dragon by loosening or tightening the chain by performing an operation on a touch panel. The control level of the dragon is represented by an uncontrollability parameter. A status such as the offensive power of the dragon changes according to the uncontrollability parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus for progressing a game in which a player character does a virtual battle with an enemy character, the player character being a subject for operation performed by a player, the game apparatus comprising:
a display;
an input for receiving an operating instruction performed by the player;
a processor; and
a memory including a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations including:
determining a predetermined threshold, according to an item owned or carried by the player character or by a second player character being a companion of the player character;
changing a parameter of the player character, according to the operating instruction received by the input from the player;
specifying a status of the player character, based on a magnitude relation between the parameter changed by the changing and the predetermined threshold determined by the determining; and
progressing the game according to the status of the player character specified by the specifying,

wherein the player character controls a model character during the virtual battle with the enemy character, and
the operating instruction manipulates the model character by the player character.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display displays the parameter on a display screen, using a gauge divided into a plurality of zones, wherein
the zones divide the gauge at locations, at least one of the locations corresponding to the predetermined threshold.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the player character executes a disadvantageous action when the parameter is larger than the predetermined threshold.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the display displays a controllability parameter display gauge that is divided into a plurality of color-coded zones, and
the predetermined threshold separates two of the plurality of color-coded zones.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operating instruction causes the player character to manipulate the model character, whereby the player character manipulates the object to change the parameter.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display is a touch panel display and the operating instruction is to the touch panel display, whereby the player operates the touch panel display to change the parameter.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the status of the player character is specified by multiplying a standard status by a predetermined coefficient according to the operating instruction.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an availability of a special skill to the player character is decided according to the status of the player character.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of change of the parameter is determined according to a movement distance of the operating instruction.

10. The game apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the display is a touch panel display, and
the movement distance of the operation corresponds to a movement distance of a finger on the touch panel display during a flick operation.

11. The game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the player character controls the model character during the virtual battle with the enemy character, and
the status of the player character corresponds to an ability of the player character to manipulate the model character during the battle.

12. The game apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein an offensive strength of the model character and the status of the player character, which corresponds to the ability of the player character to manipulate the model character during the battle, are inversely proportional.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a game program that causes a computer apparatus comprising a display and an input to execute a game in which a player character does a virtual battle with an enemy character, the player character being a subject for operation performed by a player, the game program causing the computer apparatus to perform operations including:
receiving, by the input, an operating instruction performed by the player
determining a predetermined threshold, according to an item owned or carried by the player character or by a second player character being a companion of the player character;
changing a parameter of the player character, according to the operating instruction received by the input from the player;
specifying a status of the player character, based on a magnitude relation between the parameter changed by the changing and the predetermined threshold determined by the determining; and
progressing the game according to the status of the player character specified by the specifying,
wherein the player character controls a model character during the virtual battle with the enemy character, and
the operating instruction manipulates the model character by the player character.

14. A game progress method performed by a game apparatus comprising a display and an input, the game apparatus progressing a game in which a player character does a virtual battle with an enemy character, the player character being a subject for operation performed by a player, the game progress method comprising:
receiving, by the input, an operating instruction performed by the player;
determining, by the game apparatus, a predetermined threshold, according to an item owned or carried by the player character or by a second player character being a companion of the player character;
changing, by the game apparatus, a parameter of the player character, according to the operating instruction received by the input from the player;
specifying, by the game apparatus, a status of the player character, based on a magnitude relation between the changed parameter and the determined predetermined threshold; and
progressing, by the game apparatus, the game according to the specified status of the player character,
wherein the player character controls a model character during the virtual battle with the enemy character, and
the operating instruction manipulates the model character by the player character.

Assignees

• Square Enix Kk

Inventors

• Ando Takehiro
• Iwano Hiroaki

Classifications

• A63F13/10 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F13/42

  by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle · CPC title

• A63F13/58 Primary

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

• A63F2300/8029

  Fighting without shooting · CPC title

• A63F13/833

  Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition · CPC title