JP3887810B2 - Game device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a game device, for example, an object that imitates a car or the like is placed in a virtual space, and a state in which the object is moved in response to an operation from a player is displayed on a display to play a game. The present invention relates to a game device equipped with a program.
[0002]
[Prior art]
With the development of computer technology, game devices are required to have clearer and more realistic images regardless of whether they are for home use or business use. A game apparatus generally includes a game apparatus main body including a computer apparatus that executes a pre-stored game program, an operating device that gives an operation signal to the computer apparatus to move an object to be expressed in the game and other commands, A display for displaying an image associated with game proceeding (game proceeding) by executing a game program on the computer device, and an acoustic device for generating sound associated with the game development are provided.
[0003]
There is a game device that handles a driving game (auto racing game) as one field of the game device having such a configuration.
[0004]
There is also a game in which a fighting fighting game is advanced while moving an object freely in a virtual space based on an operation signal from a player.
[0005]
In such a game, a simplified map on the game screen to show the player's manipulated objects and enemy positions in the virtual space, and to show the surrounding situation to the player easily, An auxiliary information screen such as a so-called radar screen showing the arrangement of objects such as enemies and allies is displayed.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when an auxiliary information screen that allows the player to manipulate the object (hereinafter referred to as the player's own device) to be distantly displayed is superimposed on the game screen, a large range of the virtual space is reduced and displayed. Become. Then, the information on the own device and the surroundings of the own device are displayed relatively small, and it is difficult to obtain detailed information.
[0007]
In view of the above points, if only the vicinity of the object is to be displayed in order to provide detailed surrounding auxiliary information, the situation that will be developed next (for example, located far away, Since it is difficult to grasp the objects controlled by other players and computer programs (hereinafter referred to as other machines), etc., it is difficult to predict the movement of the own machine and the game development at high speed. There was a problem of becoming.
[0008]
On the other hand, in the case of a game in which a game is developed while aiming for a goal by progressing through a race course and attacking and defending with another machine, the relative position between the other machine and the own machine can be grasped more effectively. Should be. Further, if necessary, it should be easy for the player to grasp the subsequent development of the game, for example, the race course.
[0009]
Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide a game device that displays an auxiliary screen that allows the user to know the detailed shape of the course to be developed next in the game screen.
[0010]
A second object of the present invention is to provide a game device having an auxiliary screen for displaying the relative position between the own device and the other device so as to easily grasp the relative position.
[0011]
A third object of the present invention is to provide a game device that displays information related to other devices existing behind the player device.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the game device of the present invention shows a game in which a first object controlled by a player and a second object controlled by a computer or an opponent develop in a virtual space. In the game device displayed on the monitor screen, support screen forming means (S210) for forming a small screen in the monitor screen for displaying (or showing) information for supporting the control of the first object, and in the virtual space Display mode change determining means (S206) for determining whether or not a predetermined condition for changing the display magnification of the small screen in game development is satisfied, and setting the display magnification of the small screen based on the determination result Display magnification setting means (S208).
[0013]
For example, the predetermined condition is whether or not the distance between the first and second objects exceeds a reference value.
[0014]
For example, the predetermined condition is whether or not the moving speed of the first object exceeds a reference value.
[0015]
For example, the predetermined condition is whether or not the first object moves to a predetermined location in the virtual space.
[0016]
For example, the predetermined condition is whether or not a predetermined event has occurred in the virtual space.
[0017]
The game device of the present invention displays a game screen in which a first object controlled by a player and a second object controlled by a computer or an opponent are developed in a virtual space on a monitor screen. In the apparatus, support screen forming means (S210) for forming a small screen representing a surrounding situation centered on the first object in the monitor screen, the first object and the second object in the virtual space, A distance calculation means (S202) for calculating the separation distance, a display magnification setting means (S208) for setting a display magnification corresponding to the separation distance from a plurality of predetermined display magnifications for the small screen, and the setting When the display magnification is increased from the current value and when the display magnification is decreased, the correspondence between the separation distance and the display magnification is determined. The made different historical operating means (S208, FIG. 10) to perform the historical operating the setting of the display magnification provided with, the.
[0018]
Preferably, the display magnification setting means gradually shifts the display magnification from the current value to the display magnification to be set when setting the display magnification (FIG. 11).
[0019]
For example, the small screen includes a course diagram, and the display magnification setting means sets the scale of the course diagram according to the separation distance (FIGS. 7 to 9).
[0020]
For example, there are a plurality of the second objects, and the distance calculation means calculates each separation distance between the first object and each of the plurality of second objects, and outputs the shortest separation distance among them. .
[0021]
With this configuration, when there is no other device (or vehicle) that is the second object nearby, the display scale (or display magnification) of the small screen is set large, so that the player can It becomes easy to grasp the relative positional relationship between the own machine (or own vehicle) as an object and the other vehicle. Further, when there is no other vehicle nearby, the display scale of the small screen is set to be small, so that the player can see the course shape of the race in a wide range. This is a game support screen suitable for a game that develops a race while fighting. In addition, frequent switching of screens can be avoided.
[0022]
The game device of the present invention displays on a monitor screen the state of a game in which a first object controlled by a player and a second object controlled by a computer or an opponent develop in a virtual space. In the game device, distance calculation means (S306) for calculating a separation distance between the first object or virtual camera in the virtual space and a second object located behind the first object, and the second object A symbol forming means (S306) of a rear object that displays a symbol on the monitor screen with a symbol having a size corresponding to the separation distance.
[0023]
With such a configuration, it is possible to alert the player about another machine (or another car) that is a second object approaching from behind, which is not displayed on the screen during the game.
[0024]
The game device of the present invention monitors a state of a game in which a first object controlled by a player and a second object controlled by a computer or an opponent are developed in a virtual space by a virtual camera, In the game device that displays this on the screen of the monitor, the position of the virtual camera is the first position where the front of the first object can be seen from the position of the object or a position near the object, and the first Camera position switching command means (22) for issuing a switching command for switching to the second position where the front can be seen from behind the object, and when the second object exists behind the first object (S404), In response to the switching command to switch the position of the virtual camera to the first position (S402), the second The symbol representing the object comprises a symbol display means (S406) to be displayed on the screen of the monitor.
[0025]
In addition, the game device of the present invention uses a virtual camera to monitor the state of a game in which a first object controlled by a player and a second object controlled by a computer or an opponent are developed in a virtual space. In the game apparatus that displays this on the screen of the monitor, the position of the virtual camera is the first position that displays the front of the first object and does not display the back of the first object, and the rear of the first object. When the second object exists behind the first object (S404), the camera position switching command means (22) for issuing a switching command for switching from the first position to the second position where the front can be seen. In response to the switching command to switch the position of the second object to the first position (S402), a symbol representing the second object is Serial and a symbol display means for displaying in the monitor screen (S406).
[0026]
Preferably, the symbol display means calculates a distance between the first object or the virtual camera in the virtual space and the second object existing behind the first object. (S406) and symbol forming means (S406) for displaying the rear second object on the monitor screen with a symbol having a size corresponding to the separation distance.
[0027]
Preferably, the symbol forming means further determines a display position of the symbol on the monitor screen in correspondence with a position of the rear second object in the virtual space.
[0028]
By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to appropriately display the information of the rear object that is no longer visible on the game screen by switching the camera viewpoint on the game screen.
[0029]
According to the image display method of the game device of the present invention, a game screen in which a first object controlled by a player and a second object controlled by a computer or an opponent develop in a virtual space is displayed on a monitor screen. In the image display method in the game device to be displayed on the screen, a small screen forming process (S210) for forming a small screen displaying the state around the first object in the virtual space in the monitor screen, and in the virtual space In the game development, a determination process (S206) for determining whether or not the display of the small screen corresponds to a condition that should be an enlarged display or a reduced display, and when the above condition is satisfied, the display of the small screen is displayed. And a display change process (S208) for changing to enlarged display or reduced display.
[0030]
With this configuration, the content displayed on the small screen is displayed at an appropriate display magnification (or scale) that is enlarged or reduced in accordance with a predetermined condition during game development. For this reason, it becomes possible to effectively show necessary information as a whole display or a partial display of a small screen having a small display area.
[0031]
Preferably, the predetermined condition is that (a) the distance between the first and second objects exceeds a reference value, (b) the moving speed of the first object exceeds a reference value, (c) at least one of the first object moving to a predetermined location in the virtual space, and (d) whether a predetermined event has occurred in the virtual space. It is.
[0032]
Preferably, the display changing process further includes the first object displayed on the small screen without changing a size of the entire small screen by gradually changing a display magnification of the small screen. Gently enlarge or reduce the outer area of the area.
[0033]
Preferably, the small screen forming process further displays the first and second objects as symbols on a course map of the game, and the display changing process further includes a step between the first and second objects. The scale of the course map is set according to the distance between the course maps.
[0034]
An information recording medium according to the present invention records a computer program that causes a computer system to function as the above-described game device.
[0035]
The information recording medium according to the present invention records a program that causes a computer system to execute the above-described image display method.
[0036]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an embodiment of a game device for a driving game according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view around the handle of the motorcycle-like operating machine.
[0037]
As shown in the figure, the game apparatus 1 to which the embodiment of the invention of the present application is applied is an operating machine similar to a motorcycle shape that mainly forms an operation signal and also performs a kickback operation (hereinafter referred to as “motorcycle type operating machine”). 2) and a game machine main body 3 provided on the front surface of the motorcycle type operating device 2. The game machine main body 3 constitutes a part of a housing 5 having a rectangular parallelepiped of a predetermined size, a display 6 provided on one surface of the housing 5, and an audio device provided inside the housing 5. The speaker 7 is composed of a mother board 8 on which a sound / game processing circuit provided in the housing 5 is mounted, a power supply device (not shown), and other devices.
[0038]
In addition, a display 6 of the game machine main body 3 is arranged on the front surface of the motorcycle type operating device 2. The display 6 is arranged in a portion of the housing 5 at a position that is easy for the player to see when the player gets on the motorcycle type operating device 2.
[0039]
The game processing unit in the sound / game processing circuit mounted on the motherboard 8 has a built-in computer device for executing a game program stored in advance. The display 5 displays an image that accompanies the game development when the game program is executed in the game processing circuit. The sound device is composed of a speaker 7 and an sound circuit portion of the sound / game processing circuit mounted on the mother board 8, and generates an acoustic signal accompanying the game development in the game processing portion and amplifies the sound signal by the sound circuit portion. Then, the sound is generated by applying to the speakers 7 and 7.
[0040]
The motorcycle-type controller 2 is electrically connected to the game machine body 3 via a cable (not shown), and an operation signal for giving an object movement and other commands to be expressed in the game is sent from the motorcycle-type controller 2 to the game. It can be given to the game processing unit of the machine main body 3, and a kickback drive signal or the like can be received from the game machine main body 3 to the motorcycle type operating device 2.
[0041]
The motorcycle-type operating machine 2 is roughly divided into a base 10, a simulated motorcycle 13 supported on the base 10 via support rods 11 and 12, various operation inputs, and a kickback mechanism. (kick back mechanism) and lamps.
[0042]
The simulated vehicle body 13 is configured to resemble the outer shape of a motorcycle, and includes a handle 14, a gasoline tank 15, a seat 16, a step 17, an exhaust pipe 18, and the like. In addition, the simulated vehicle body 13 is normally kept in an upright position at all times. However, the simulated vehicle body 13 can be tilted in the left-right direction (in the directions of arrows R and L) while the player is on the seat 16. It has become.
[0043]
A throttle grip 19 and a brake lever 20 are disposed near the right end of the handle 14, and a punch or kick button (hereinafter referred to as “kick button”) 21 is disposed near the left end of the handle 14. Has been placed. Further, a start button or a view change button (hereinafter referred to as “viewpoint change button”) 22 is disposed in the center portion of the handle 14. In addition, an operation panel 23 is arranged beside the support bar 11 on the front side of the simulated vehicle body 13, and the game preparation is completed by inserting coins or the like into a coin insertion slot (not shown) of the operation panel 23. It is supposed to be.
[0044]
Further, a sensor for detecting the movement angle of the support rods 11 and 12 when the simulated vehicle body 13 is tilted in the directions of arrows R and L is provided inside the base 10. The operation amount of each throttle grip 19, brake lever 20, and support rods 11 and 12 can be output as an operation amount signal by a sensor, and the kick button 21 and the viewpoint switching button 22 can be output as an on / off signal by a switch. The main body 3 is supplied. The throttle grip 19 is an acceleration / deceleration operation signal, the brake lever 20 is a deceleration / stop signal, the kick button 21 is a signal for feeding a punch or kick, and the viewpoint switching button 22 is a signal for switching the viewpoint during the game. , Each can be output. Further, the motorcycle type operating device 2 can form a command signal that turns to the right by tilting the simulated vehicle body 13 in the direction of the arrow R, and can form a command signal that turns to the left by tilting the simulated vehicle body 13 in the direction of the arrow L. It is like that.
[0045]
Further, the simulated vehicle body 13 of the motorcycle type operating device 2 is kicked back by a kickback mechanism (not shown). This kickback mechanism is a mechanism that performs a kickback operation by a drive signal from the game processing circuit.
[0046]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the game processing circuit of the game device according to the present invention. The game apparatus 1 includes, as basic elements, a motherboard 8 on which an audio / game processing circuit 30 is mounted, a motorcycle-type controller 2 that constitutes an input device 31 and an output device 32, and a display. 6 and a speaker 7.
[0047]
The operation detection sensor for the throttle grip 19, the operation detection sensor for the brake lever 20, the switch for the kick button 21, and the switch for the viewpoint switching button 22 in the motorcycle type operating device 2 are respectively connected to the input / output interface 106 of the sound / game processing circuit 30. It is connected. An output device 32 is connected to the input / output interface 106 of the sound / game processing circuit 30. The output device 32 has a kickback mechanism, various lamps, and the like. Although the display 6 used in the above embodiment is a television receiver that displays an image of a driving game, a projector may be used as the display 6 in place of the television receiver. The viewpoint switching button 22 operates as an actuator for a switch that changes the viewpoint of the virtual camera to project the game field on the monitor. By operating this switch, for example, the viewpoint of the driver of the driver sitting on the seat 16 of the simulated vehicle body 13 or the viewpoint near the driver and the objective viewpoint of viewing the host vehicle from diagonally behind are provided to the player.
[0048]
The game processing unit in the sound / game processing circuit 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a sound device 104, an input / output interface 106, a scroll data processing unit 107, a coprocessor. A processor (auxiliary processing unit) 108, a terrain data ROM 109, a geometalizer 110, a shape data ROM 111, a drawing device 112, a texture data ROM 113, a texture map RAM 114, a frame buffer 115, an image composition device 116, a D / A conversion A device 117 is provided. Note that the acoustic circuit unit is configured by a power amplification circuit (AMP) 105 that amplifies the acoustic signal from the sound device 104.
[0049]
The CPU 101 is connected to a ROM 102 storing a predetermined program and the like via a bus line, a RAM 103 storing data, a sound device 104, an input / output interface 106, a scroll data arithmetic device 107, a co-processor 108, and a geometalizer 110. Yes. The RAM 103 is made to function as a buffer, and various commands are written to the geometalizer 110 (object display, etc.), matrix writing at the time of conversion matrix calculation (smoke smoke scaling, which will be described later), and the like.
[0050]
The input / output interface 106 is connected to the input device 11 and the output device 12, whereby operation signals such as a handle of the input device 11 are taken into the CPU 101 as digital quantities, and signals generated by the CPU 101 and the like are output to the output device 32. Can be output. The output of the sound device 104 is connected to the speaker 7 via a power amplification circuit (AMP) 105, and an acoustic signal generated by the sound device 104 is given to the speaker 7 after power amplification.
[0051]
In the example of the present embodiment, the CPU 101 uses an operation signal from the motorcycle-type controller 2 and terrain data from the terrain data ROM 109 or shape data from the shape data ROM 111 (“own vehicle, 3D data such as “objects such as enemy vehicles” and “background of moving path, terrain, sky, spectator, structure, etc.), read (collision) judgment between terrain and car, simulated scroll surface Translucency processing, lock-on determination processing, vehicle behavior calculation (simulation) such as collision detection between vehicles, shape deformation processing of objects, etc., and trajectory calculation of sand smoke etc. as a special effect are performed at least Yes.
[0052]
The image processing of a motorcycle simulates the movement of a motorcycle in a virtual space by an operation signal from the motorcycle-type operating device 2, and after the coordinate value in the three-dimensional space is determined, this coordinate value is converted into the visual field coordinate system. A conversion matrix for conversion and shape data (motorcycle, other motorcycles, terrain, etc.) are designated in the geometalizer 110. The co-processor 108 is connected to the terrain data ROM 109, and therefore, predetermined terrain data is transferred to the co-processor 108 (and the CPU 101). The co-processor 108 mainly determines a hit between a terrain and a motorcycle, and mainly takes a floating point calculation at the time of this determination or calculation of the behavior of the motorcycle. As a result, the collision determination between the motorcycle and the terrain is executed by the co-processor 108, and the determination result is given to the CPU 101. Therefore, the calculation load of the CPU is reduced, and the determination of the hit is made faster. To be executed.
[0053]
The geometalizer 110 is connected to the shape data ROM 111 and the drawing device 112. The shape data ROM 111 stores polygon shape data (three-dimensional data such as motorcycles, terrain, backgrounds, and the like comprising each vertex) in advance, and this shape data is passed to the geometalizer 110. The geometalizer 110 performs perspective conversion on the shape data specified by the conversion matrix sent from the CPU 101, and obtains data converted from the coordinate system in the three-dimensional virtual space to the visual field coordinate system.
[0054]
The drawing device 112 pastes the texture on the converted shape data of the visual field coordinate system and outputs it to the frame buffer 115. In order to perform the pasting of the texture, the drawing device 112 is connected to the texture data ROM 113 and the texture map RAM 114 and is also connected to the frame buffer 115. Polygon data refers to a data group of relative or absolute coordinates of each vertex of a polygon (polygon: mainly a triangle or a quadrangle) composed of a set of a plurality of vertices. The terrain data ROM 109 stores polygon data that is set to be relatively coarse, which is sufficient for determining the hit between the motorcycle and the terrain. On the other hand, in the shape data ROM 111, polygon data set more precisely with respect to the shapes forming the screen of a motorcycle, a background, and the like are stored.
[0055]
The scroll data calculation unit 107 calculates scroll screen data such as characters and symbols, and the data of the calculation unit 107 and the image data of the frame buffer 115 are combined by the image combining unit 116. The composite image data is converted into a video signal by the D / A converter 117 and supplied to the display 6. As a result, polygon screens (simulation results) such as motorcycles and terrain (background) temporarily stored in the frame buffer 115, characters such as speed values and lap times, and graphics such as course maps and symbols are two-dimensionally represented. The dimension information scroll screen is synthesized according to the designated priority, and final frame image data is generated. A synchronization signal is added to this image data, and it is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 117 to become a video signal. This video signal is supplied to the display 6 and an image of the driving game is displayed on the screen in real time.
[0056]
4 to 6 show examples displayed on the game screen 60 of the television monitor 6 of the above-described driving game apparatus.
[0057]
In each figure, the screen 60 is configured by synthesizing a two-dimensional image formed by a viewpoint from a virtual camera arranged at the upper rear part of the player character 51 arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space and an image of support information. ing. The player character 51 is controlled by a player (player) who controls the motorcycle operating device 2. The support information is to support the game play of the player mainly by providing information related to the game. As game support information, for example, a lap time 62 for one course is displayed in the upper left of the screen, the remaining seconds (time) 63 of the game is displayed in the upper center of the screen, and the current ranking 64 of the player is displayed in the upper right of the screen Is displayed. In addition, as support information, a radar screen 65 (auxiliary screen) of a small screen showing the course shape and the positional relationship between the host vehicle and enemy vehicles (other vehicles) on this course is displayed in the center of the left side of the screen. A turbometer 67 (semi-transparent processing) indicating the working condition is displayed at the lower left portion of the screen, and a speed meter 66 (semi-transparent processing) indicating the speed of the vehicle is displayed at the lower right portion of the screen. The support information can be formed by the scroll screen described above. The support information is preferably displayed in a translucent manner so that the game image on the back can be seen.
[0058]
FIG. 4 shows a state in which the player is following the enemy (enemy vehicle) 61 by manipulating the own vehicle 52. The shortest distance d between the host vehicle 52 and the enemy vehicle 61 is, for example, 1000 m and is in a state of being separated. At this time, the display magnification of the radar screen 65 is displayed at a relatively low magnification m1 (long-distance mode) that indicates a wide range of situations and facilitates confirmation of the course shape and the like. An enlarged view of the radar screen 65 is shown in FIG. On the radar screen 65, the enemy vehicle 61, the host vehicle 52, and the course wall are displayed. In addition, it is also possible to display characters representing check points (not shown), other players in the battle mode, and the like. This display is usually displayed centering on the character of the vehicle, and a predetermined range of front, rear, left and right is displayed. When a game is developed, for example, when an enemy vehicle is placed (or distributed) or when it is necessary to look ahead in the course, the vehicle position can be appropriately shifted from the center position of the screen. In addition, a predetermined distance range centered on the host vehicle 52 is displayed by a plurality of concentric distance markers.
[0059]
FIG. 5 shows a state in which the player steers the host vehicle 52 and follows the enemy vehicle 61, and the shortest distance d between the host vehicle 51 and the enemy vehicle 61 is, for example, 300 m. It is closer to the enemy vehicle 61 than the state of FIG. At this time, the display magnification of the radar screen 65 is set to a medium display magnification m2 (medium distance mode) to confirm the course shape and indicate the relative position with the enemy vehicle. This is shown in FIG. In the figure, portions corresponding to those in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
[0060]
FIG. 6 shows a state where the player is driving the host vehicle 52 and chasing the enemy vehicle 61. The shortest distance between the host vehicle 52 and the enemy vehicle 61 is 50 m, and is closer to the enemy vehicle 61. In this state, there is a possibility of being attacked by the enemy vehicle 61 due to game rules. At this time, the display magnification of the radar screen 65 is set to a relatively high display magnification m3 (short distance mode) in order to easily determine the relative position between the own vehicle 52 and the enemy vehicle 61 and the risk of the own vehicle. Is set. This is shown in FIG. In the figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to portions corresponding to those in FIG.
[0061]
In the scene of the screen 60 in FIG. 6, the enemy vehicle 61 is approaching behind the host vehicle 52. The enemy vehicle 61 is not yet displayed on the screen 60 because it is not yet within the field of view of the virtual camera. Is displayed (see FIG. 9).
[0062]
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the history operation when the display magnification of the radar screen set according to the shortest distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is switched.
[0063]
In the illustrated example, for example, the display mode of the radar screen is set to three modes corresponding to the distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle, that is, the approach mode 1, the intermediate distance mode 2, and the long distance mode 3. ing. In the approach mode 1, the enlargement / reduction display magnification is set to m3, the same distance m2 in the middle distance mode, and the same distance m1 (m3>m2> m1) in the long distance mode.
[0064]
When the separation distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle increases beyond the reference a, when the reference a is further exceeded by a predetermined value (for example, 110% of the reference value a), the approach mode 1 to the intermediate distance mode 2 Migrate to In the intermediate distance mode 2, when the separation distance increases beyond the reference b, when the reference b is further exceeded by a predetermined value (for example, 110% of the reference value b), the intermediate distance mode 2 is changed to the long distance mode. 3 On the contrary, in the long distance mode 3, when the distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle decreases beyond the reference b, when the distance further decreases from the reference b by a predetermined value (for example, 90% of the reference value b), The mode shifts from the distance mode 3 to the medium distance mode 2. Further, in the intermediate distance mode 2, when the separation distance decreases beyond the reference a, when the distance further decreases from the reference value a by a predetermined value (for example, 90% of the reference value a), the intermediate distance mode 2 changes to the approach mode. Move to 1.
[0065]
In this way, by shifting the display mode switching threshold according to the increasing tendency and decreasing tendency of the separation distance, the difficulty in viewing due to frequent mode switching of the radar screen that may occur when the separation distance fluctuates near the threshold value. It is possible to avoid it. Whether the separation distance tends to increase or decrease can be determined by comparing the separation distance calculated last time with the separation distance calculated this time.
[0066]
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example in which the display magnification of the radar screen is continuously changed from one value to the other value so that the transition of the display mode can be seen naturally when switching between the display modes of the radar screen. is there.
[0067]
For example, when the current display mode is the approach mode 1 and the separation distance increases and the mode change to the medium distance mode 2 is determined, the display magnification m3 is gradually decreased from the time t1, and at the time t2. When the specified display magnification m2 is reached, the reduction of the display magnification is stopped. Conversely, when the current mode is the medium distance mode 2 and the change to the approach mode is determined, the display magnification m2 is gradually increased from time t1, and when the specified display magnification m3 is reached at time t2, Stop increasing the magnification.
[0068]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a control algorithm for switching the display magnification of the radar screen.
[0069]
First, the CPU 101 sets the display magnification corresponding to the current display mode of the radar screen in the internal state register, so that the surroundings of the vehicle correspond to the display magnification in the radar screen formation routine (not shown). It is displayed on the course map of the range. The CPU 101 determines that a radar image should be displayed in a conditional branch for radar image formation in a main control program (not shown), and executes a control algorithm in the flowchart shown in the drawing.
[0070]
The CPU 101 calculates the distance between each of the own vehicle and each of the plurality of enemy vehicles in the virtual three-dimensional game space. The shortest distance among these plural distances is extracted (S202). The display mode of the current radar screen is read from the internal status register (S204). This status register holds parameters necessary for the progress of the game, and includes the current radar screen display mode. It is determined whether or not to switch the display mode of the radar screen from the distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle and the current mode (S206). When the display mode is not switched (S206; No), a radar image is formed with the current enlargement ratio (S210).
[0071]
When the display mode is switched (S206; Yes), the display magnification of the radar screen in the video frame is calculated (S208). When the display mode is switched, the history operation described with reference to FIG. 10 is preferably performed. The display magnification is calculated by, for example, the screen display magnification D (= f) based on the current display mode (approach mode 1, medium distance mode 2, long distance mode 3) and the distance d between the host vehicle and the nearest enemy vehicle. A table as shown in FIG. 10 defining (d)) is previously stored in the memory, and this is referred to by the distance value d. The table is introduced into the memory when data of application software provided by the CD-ROM is read.
[0072]
When changing the display magnification, it is desirable to change the display magnification gradually as shown in FIG. An example of display magnification calculation in this way will be described.
[0073]
If the enlargement rate of the current radar screen in a frame of an image is Wo, the enlargement rate of the transition mode is W ′, and the degree of enlargement is a transition promotion rate α (for example, 0.05), the radar of the next frame The enlargement ratio W is expressed by W = Wo + (W′−Wo) * α. Similarly, the reduction ratio is expressed by W = Wo− (Wo−W ′) * α. This enlargement ratio or reduction ratio is set as the display magnification in the frame (S208).
[0074]
A radar image is formed using the display magnification as an image formation parameter (S210). The course map display range displayed on the small screen is changed in accordance with the set display magnification.
[0075]
Note that, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 10, the same effect can be expected by setting the display mode switching section in the characteristic of the display magnification function D = f (d) to the inclination characteristic.
[0076]
After image formation, return to the main program. The formed radar image is combined with the camera image and displayed on the monitor screen 6. This process is repeated at the frame period of the video signal.
[0077]
In this embodiment, the distance (inter-vehicle distance parameter) between the own vehicle and another vehicle is used as an opportunity for switching the display of the radar screen (small screen), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the display magnification of the radar screen may be switched depending on the speed of the host vehicle (speed parameter). Usually, the faster you run, the more you need to know the course ahead.
[0078]
Also, the display magnification of the radar screen may be switched according to the state (course characteristic parameter) of the course (map) in which the host vehicle enters. For example, when the vehicle approaches a curve that is difficult to corner, when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance from the entrance to the curve, the radar screen that displays a wide range for the player shows the existence of the curve earlier, and from the entrance of the curve Inform the entire shape of the curve to the exit. When the vehicle approaches a curve, the corner shape during traveling is informed in detail on a relatively enlarged radar screen that displays a narrow range.
[0079]
In addition, when an event occurs at a position that is not displayed on the game screen during game development, for example, an event occurs to make it easier to understand the relationship between the location where the event occurred and the location of the vehicle. It is possible to change the display scale of the small screen based on the distance between the point and the vehicle position, and to display these.
[0080]
Further, these conditions for switching the display magnification of the radar screen may be combined.
[0081]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0082]
In the example shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, an enemy vehicle approaching to the rear of the player 51 is displayed below the screen 60 by a “cross-shaped” check mark 68 as a symbol representing the enemy vehicle. Yes. The radar screen 65 in each figure shows the distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle, but the check mark 68 that is a symbol representing the enemy vehicle is set to a size corresponding to the distance from the player 51. That is, when the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle are separated from each other, the outer shape of the mark 68 is small, and when it is close, the outer shape of the mark 68 is displayed large. The horizontal display position of the check mark 68 on the screen 60 is displayed corresponding to the position in the width direction of the race course in the virtual space. The check mark 68 is translucently displayed so that the presence of the check mark 68 does not hinder the player, and rotates clockwise to alert the player to the back. This check mark functions as a rear radar that displays the rear situation. The speed of rotation of the check mark can be set according to the degree of the rear enemy vehicle being chased and the danger level of the enemy.
[0083]
The check mark 68 may have various shapes such as a polygon such as a triangle or a quadrilateral, a vehicle shape, a game character's face, etc. It can be a design.
[0084]
FIG. 15 shows a display algorithm for the backward check mark. In a main program (not shown), when a plurality of vehicles are running on the race course and the virtual camera is tracking from the rear position (for example, objective position) of the player, the CPU 101 executes a routine shown in FIG.
[0085]
First, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 16, it is determined whether or not the enemy vehicle 61 located behind the host vehicle 52 exists within the range of the screen (field of view) captured by the virtual camera (S302). If the enemy vehicle 61 is already displayed on the screen 60, the enemy vehicle 61 can be seen as an image, so there is no need to display the rear check mark 68. Therefore, the backward check mark display routine is terminated (S302; Yes).
[0086]
When the enemy vehicle 61 behind the host vehicle 52 is not displayed on the screen (S302; No), it is determined whether the enemy vehicle 61 exists within a predetermined distance range from the virtual camera or the host vehicle 52. The predetermined distance is, for example, lf [m] (for example, 50 m) in front of the camera and lb [m] (for example, 100 m) in the rear (S304). When the enemy vehicle 61 does not exist within the predetermined distance (S304; No), the display of the backward check mark is not necessary, and thus this routine ends.
[0087]
When the enemy vehicle 61 exists within the predetermined distance (S304; Yes), the distance d2 in the virtual space between the host vehicle 52 and the enemy vehicle 61 behind is calculated. In addition, this distance is good also as calculating | requiring the distance with the enemy 61 of this back from a virtual camera position. A distance d2 from the host vehicle is determined for each of the plurality of enemy vehicles 61 existing within a predetermined distance. A check mark 68 is prepared for each enemy vehicle 61, and the size of each check mark 68 is determined corresponding to the distance d2. This check mark is rotated by a predetermined angle. In addition, the display position of each check mark 68 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the screen is determined corresponding to the position of the corresponding enemy vehicle 61 in the width direction of the race course. Each check mark 68 formed in this way is combined with the background image by the image combining device 116 (S306). Then return to the main program.
[0088]
Such processing is performed for each frame, the size and display position are set according to the distance and position between the host vehicle 52 and the enemy vehicle 61, and a rotating check mark 68 is added. The displayed image is displayed.
[0089]
By the way, usually, in a system in which a player operates an object placed in this kind of three-dimensional virtual space and develops a game, an image viewed from the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space is displayed on a display device. Display on the screen and advance the game. In order to make it easier for players to play games, many games have a function of changing the position of a virtual camera and displaying it on a display device. An image from a position selected by the player can be provided. For example, the driver viewpoint as the first viewpoint position and the objective viewpoint position as the second viewpoint position. Of course, it is possible to track the running of the vehicle by arranging a virtual camera at the third viewpoint position or an arbitrary viewpoint position.
[0090]
In general, the position of the virtual camera at which the player can easily perform the game operation is an objective viewpoint position where the camera is located at a position slightly away from the rear of the own device 52. In this case, the entire self-machine 52 and the surrounding situation are displayed on the display device, that is, the screen 60 of the monitor 6. On the other hand, in order to enjoy the game more realistically, the driver viewpoint position at which the virtual camera is set at the eye position of the player character 51 in the virtual space is preferred. In the case of this driver viewpoint position, basically, only the front of the own device 52 can be seen by the camera, and the player cannot know the state behind the own device 52 on the game screen 60. In particular, in the case of a game that has the possibility of receiving an attack from the other device 61 that appears from behind as described above, it will receive an attack from behind that is not displayed on the screen of the display device. It is extremely disadvantageous. Therefore, it is desirable to display information about the approach of the other device 61 from behind. In the case of an objective viewpoint, since the periphery of the own device 52 is already displayed within a certain range, it may be preferable that the information is not present. Therefore, the appearance of the information is controlled according to the position of the viewpoint of the selected camera.
[0091]
FIG. 17 shows a display algorithm of the backward check mark 68 that cooperates with viewpoint switching in such a case.
[0092]
When the viewpoint switch 22 is operated by the player, a viewpoint switching flag is set in a state register (not shown) via the input / output interface 106. When the position data of the virtual camera in the virtual space is changed by the viewpoint switching switch, the parameters of the conversion matrix for performing the coordinate conversion are updated with the new camera position data. In other words, the data of each object placed in the virtual space is converted to the view coordinates of the field of view corresponding to the changed position of the virtual camera, and further converted to the screen coordinate system by perspective transformation Then, rendering is performed, and the game screen 60 of the monitor 6 is switched to an image corresponding to the position / line-of-sight vector of the new virtual camera. Note that the viewpoint switching is not limited to being performed by operating the viewpoint switching switch 22. For example, the CPU may switch the viewpoint in response to the occurrence of a specific gastric valve.
[0093]
When the CPU 101 determines that the viewpoint switching flag is set in the main program (not shown), the routine shown in FIG.
[0094]
First, it is determined whether the viewpoint position of the virtual camera designated by viewpoint switching is a driver viewpoint or an objective viewpoint (S402). When the camera viewpoint is an objective viewpoint, it is possible to project the enemy vehicle 61 behind to the game screen 60 to some extent (the enemy vehicle 61 existing in the range behind the host vehicle 52 and close to the host vehicle 52 is Then, it enters within the field of view of the virtual camera located behind the host vehicle 52 and is displayed on the game screen 60), so the routine is terminated without forming the rear check mark 68 (S402; objective viewpoint).
[0095]
If it is the driver's viewpoint (S402; driver viewpoint), the rear of the own vehicle 52 is not reflected on the game screen 60, so whether there is an enemy vehicle within a predetermined distance range behind the own vehicle 52 or a predetermined distance from the virtual camera. It is determined whether there is an enemy vehicle within the range (S404). If there is no enemy vehicle 61 within a predetermined distance, for example, within 150 m behind the host vehicle 52 (S404; No), the display of the rear check mark 68 is not necessary, and this routine is terminated.
[0096]
If there is an enemy vehicle within the predetermined distance (S404; Yes), the distance d2 in the virtual space between the own vehicle 51 and the rear enemy vehicle 61 existing within the predetermined distance is calculated. In addition, this distance is good also as calculating | requiring the distance with the enemy vehicle 61 of back from a virtual camera position. A separation distance d2 is obtained for each enemy vehicle 61 existing within a predetermined distance. A check mark 68 is prepared for each enemy vehicle 61, and the size of each check mark 68 is determined corresponding to the distance. The check mark 68 is rotated clockwise by a predetermined angle. The display position of each check mark 68 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the screen is determined in correspondence with the position of each enemy vehicle 61 in the width direction of the race course or the position in the left-right direction (x coordinate) in the viewpoint coordinate system. Each check mark formed in this way is combined with the background image by the image combining device 116 (S406). Thereafter, the processing of the CPU 101 returns to the main program.
[0097]
Note that steps S404 and S406 correspond to steps S304 and S306, respectively, so that the program may shift from the driver viewpoint selection in step S402 to steps S302 and S304.
[0098]
When such a process is performed for each frame, when the game is developed in the driver viewpoint mode, check marks indicating the distance and position between the host vehicle and the rear enemy vehicle are appropriately displayed on the game screen. Is done. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the disadvantage in the driver viewpoint mode in which the rear of the host vehicle is not visible. However, the present invention is not limited to the driver viewpoint mode. For example, it may be a camera position other than the driver's viewpoint such that the front of the own vehicle is reflected on the monitor but the rear of the own vehicle is not reflected on the monitor (or is difficult to be reflected).
[0099]
In the above-described embodiment, the motorcycle is described as an example of the object. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, a robot P1 operated by a player and a robot P2 operated by a computer or an opponent may be used. The small screen (not shown) described above is displayed in this screen. Further, various objects such as four-wheeled vehicles, tanks, fighters, helicopters, motor boats, jet skis, skis, snowboards, sleds, people, animals, and game characters can be considered as objects.
[0100]
In the embodiment, the program and data of the game device are provided by the ROM, but other information recording media such as an FDD, a CD-ROM, a DVD, and an HDD may be used. Further, programs and data may be downloaded through a communication network such as the Internet or other communication lines.
[0101]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the game device and the image display method of the game device of the present invention, the small screen in the game screen for displaying the situation around the player's own device has various distances such as the distance between the player's own device and the other device. Is displayed on the monitor screen at a display magnification or scale corresponding to the above conditions, and it is preferable that a small screen that allows easy understanding of the course status and the positional relationship with other machines can be obtained.
[0102]
In addition, since the other devices behind the device that is not displayed on the screen are displayed on the game screen with a backward check mark, it is preferable when the game is played in a state where the rear is not displayed on the screen due to a camera viewpoint change or the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a game device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the motorcycle type operating device in the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the game device of the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen display example when the distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle is a long distance.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen display example when the distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle is a medium distance.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen display example when the distance between the host vehicle and the enemy vehicle is a short distance.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a radar screen 65 in a long-distance mode.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a radar screen 65 in a medium distance mode.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a radar screen 65 in a short distance (approach) mode.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a device for switching the display magnification (enlargement / reduction) of a radar screen according to the distance between a host vehicle and an enemy vehicle.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example in which the display magnification is gradually changed when the display of the radar screen is switched so that the display shifts without a sense of incongruity.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm for forming a radar image.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a check mark notifying the approach of an enemy vehicle behind is displayed on the screen.
FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a check mark notifying the approach of an enemy vehicle behind is displayed on the screen. The enemy vehicle behind is closer than in the case of FIG.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm for displaying a backward check mark on a screen.
FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship between a virtual camera position and a rear enemy vehicle.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating another algorithm for displaying a backward check mark on the screen.
FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of another object.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Game device
2 Motorcycle-type controller
3 Game console
5 Case
6 Display
7 Speaker
8 Motherboard
22 Viewpoint switching button
30 Sound and game processing circuit
31 Input device
32 output device
51 players
61 Enemy vehicle

Claims (5)

An input device, a game processing unit, and a display device for displaying an image generated in the game processing unit, a first object controlled by a player operating the input device, and a computer or an opponent For the plurality of second objects controlled by the above, the game processing unit generates an image according to the progress of the game developed in the virtual space, displays the generated image on the display device, and An image display method for a game device that displays an auxiliary image representing a state of a predetermined distance range centered on the object on the display device at a set display magnification,
A calculation process in which the game processing unit calculates a separation distance between each of the first object and the plurality of second objects;
An extraction process in which the game processing unit extracts a shortest separation distance among a plurality of separation distances calculated in the calculation process;
A reading process in which the game processing unit reads the display magnification of the currently set auxiliary image;
A determination process for determining whether or not to change the display magnification based on the display magnification of the auxiliary image read in the reading process and the shortest separation distance extracted in the extraction process;
A game apparatus comprising: a resetting process in which the game processing unit resets the display magnification according to the shortest separation distance when it is determined that the display magnification should be changed in the determination process; Image display method. In the resetting process,
Regarding the display magnification to be reset, the game processing unit gradually enlarges or reduces the outer periphery of the area including the first object displayed on the display device without changing the size of the entire auxiliary image. 2. The image display method for a game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display magnification is gradually changed. In the resetting process,
Regarding the display magnification to be reset, the game processing unit re-establishes the display magnification by changing the correspondence between the shortest separation distance and the display magnification depending on whether the display magnification is increased or decreased from the current value. 2. The image control method for a game device according to claim 1, wherein the image control method is set. In the resetting process,
The game apparatus control method according to claim 3, wherein the game processing unit gradually shifts the display magnification from a current value to a display magnification to be reset, with respect to the display magnification to be reset.   An information recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute the process according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is described.

Images