JPH06238064A - Game cartridge and game device using this - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a game cartridge capable of enjoying a three-dimensionally displayed game with hardly changing a game machine body. CONSTITUTION:A game cartridge 1 is formed in such a manner as to be attachable to and detachable from a game machine body 100. In a first memory part 80, the image constitution data for constituting a game space and a determined program data are stored. An auxiliary arithmetic processing part 10 reads the image constitution data to form a pseudo three-dimensional image constitution data, and this pseudo three-dimensional image constitution data is stored in a rewritable second memory part 90. The stored pseudo three-dimensional image constitution data is outputted to the game machine body 100, whereby a pseudo three-dimensional image can be formed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game cartridge used in a home video game machine, and a game machine using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a game device such as a home video game machine, a game personal computer, etc., FIG.
A game device having a configuration shown in 2 is used. As shown in the figure, this game device is used for a game cartridge 500 that stores a program or the like that configures a game space and outputs image information, and a display device 518 such as a television or a CRT that actually uses this image information. The game machine main body 510 synthesizes and outputs the image to be displayed. Then, in order for the player to actually play the game, this game cartridge 500 is used by being inserted and connected to the game machine main body 510 by the connector 506.

Here, the game cartridge 500 contains a program ROM 502 and a character generator 504.

The program ROM 502 stores a game program for forming a game screen to be displayed.

The character generator 504 also stores image information of the character to be displayed. Specifically, for example, actual image information of a game character, an object constituting a background screen, a racing car in a racing game, etc. is stored. However, a large object such as a racing car is stored as an object divided into, for example, a tire, a steering wheel, and a wing.

The game console body 510 includes a CPU 512 for controlling the entire game console, and a display device 51 such as a television actually.
A video processing unit 514 that forms video data to be output to
A video RAM 516 that stores image information to be displayed on the display device 518 in dot units, an operation unit 520 such as a controller used by the player, a sound generator (not shown) that synthesizes voice, and a work area for securing a work area. It is configured to include a work RAM (not shown) and the like.

Now, this game device operates as follows with the above configuration.

First, when the power is turned on, the CPU 512
Causes the game program to be loaded from the program ROM 502.

The CPU 512, in accordance with the loaded program and the operation signal from the player input from the operation unit 520, displays a game screen, that is, (1/6).
An image to be displayed on the display device 518 is formed every 0) seconds.

Specifically, the video processing unit 514 is a CPU.
Based on a command from 512, data for forming a display image on the display device 518, for example, a character number,
Data such as a palette number is formed on the video RAM 516. The image processing unit 514 sends this data to the video RAM.
After being formed on 516, this data is read for each dot of the display image.

Next, based on the data read from the video RAM 516, for example, the character number, the image information to be actually displayed, that is, the image information of the game character, the background, the racing car, etc. is read from the character generator 504. . Then, using this image information and data such as a palette number, RGB data corresponding to each dot of the display image is combined, and this is combined with the display device 51.
Display on 8. By doing this every (1/60) seconds,
It is possible to form a predetermined game screen.

[0012]

By the way, in the above conventional game device, for example, a home video game machine, only two-dimensional images can be synthesized. For example, in order to realize a shooting game, a driving game, or the like with this home-use video game machine, as shown in FIG. 13A, an image of the myship 530 and the enemy machine 532 operated by the player viewed from the upper side is displayed. It will be synthesized. As a result, since the Myship 530 and the enemy aircraft 532 can only move in the two-dimensional space, it was not possible to produce a game space full of realism. That is, in this type of shooting game and driving game, in order to realize a more realistic and tense game, it is desirable to represent the formed game space, myship 530, enemy aircraft 532, etc. in three dimensions. .

By the way, normally, in a home video game machine, when a player wants to enjoy a different game, the expensive game machine main body 510 is not replaced and only the inexpensive game cartridge 500 is used for another game. It is usual to replace with a cartridge and play. But,
The game machine body 510 is not configured to form a three-dimensional game space as described above. Therefore, in the home video game machine having such a configuration, it is not possible to enjoy the game expressed in three dimensions unless the game machine body is newly replaced. Particularly, in a shooting game, a driving game, etc., a virtual three-dimensional space as shown in FIG. 13B is formed, and a myship 530, an enemy aircraft 532, etc. are arranged at arbitrary positions in this virtual three-dimensional space. It is desirable to form a space. That is, by forming such a virtual three-dimensional space, the player can see the display image at an arbitrary viewpoint position and viewpoint by an operation signal to the operation unit 520, and enjoy a very realistic game. Because you can

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object thereof is to enjoy a game expressed in three dimensions without changing the main body of the game machine. To provide a game cartridge.

[0015]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game cartridge which is detachably mounted on a game machine main body and which forms a game device integrally with the game machine main body. A first storage unit in which image configuration data to be configured and predetermined program data are stored, and image configuration data is read from the first storage unit, and a predetermined three-dimensional calculation process is performed on the image configuration data to generate a pseudo three-dimensional image. An auxiliary calculation processing unit that forms and outputs image configuration data; and a rewritable second storage unit that stores the pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data input by the auxiliary calculation processing unit. It is characterized in that the pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data stored in the storage unit is output to the game machine main body to form a pseudo three-dimensional image.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the image configuration data stored in the first storage unit is expressed as a set of vertex image information of a polygon, and the auxiliary calculation processing unit stores the vertex image information of the polygon. Read from the first storage unit,
All of the inside of the polygon is composed of an image supply unit that outputs the converted data into the viewpoint coordinate system by performing predetermined coordinate conversion processing, clipping processing, perspective conversion processing, and sorting processing on this, and the data input from the image supply unit. An image forming unit that calculates the image information of the dots and outputs it as pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data, and synthesizes a pseudo three-dimensional image from this pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data to obtain an arbitrary viewpoint in a virtual three-dimensional space. Pseudo 3 in position and viewing direction
The feature is that a three-dimensional image can be formed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the image forming unit calculates the contour line of the polygon from the vertex image information of the polygon, and sets the contour points where the contour line and the horizontal scanning line intersect as a left and right contour point pair. The image information on the line connecting the contour point pairs is calculated from the contour point calculating means for calculating and outputting and the contour point pairs input from the contour point calculating means, whereby the image information of all the dots in the polygon is obtained. And a line processor means for calculating.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the auxiliary arithmetic processing section further includes program data changing means for changing the program data stored in the first storage section. It is characterized in that it is formed so that the program data can be changed and the game space can be changed at any time.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the auxiliary arithmetic processing section further includes image configuration data changing means for changing the image configuration data stored in the first storage section, whereby the image configuration is edited by the player. It is characterized in that it is formed so that the data can be changed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game cartridge which is detachably mounted on the game machine main body, and which forms a game device integrally with the game machine main body. A first storage unit in which predetermined program data is stored; and an auxiliary arithmetic processing unit including a program data changing unit for reading the program data from the first storage unit, performing a predetermined arithmetic process on the program data, and outputting the program data. And a rewritable second storage unit for storing the result of the arithmetic processing by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit, whereby the program data can be changed at any time according to the game situation of the player, and the game space can be changed at any time. It is characterized by being formed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game cartridge, which is detachably attached to a game machine main body to form a game device integrally with the game machine main body. An auxiliary calculation including a first storage unit for storing predetermined program data, and an image configuration data changing unit for reading out the image configuration data from the first storage unit and performing a predetermined arithmetic processing on the image configuration data and outputting the image configuration data. A second rewritable storage unit that stores a result of the arithmetic processing performed by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit, whereby the image configuration data can be changed by editing by the player. To do.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the second storage section is
It is formed by a non-volatile and rewritable storage means that can hold the result of the arithmetic processing by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit even when it is reset, and even when the arithmetic processing is restarted after the reset, the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit does It is characterized in that it is formed so that the result of arithmetic processing can be used.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is a game machine including the game cartridge according to any one of the first to eighth aspects and a game machine main body to which the game cartridge is detachably mounted. The main body has a central portion which is activated by an operation unit to which an operation signal from the player used in the three-dimensional arithmetic processing in the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit is input and program data from the first storage unit or the second storage unit. It is characterized by including a processing unit and a video processing unit for forming a display image from the image configuration data or the calculated pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the game cartridge according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the game machine main body to which the game cartridge is detachably attached, and the player's visual field are attached. A game apparatus including an image display means and a player space sensor for detecting three-dimensional information in a player's actual three-dimensional space, wherein the auxiliary arithmetic processing section is based on a detection signal from the player space sensor. And a coordinate extracting means for extracting the coordinate position of the player in the virtual three-dimensional space, for calculating a virtual view image in the view direction of the player, and displaying the virtual view image on the image display means. Is characterized by.

[0025]

According to the game cartridge of the present invention, the auxiliary processing operation unit performs a predetermined operation process on the image configuration data stored in the first storage unit, and the rewritable second operation is possible. It can be stored in the storage unit. Therefore,
As a result, it is possible to form a pseudo three-dimensional image, which cannot be performed conventionally, with almost no change in the configuration of the game machine body.

Further, in this case, the auxiliary calculation processing section is provided with an image supply section for performing various processing such as coordinate conversion processing for the vertex image information of the polygon, and image information of all the dots in the polygon from the processed data. With the configuration including the image forming unit that performs calculation, it is possible to form a pseudo three-dimensional image in an arbitrary viewpoint position and viewpoint direction in the virtual three-dimensional space.

Further, according to the game cartridge of the present invention, the program data stored in the first storage section is changed by the program changing means, so that the game space and the game setting can be changed according to the game situation of the player. Can be changed at any time, and it will be possible to provide a variety of interesting games.

Further, according to the game cartridge of the present invention, the image configuration data stored in the first storage section can be changed by the player by the image configuration data changing means. Therefore, since the player can freely change the image configuration data, it is possible to provide a game with a variety of interests.

If the second storage section is formed by a non-volatile and rewritable storage means so that the data result that has already been calculated can be used even after the reset, it is possible to perform after the reset and before the reset. The game can be started in the same state, and a more interesting game can be provided.

Further, in the game device according to the present invention, the player is equipped with the image display means so as to cover the field of view, and the coordinate position of the player is extracted by the player space sensor and the auxiliary processing calculation section. Therefore, it is possible to display a virtual visual field image in an arbitrary visual field direction of the player, and to easily
It is possible to provide an effective virtual reality experience device.

[0031]

【Example】

 (1) Description of Overall Device FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the game cartridge 1 according to the present embodiment is formed so as to be attachable to and detachable from the game machine main body 100 via the connector 98, and the auxiliary arithmetic processing section 10 and the first storage unit. It is configured to include a unit 80 and a second storage unit 90.

Here, the game machine main body 100 includes a central processing unit 102, a video processing unit 104, a video RAM 106, and an operation unit 108.
Since the configuration and the operation of are substantially the same as those of the conventional example described above, the description thereof will be omitted here.

The first storage section 80 is formed of a non-volatile memory such as a ROM and stores program data and image configuration data. Here, as the program data, program data for starting the central processing unit 102, the processing unit 14 and the like and program data for forming a predetermined game space are stored.

Therefore, by rewriting the contents of the program data stored in the first storage section 80, various games such as shooting games, racing games, martial arts games, RPG games, sports games, battle simulation games, etc. It becomes possible to form a game space such as. That is, even when another game space is formed, it is not necessary to change the game machine main body 100 itself, and it is only necessary to change the program data and the image configuration data, specifically, the ROM mask of the first storage unit 80. , Will be able to offer another game. Therefore, the player can enjoy another game only by replacing the game cartridge 1.

Here, the image constituent data is formed by image data that constitutes the game space, and is stored as a three-dimensional object represented as a set of polygons in this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a specific example of this three-dimensional object. That is, as shown in the figure, the three-dimensional object 300 representing myship is represented as a set of polygons 362, 364, 366 representing wings, a polygon 368 representing a main body, a polygon 370 representing an engine, and the like. Is stored in the storage unit 80.
In this case, the actual data stored is the vertex image information,
That is, it is the vertex coordinates of each polygon and various accompanying data, and the auxiliary computation processing unit 10 performs various three-dimensional coordinate computations on these vertex coordinates and the like.

In the first storage section 80, in addition to the three-dimensional object 300 representing such a myship, backgrounds such as clouds and mountains, enemy planes, three-dimensional objects representing missiles, etc.
The second storage unit 90, in which all the image information forming the game space is stored as image configuration data, stores the result of the arithmetic processing by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit 10.
It is formed of a rewritable memory. As this memory, a volatile memory such as a RAM may be used, or a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash type EEPROM or a magneto-optical disk (MD) may be used. Also, this second
The storage unit 90 can store not only image information but also program data and image configuration data changed by the auxiliary calculation processing unit 10 as described later.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the second storage section 90, which was conventionally only the non-rewritable character generator 504, is changed to a rewritable memory. Then, the data processed by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit 10 is sequentially written in the second storage unit 90 as described later. Therefore, it is possible to change the image information such as character information, the program data, and the like, which cannot be changed conventionally, while the game is in progress, and use this data to form the game space. As a result, three-dimensionalization of the game space, setting of a virtual three-dimensional space, change of the set game program itself, change of image configuration data to be used, which has been conventionally impossible only by changing the game machine main body 100 itself. Etc. can be performed. Since these processes are mainly performed by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit 10 as described below, the central processing unit 102 of the game machine main body 100.
It is possible to perform these processes without imposing a large burden on the.

Now, the auxiliary calculation processing section 10 is newly provided in the game cartridge 1 in order to assist the image processing conventionally performed by the game machine main body 100, and the image supply section 12 and the image forming section 12 are provided. It is configured to include the unit 40.

Here, the image supply unit 12 includes a processing unit 14 that performs overall control and various processes, a coordinate conversion unit 16 that performs coordinate conversion in a three-dimensional space, a clipping processing unit 18, a perspective conversion unit 20, and sorting. The processing unit 22 is included. Further, the image forming unit 40 includes a contour point calculation unit 42 and a line processor 44.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, the image synthesis of the three-dimensional image performed by the auxiliary calculation processing section 10 will be briefly described.

The image information regarding the three-dimensional object 300 representing the myship shown in FIG.
Is stored in the storage unit 80. And the player 30
When 2 performs an operation such as rotation or translation for this myship by the operation unit 108 such as a controller, this operation signal is input to the processing unit 14 via the central processing unit 102,
Various calculation processes are performed in the coordinate conversion unit 16. That is, the information after rotation and translation of the three-dimensional object 300 representing myship is calculated in real time based on this operation signal, and then the perspective conversion unit 20 performs perspective conversion on the screen 306. Then, the image forming unit 40 forms a pseudo three-dimensional image, which is stored in the second storage unit 90. After that, the data stored in the second storage unit 90 is output to the video processing unit 104 and output to the display device via the video RAM 106 as a video.
As a result, the player 302 can rotate and translate the three-dimensional object 300 representing myship in real time by its own operation, and can virtually simulate the pseudo three-dimensional space.

The above description is a brief description of a method of forming a pseudo three-dimensional image when the viewpoint position and the viewpoint direction of the player are not changed by the operation of the player. However, the game cartridge according to the present embodiment is not limited to this, and it is also possible to form a pseudo three-dimensional image when the viewpoint position and the viewpoint direction are arbitrarily changed by the player's operation. This will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

The image information about the three-dimensional object 300 is the polyhedron divided into polygons as described above, that is, the polygons (1) to (6) (polygon (4) to
(6) is expressed as a polyhedron divided into (not shown),
The coordinates of each vertex, accompanying data, and the like are stored in the first storage unit 80. Then, the respective vertex coordinates and the associated data are read by the processing unit 14 and converted into a predetermined data format, for example, the data format shown in FIG.

FIG. 5A shows an overall view of this data format. As shown in the figure, the data to be processed is configured such that the frame data is at the head and the object data of all three-dimensional objects displayed in this frame are continuous. Then, after this object data, polygon data of polygons forming the three-dimensional object is further arranged.

Here, the frame data refers to data formed by parameters that change for each frame, and is common to all three-dimensional objects in one frame. The player's viewpoint position / angle / viewing angle information. ,
It consists of data such as monitor angle / size information and light source information. These data are set for each frame. For example, when a window or the like is formed on the display screen, different frame data is set for each window. As a result, it is possible to form a rearview mirror in a racing game, a screen of a racing car viewed from above, or the like on the display screen.

The object data refers to data formed by parameters that change for each three-dimensional object, and position information in units of three-dimensional objects,
It is composed of data such as rotation information.

Further, the polygon data means data formed by image information of polygons and the like. As shown in FIG. 5B, a header, vertex coordinates X0, Y0, Z0 to X3,
It is composed of other attached data such as Y3 and Z3.

The coordinate calculation unit 16 reads out the data in the above format, and the operation unit 108 to the central processing unit 102 read the data.
Various arithmetic processes are performed on the respective vertex coordinates and the like in accordance with the operation signal input via the. Hereinafter, this arithmetic processing will be described in detail.

Taking a shooting game as an example, as shown in FIG. 4, three-dimensional objects 300, 332, 334 representing myships, enemy planes, buildings, mountains, etc. read from the first storage section 80 are displayed. , World coordinate system (X
It is arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space represented by W, YW, ZW). After that, the image information representing these three-dimensional objects is coordinate-converted into a viewpoint coordinate system (Xv, Yv, Zv) with the viewpoint of the player 302 as a reference. here,
The coordinate Zv in the viewpoint coordinate system represents depth,
The larger the value of Zv, the deeper it is located in the pseudo three-dimensional image.

Next, the clipping processing section 18 performs image processing called so-called clipping processing.
Here, the clipping processing is image information outside the field of view of the player 302 (or outside the field of view of the window opened in the three-dimensional space), that is, the front / rear / right / down / left / up clipping planes 340 and 342. 344, 346,
This is image processing for removing image information outside the area (hereinafter referred to as the display area 2) surrounded by 348 and 350. That is, the image information required by the present apparatus for the subsequent processing is only the image information within the visual field of the player 302. Therefore, if the other information is removed in advance by the clipping process, the load of the subsequent process can be significantly reduced.

Next, in the perspective transformation unit 20, only the object in the display area 2 is screen coordinate system (XS, Y).
The perspective transformation into S) is performed, and the data is output to the sorting processing unit 22 in the next stage.

In the sorting processing section 22, the order of processing in the image forming section 40 in the next stage is determined, and the image data of the polygon is output according to the order. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the image information of the polygons is rearranged in order from the polygon on the front side of the screen 306, for example, in the order of (1) (2) (3) in FIG. It is output to the contour point calculation unit 42 in the forming unit 40.

After that, in the contour point calculation unit 42, the contour line of the polygon, that is, AB, BC, CD in FIG.
DA and the like are calculated, and the intersections of the contour line and the scanning line, for example, the intersections L, Q, and R of the scanning line H and the contour line in FIG. 6 are calculated. After that, by the line processor 44, during this LQ,
The color data for which the area between QR is designated is filled with the color data of red and blue in FIG. 6, for example. After that, the image information composed of this filled color data is
Is stored in the storage unit 90.

Finally, the image information written in the second storage section 90 is output to the video processing section 104 and output to the display device via the video RAM 106.

With the above structure, the game cartridge 1 according to this embodiment can form a three-dimensionally expressed game space. In particular, in this embodiment, a virtual three-dimensional space can be set as the game space, which allows the player's viewpoint position and viewpoint direction to be arbitrarily changed according to the player's operation signal, game program, or the like. . For this reason, when the game cartridge 1 is applied to, for example, a shooting game, a driving game, etc., it is possible to provide a game with a sense of reality that has never existed before.

That is, for example, when this is applied to a shooting game, the player can also perform an operation such as shooting down an enemy aircraft that is moving backward. Further, the method of attacking the enemy aircraft can be set not only from the front as in the conventional case but also from the upper side or the rear side. In addition, the player can also perform acrobatic flying such as flying in the air with his own operation.

Furthermore, when this game is set to the multiplayer mode, it is possible to realize the following multiplayer game which has not been heretofore available. This state is shown in FIG.

That is, for example, the player A can protect the front of the myship and control the myship, and
The other players B, C, and D set the viewpoint position and viewpoint direction of each player so that they can protect the right side, the left side, and the rear of the myship, respectively. Then, as shown in the figure, the display screen is divided into a plurality of parts, and the field-of-view images to be viewed by the players A, B, C, D are displayed on the respective divided screens.

By setting in this way, each player can operate the operating section 108 at each viewpoint position and viewpoint direction.
It is possible to control and attack with ~ 114. Therefore, it is possible for four people to cooperate and protect one myship, and to enjoy a game such as traveling in space. Therefore, it is possible to provide a sense of unity between a large number of players, which is unprecedented, and since each player can enjoy different view images, it is possible to provide a more realistic and interesting game. Become.

Further, in this case, in this embodiment, an arbitrary virtual three-dimensional space can be set as the game space. Therefore,
It is possible to travel in space while exploring an arbitrary position in the virtual three-dimensional space by the free will of the player, instead of traveling in space according to a fixed scenario as in the past. You can

When this embodiment is applied to a driving game, windows 550 and 552 can be separately displayed on the display screen as shown in FIG. 8, for example. Here, the window 550 represents a rearview mirror, and a display image at the viewpoint position / viewpoint direction behind the racing car is displayed. In addition, the window 552 displays the position of the viewpoint of the racing car from above.
A display image when viewed from the viewpoint direction is displayed.
Through these windows, the player can check the opponent behind him or the position of his racing car on the course in real time.
Therefore, while looking at the rear-view mirror, it is possible to perform a game effect which has not been heretofore, such as disturbing the opponent player.

As described above, in this embodiment, the virtual three-dimensional space can be set as the game space, and images at different viewpoint positions and viewpoint directions can be simultaneously displayed on the display screen. Then, this is performed, for example, by changing the frame data in FIG. That is, the viewpoint position,
To display 4 screens in different directions, 4 in 1 field
Set one frame data. Then, each frame data includes data representing the viewpoint position and viewpoint direction of the frame. Then, the coordinate conversion unit 16 reads this frame data and thereby performs coordinate conversion into a different viewpoint coordinate system depending on each frame. As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to simultaneously display the display images at different viewpoint positions and viewpoint directions by a simple method.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, various game settings which are not available in the past can be set, such as forming a game space in a virtual three-dimensional space. And, although such various game settings can be made, the game machine main body 100 itself hardly needs to be changed. That is, various game settings can be changed by simply replacing the inexpensive game cartridge without changing the expensive game machine main body 100. (2) Change of Program Data Now, the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit 10 in the present embodiment can change not only the formation of the above pseudo three-dimensional image but also the program data itself. That is, conventionally, the program data is non-volatile and cannot be rewritten.
The auxiliary arithmetic processing unit stored in the M502 and capable of rewriting the program data as in the present embodiment was not provided. Therefore, it is impossible to change the contents of the program data once set.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the program data stored in the first storage unit 80 is changed by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit 10 and written in the second storage unit 90 for storage. You can keep it. As a result, it is possible to set various variations of the game that have not been available in the past.
Hereinafter, a specific example thereof will be described.

For example, when this is applied to a shooting game, it becomes as follows. Usually, in a shooting game of this type of home video game machine, an enemy machine is shot down by a my-ship that a player boarded, and more difficult stages such as stage 1 to stage 2 and stage 2 to stage 3 are successively detected. The game structure is to step up.

However, in the case of such a configuration, a big problem is how to set the level of each stage and the degree of level change between stages.

That is, when assuming a player who is more experienced in shooting games, it is desirable to set the level of each stage to a higher level as a whole and to set the level of level change between the stages to a higher level. If such a setting is not made, a skilled player will soon get bored.

On the other hand, if a beginner level player is assumed, it is desirable to set the level of each stage to a low level as a whole and set the level of change between stages to a low level. If such a setting is not made, the beginner level player will not be able to proceed to the game stage of the next stage, and will stop playing the game itself. In fact, shooting games aren't accepted by a wider audience
There are many reasons for this.

Some players were at a beginner level at the beginning, but there are also players who swallow quickly and improve quickly. For such a player, it is necessary to set the level of each stage at the beginning low and set the degree of level change between the stages high.

Further, the level of the level also varies depending on the habit of the player. For example, some players prefer a missile attack over a laser beam. Also, some players prefer to attack the enemy from below and some prefer to attack from the side. Therefore, it is necessary to change the difficulty level according to such a player's habit. That is, it is desirable for a player who likes missiles to generate a large number of enemy planes having high defense ability against missiles. Also,
For a player who prefers to attack from the lower side, it is desirable to generate a large number of enemy planes with high defense ability on the lower side.

In this embodiment, the contents of the program data itself are changed one after another in response to such various players. For example, the following is an example of a player having a high degree of skill, who likes a missile attack and who likes an attack from below. That is, for example, when it is determined from the player's attack result on stage 1 that the player is a player of the type described above, as the game stage progresses, the player is more resistant to missiles and is less likely to attack from below. Change the contents of the program data so that the number of strong enemy aircraft will increase. Also, the increase value of the number of appearances in this case is changed to be set as high as possible. Furthermore, if the player changes his strategy and uses a lot of laser attacks, he changes the contents of the program data accordingly to increase the number of enemy planes with high laser defense capabilities. Go.

Conventionally, the program data was stored in the non-rewritable program ROM 502, so that such complicated game setting could not be performed.
As a result, only a certain range of users can provide only a satisfying shooting game, and the development of users in the field of shooting games is insufficient.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described above, the contents of the program data can be changed at any time according to the ability, habit, etc. of the player, thereby satisfying a wider range of users. It is now possible to provide games that can.

The case where the present embodiment is applied to the shooting game has been described above, but the present embodiment is not limited to this and can be applied to various games.

For example, when applied to an RPG game, it becomes as follows. That is, similarly to the above, the ability of the player,
The contents of the program data are changed so as to change the attacking ability, attacking method, number of appearances, etc. of the opponent character in accordance with the habit. This makes it possible to provide an RPG game that can be enjoyed by a wide range of users from children to adults.

Further, for example, in the case of an RPG game such as exploring a maze for adventure, the game progress state of the player,
The auxiliary processing operation unit 10 changes the map of the game space to be formed in accordance with various data such as the skill level, the habit of the player, the strength / characteristics of the characters grown by the player, the number of parties, and the like. It is also possible. With such a configuration, it is possible to change the game space, story, ending, etc. formed each time the game is played, and it is possible to provide a more entertaining and highly entertaining RPG game. Become.

Furthermore, this embodiment can be applied to a battle simulation game. In this case, the contents of the program data are rewritten so as to sequentially change the attacking method, attacking method, moving method, etc. of the enemy side in accordance with the player's strategy, tactics, etc. For example, when the player prefers to use a fighter, the enemy side changes the content of the program data so as to produce many anti-aircraft tanks.
If there is a formation that the player prefers, the formation normally used by the enemy side is changed accordingly. By setting in this way, it is possible to provide a simulation game which is not tired and which is full of tension.

As described above, the structure of the present embodiment can be applied to games in almost all fields, which makes it possible to achieve a sense of tension and flexibility that could not be realized conventionally.
It is possible to provide various kinds of games that you will never get tired of. (3) Non-volatility of second storage unit, change of image configuration data Now, the second storage unit 90 in the present embodiment is not limited to a rewritable volatile memory such as a RAM, but may be a flash type EEPROM, for example. A rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a magneto-optical disk (MD) or a hard disk may be used. Further, it may be configured by combining a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. Further, a configuration in which these magneto-optical disks (MD) and the like are externally connected may be used.

By using the rewritable non-volatile memory as a constituent element in this way, for example, even after the game is finished and the power is turned off, the result calculated by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit 10 or the like is held. Can be set. As a result, the present embodiment has a configuration capable of providing a more interesting game.

For example, in the case of the above-mentioned shooting game, when the player advances to stage 3 and turns off the power to end the game, the contents of the program data rewritten by stage 3 are non-volatile. It is stored in the second storage unit 90. As a result, when the game is started by turning on the power next time, the game can be started in the state before turning off the power. That is, the skill level of the player,
Information about habits, level of each stage changed by these factors, degree of level change between each stage,
The information of the enemy aircraft is held, and the game can be started anew in this held state.

In the case of the RPG game, for example, the player's ability and habit, the attacking ability of the opponent character corresponding thereto, the attack method, the number of appearances, the game progress state of the player, the skill level, the player's habit, and the player's habit. The strength / characteristics of the grown character, the number of parties, the game space map changed according to the elements, the story, and the like are held, and the game can be newly started in this held state.

Further, in the case of the battle simulation game, for example, the strategy of the player, the habit of the tactics, the attack method, the attack means, the moving method of the enemy side corresponding thereto are held, and the game is newly held in this held state. It is possible to start.

Further, since the changed program data can be held in this way, by exchanging the game cartridge holding the changed program data with a friend, mutual growth can be achieved. Enjoy the game with the characters, game settings, etc.
It is also possible for the characters who have grown up to compete with each other.

Further, in the present embodiment, not only the program data but also the image configuration data itself forming the game space can be changed by the editing of the player.

For example, if the user does not like the shape of the three-dimensional object 300 representing the myship shown in FIG. 2, the three-dimensional object 3 having the shape shown in FIG.
It is possible to perform editing for changing to 00, and it is also possible to retain this. That is, the shape of the three-dimensional object 300 representing this myship is stored in the above-described first storage unit 80. Therefore, the player edits this by changing the operation unit 108 such as a controller. As a result, the auxiliary calculation processing section 40 changes the shape of the three-dimensional object 300 from the shape shown in FIG. 2 to the shape shown in FIG. 9, and holds this in the second storage section 90.
After holding this, the three-dimensional object 30
0 is treated as having the shape shown in FIG.
As a result, the shape of the myship operated by the user can be changed.

Further, as described above, if the second storage section 90 is configured to have the non-volatile memory as an element, the shape of this edited myship can be retained even after the power is turned off. It is possible, and after turning the power on again, the game can be played in the shape of this myship. Also,
Since this content can be retained even if the game cartridge is removed, this edited myship can be exchanged among friends and played.

The objects that can be edited in this manner are not limited to the above-mentioned myships, but include, for example, enemy planes / maps in shooting games, characters / weapons in fighting games, and characters / weapons / maps in RPG games. It can be performed for all of the image composition data such as weapons and maps in the simulation game. (4) Head-Worn Body The game device according to this embodiment may be configured such that, for example, a player wears a head-worn body to play a game.

This head mounted body is constructed by mounting a display device such as a liquid crystal display in front of the player's eyes so as to cover the player's visual field. Then, a device called a space sensor is attached to the head-mounted body to detect the three-dimensional information of the player. Then, by generating an image corresponding to the detection signal from the space sensor and displaying it on a display device, for example, an operation such as looking around, which is normally done casually, is performed in the virtual space in the same manner as the real space. You will be able to experience it with a sense of realism.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show an example of the shape of the head mounted body 609. FIG. 10A shows a video camera 610, a space sensor 612 for a player, an image display device 620, a speaker 622, and a helmet 614.
A mounting body 609 provided and configured in the above is shown. According to this type of wearing body, the player can create a world completely isolated from the outside by wearing the helmet 614, so that a more realistic virtual reality can be enjoyed. On the other hand, the mounting body 60 shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a video camera 610 and a space sensor 61 for the player.
2. Since the image display device 620 and the speaker 622 are integrally attached to the wearing band 616, it is possible to realize a more comfortable wearing feeling. In addition,
The mounting body used in this embodiment is shown in FIG.
It is possible to use not only the shape shown in (b) but also various shapes.

The image display device 620 is attached in front of the player's eyes so as to cover the player's field of view, and displays the image signal of the image signal sent from the game device through the connection line 618. As an image display method in this case, it is desirable to use a small display such as a color liquid crystal display or a small cathode ray tube in order to downsize the head mounted body 609 and improve the wearing feeling. Also,
It is desirable to perform correction by an optical system in order to focus the eyes on the image and further to widen the viewing angle and improve the realism.

Here, as the shape of the small display, it may be formed so as to cover the field of view of the player along the shape of the player's face so as to obtain a panoramic image effect. The shape may be formed in front of both eyes of the player. In the latter case, it is desirable to give a three-dimensional stereoscopic effect by giving an image with parallax to a two-dimensional two-dimensional image given to both eyes. With such a configuration, the size of the object and the distance to the object can be grasped, so that it is possible to create a virtual world that is closer to the real world.

The space sensor is a sensor for detecting the three-dimensional information of the player. One space sensor 612 is installed at the player, and the other space sensor 613 is installed at a predetermined position of the game cartridge 1 or the like. This space sensor 612,
As a method of detecting three-dimensional information by 613, each of the space sensors 612 and 613 is composed of three coils that are orthogonal to each other, and a current is passed through the coil of one of the space sensors 612, and at this time, the coil of the other space sensor 613. The positional relationship is detected from the current value induced in the. As a result, the spatial information of the player is detected.

The space sensors 612 and 613 are used to
The method of detecting the dimensional information is not limited to the method using the above-mentioned dynamic magnetic field, and for example, a method using a static magnetic field, an ultrasonic wave, or an infrared ray may be used.

FIG. 11 shows such a head mounted body 609.
An example of the configuration when is applied to this embodiment is shown.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the head mounted body 609 is used, the coordinate extracting unit 6 is provided in the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit 10.
30 is newly provided, and the other structure is the same as the above-mentioned case. Here, the coordinate extracting unit 630 extracts the player's viewpoint position and viewpoint direction from the detection signal input from the space sensor 613. Then, using the information on the viewpoint position and the viewpoint direction, a virtual field-of-view image at the viewpoint position and the viewpoint direction of the player is formed.

In this case, the method of forming the virtual view image is
The same method as the calculation method in FIG. 4 is used. That is, the processing unit 14 reads the image configuration data from the first storage unit 80, and forms the data of the format shown in FIG. 5 from the image configuration data. At this time, the information on the viewpoint position and the viewpoint direction of the player extracted by the coordinate extracting unit 630 is included in the frame data shown in FIG.

Next, the coordinate calculation unit 16 reads out the data in this format, and the operation unit 108 causes the central processing unit 1 to read the data.
According to the operation signal input via 02, various coordinate conversion calculation processing is performed on each vertex coordinate and the like. In this case, the conversion to the viewpoint coordinate system is performed using the information on the viewpoint position and the viewpoint direction of the player included in the frame data.

After that, various processing is performed in the clipping processing unit 18, the perspective conversion unit 20, and the sorting processing unit 22, various image information such as color data is calculated in the polygon in the image forming unit 40, and the second storage is performed. This image information is stored in the section 90.

Finally, the image information written in the second storage section 90 is output to the video processing section 104, and is displayed on the image display device 620 of the head mounted body 609 worn by the player via the video RAM 106. Video is output.

With such a structure, the player can enjoy the game in the virtual reality world. That is, the display image is not displayed on a display device such as a television as in the related art, but is displayed on the image display device 620 mounted so as to cover the field of view of the player. The image display device 620 includes the space sensors 612, 613,
Using the coordinate extraction unit 630, a virtual field-of-view image is displayed in the player's viewpoint position and viewpoint direction. Therefore,
The player can see the visual field image in an arbitrary direction in the virtual three-dimensional space by turning his / her head on which the head mounted body 609 is mounted.

As a result, when this embodiment is applied to a driving game, by looking back, for example, the racing car of the opponent who is chasing can be confirmed. That is, in the conventional home-use game machine, first, the virtual 3
Since there was no concept of dimensional space, it was impossible to check the racing car of the opponent who chased from behind. On the other hand, in the above-described embodiment in which the head mounted body 609 is not provided, it can be seen by operating the operation unit 108 or by projecting it on the rearview mirror. Further, in the present embodiment in which the head mounted body 609 is attached, by further looking back behind himself, it is possible to see the racing car of the opponent who is chasing. Therefore, it is possible to form a game space that is closer to the real world,
This will dramatically improve the fun, presence, and tension of the game.

Further, when this embodiment is applied to a shooting game, in a virtual three-dimensional space set in all directions of 360 degrees around the player, enemy planes attacking from four directions in the space, You will be able to enjoy shooting games. Therefore, compared to the conventional home video game, which only shoots a game against an enemy machine displayed on a television screen in a two-dimensional space,
It is possible to dramatically improve the fun of the game, the sense of presence, and the sense of urgency of the player.

As described above, in this embodiment, the game cartridge main body 100 is hardly changed, and only the structure of the game cartridge 1 is changed. It is possible to provide a virtual reality experience device that can dramatically improve the fun.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, the connection relationship among the first storage section, the auxiliary calculation processing section, the second storage section, and the game machine main body in the present invention is not limited to the connection relationship of the above-described embodiment, but various connection relationships may be used. You can For example, a bus line for connection with the first storage unit and the second storage unit may be shared by the auxiliary processing calculation unit and the game machine body. With such a configuration, by changing the control right of the bus line between the auxiliary processing calculation unit and the game machine main body,
The storage unit and the second storage unit can be shared, processing can be shared, and processing efficiency can be significantly improved.

Further, the method of making the game space three-dimensional by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit in the present invention is not limited to the method of forming a complete virtual three-dimensional space, and for example, a virtual image in a limited direction (for example, only the front) It includes all of the method of forming a three-dimensional space and the method of three-dimensionalizing only polygons.

Further, in the present invention, it is not necessary for all of the various image processings and program data changing processings performed by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit to be performed by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit, and a part of them may be performed by the central processing unit. include.

Further, the configurations of the image supply unit and the image forming unit according to the present invention are not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as changing the order of processing are possible.

The program data to be changed according to the present invention is not only the command data of the program, but also various data such as data handled by the command data (for example, hit points required to destroy an enemy aircraft). Is included.

Further, the target of the processing to which the present invention is applied is
The present invention can be applied not only to the various games shown in the embodiments but also to all the games.

The first storage unit and the second storage unit according to the present invention
The storage unit does not necessarily have to be built in the game cartridge, and a part or all of the storage unit may be an external device type. For example, part or all of the first storage unit may be an externally connected CDROM device.

The structure of the game machine main body to which the game cartridge according to the present invention is connected is not limited to the structure of the above embodiment.

Furthermore, the game cartridge according to the present invention is not limited to any shape as long as it is connected to at least the main body of the game machine and can perform a predetermined image composition process. For example, a so-called memory card is also included in the game cartridge according to the present invention.

[0115]

According to the game cartridge of the present invention, there is almost no change in the structure of the game machine body,
A pseudo three-dimensional image can be formed, and a more interesting game can be provided.

Further, by configuring the auxiliary calculation processing section to include an image supply section for performing predetermined three-dimensional image processing and image formation, a game space set in the virtual three-dimensional space can be formed. It becomes possible, and it will be possible to dramatically improve the realism of the game.

Further, by forming the auxiliary arithmetic processing section so that the program data can be changed, the game space and settings can be changed in accordance with the skill level, habits, etc. of the player, and a game with a wide variety of interests can be provided. It can be provided.

Further, by forming the auxiliary arithmetic processing section so that the image configuration data can be changed by the player's editing, the player can change the myship, the character, etc., which is more varied. It will be possible to provide an interesting game.

Further, if the second storage section is formed by a non-volatile rewritable storage means, the game can be started in the same state as before the reset even after the reset, and a more interesting game can be provided. become.

Further, in the game device according to the present invention, the player is equipped with the image display means so as to cover the visual field, and the player's space sensor and the auxiliary processing calculation section extract the coordinate position of the player. Therefore, it is possible to easily provide the virtual reality experience device that cannot be provided by the conventional device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a three-dimensional object representing myship.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining the concept of the present game device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining a method of three-dimensional arithmetic processing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a data format handled by this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating a method of calculating image information inside a polygon.

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining a case where the present embodiment is applied to a multiplayer game.

FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining a case where the present embodiment is applied to a driving game.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a changed myship.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a shape of a head mounted body.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the present embodiment when a head mounted body is used.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a conventional home video game machine.

FIG. 13 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining the validity of setting a virtual three-dimensional space.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Game Cartridge 10 Auxiliary Processing Calculation Section 12 Image Supply Section 14 Processing Section 16 Coordinate Conversion Section 18 Clipping Processing Section 20 Perspective Transformation Section 22 Sorting Processing Section 40 Image Forming Section 42 Contour Point Calculation Section 44 Line Processor 80 First Storage Section 90 Second Storage Unit 100 Game Machine Main Body 102 Central Processing Unit 104 Video Processing Unit 106 Video RAM Unit 108 Operation Unit 300 Three-dimensional Object 609 Head Mounted Body 612 Space Sensor 620 Image Display Unit 630 Coordinate Extraction Unit

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A game cartridge, which is detachably mounted on a game machine main body and forms a game device integrally with the game machine main body, wherein image configuration data and predetermined program data constituting a game space are stored. A first storage unit to be stored, and an auxiliary calculation for reading image configuration data from the first storage unit, performing a predetermined three-dimensional arithmetic processing on the image configuration data to form pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data, and outputting the pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data. A pseudo three-dimensional image configuration stored in the second storage unit, including a processing unit and a rewritable second storage unit that stores the pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data input by the auxiliary calculation processing unit. A game cartridge that outputs data to a game machine body to form a pseudo three-dimensional image. 2. The image forming data stored in the first storage unit according to claim 1, is represented as a set of vertex image information of a polygon, and the auxiliary calculation processing unit stores the vertex image information of the polygon. An image supply unit that reads out from the first storage unit, performs predetermined coordinate conversion processing, clipping processing, perspective conversion processing, and sorting processing, and outputs as data converted into a viewpoint coordinate system, and an input from the image supply unit An image forming unit that calculates image information of all the dots in the polygon from the generated data and outputs it as pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data. By combining the pseudo three-dimensional image from the pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data, A game cartridge capable of forming a pseudo three-dimensional image in an arbitrary viewpoint position and viewpoint direction in a virtual three-dimensional space. 3. The image forming unit according to claim 2, wherein the contour line of the polygon is calculated from the vertex image information of the polygon, and the contour points at which the contour line and the horizontal scanning line intersect are defined as left and right contour point pairs. From the contour point calculating means for calculating and outputting and the contour point pair input from the contour point calculating means, the image information on the line connecting the contour point pairs is calculated, whereby the image information of all the dots in the polygon is obtained. A game cartridge comprising: a line processor means for calculating. 4. The player according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the auxiliary arithmetic processing section further includes program data changing means for changing program data stored in the first storage section. A game cartridge characterized by being able to change the program data at any time according to the situation so that the game space can be changed at any time. 5. The player according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary arithmetic processing section further includes image configuration data changing means for changing image configuration data stored in the first storage section. A game cartridge formed so that image configuration data can be changed by editing. 6. A game cartridge, which is detachably mounted on a game machine body and integrally forms a game device with the game machine body, wherein image configuration data and predetermined program data forming a game space are stored. A first storage unit to be stored; an auxiliary calculation processing unit including program data changing means for reading program data from the first storage unit, performing predetermined calculation processing on the program data, and outputting the program data; A rewritable second storage unit for storing the result of the arithmetic processing by the unit, whereby the program data can be changed at any time according to the game situation of the player, and the game space can be changed at any time. Characteristic game cartridge. 7. A game cartridge, which is detachably mounted on a game machine main body to form a game device integrally with the game machine main body, wherein image configuration data and predetermined program data forming a game space are stored. A first storage section to be stored; an auxiliary calculation processing section including image configuration data changing means for reading out the image configuration data from the first storage section, performing a predetermined calculation process on the image configuration data, and outputting the image configuration data; A game cartridge including a rewritable second storage unit that stores a result of the arithmetic processing performed by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit, so that the image configuration data can be changed by the editing of the player. 8. The non-volatile rewritable storage unit according to claim 1, wherein the second storage unit can retain a result of arithmetic processing by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit even when resetting. And a game cartridge formed so that the result of the arithmetic processing by the auxiliary arithmetic processing unit can be used even when the arithmetic processing is restarted after resetting. 9. A game device including the game cartridge according to claim 1, and a game machine body to which the game cartridge is detachably mounted, wherein the game machine body comprises the auxiliary device. An operation unit to which an operation signal from the player used in the three-dimensional arithmetic processing in the arithmetic processing unit is input, a central processing unit activated by program data from the first storage unit or the second storage unit, And a video processing unit for forming a display image from the image configuration data or the calculated pseudo three-dimensional image configuration data. 10. A game cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8, a game machine main body to which the game cartridge is detachably mounted, and an image display means mounted so as to cover the field of view of the player. A game device including a player space sensor for detecting three-dimensional information in a player's actual three-dimensional space, wherein the auxiliary arithmetic processing section is based on a detection signal from the player space sensor,
Coordinate extraction means for extracting the coordinate position of the player in the virtual three-dimensional space is further included, whereby a virtual visual field image in the visual field direction of the player is calculated, and the virtual visual field image is displayed on the image display means. Characteristic game device.