JP5735865B2 - Game system and game program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a game system and a game program, and more particularly to a game system and a game program that are operated using two controllers.

  A controller is disclosed in which a player operates a game by holding the control unit with both hands (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The controller disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an R unit that is gripped by the player's right hand and an L unit that is gripped by the left hand. In the R unit and the L unit, operation buttons and sticks are arranged on the upper surface and side surfaces of the housing, respectively. The R unit and the L unit can be physically connected, and when connected, can be used as a combined controller.

JP 2004-313492 A

  However, the controller disclosed in Patent Document 1 is merely configured so that a conventional game machine controller can be separated into left and right. That is, when the player holds the R unit and the L unit with the left and right hands, the position of the left and right hands of the player is only free, and the degree of freedom of operation of the controller itself does not change. For example, separating the game machine controller on the left and right does not enable new operations that could not be performed with the combined type.

  When playing a shooting game with the controller, a stick is often used to move the aim of shooting. At this time, since the direction in which the aim moves on the screen and the direction in which the stick is tilted on the controller are different directions in the real space, it is difficult to intuitively grasp the operation direction. Therefore, in order to make it possible to set the direction according to the player's preference, it is necessary to provide a reverse mode for the correspondence relationship between the direction of tilting the stick and the moving direction on the screen depending on the individual difference of the player. . In the case of the combined type, the moving direction of the two sticks is in the same plane on the controller, a character that can move in the depth direction in the virtual space of the game, and an aim that moves in the plane on the display area Is not suitable in terms of ease of recognition by the user. Furthermore, since the R unit and the L unit are fixed for the right hand and the left hand, respectively, it is difficult to set an operation according to the dominant hand.

  In addition, when playing a role-playing game, menu selection may be necessary while the game is in progress. In this case, the game operation by the controller requires an input with a direction key or the like, and the selection items are moved one by one. Therefore, menu selection takes time, and in the case of a game in which the game progresses in real time, the menu option The player character may not be operated while the player is selected, and play may fail. In addition, in order to change the direction of the character, it is necessary to continue to push down the operation unit such as a stick, and the direction cannot be quickly changed.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game system and a game program that realize a new operation with a high degree of freedom using a plurality of controllers.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration. Note that the reference numerals in parentheses, step numbers, and the like indicate correspondence with the embodiments described later in order to help understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

  A first invention is a game system (1) including a first controller (70), a second controller (76), and a game apparatus (3). The game device executes a predetermined game program to display a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual game world in the display area of the display device (2). The first controller includes a first operation data generation unit (74, 701). The first operation data generation unit generates first operation data (Da1, Da2, Da5) that is data that changes according to the movement of the first controller body. The second controller includes a second operation data generation unit (78). The second operation data generation unit generates second operation data (Da3) corresponding to the player's direction input operation. The game device includes game processing means (S52 to S56) and display processing means (S57). The game processing means acquires the first operation data and the second operation data, and performs a predetermined game process on the virtual game world according to both the operation data. The display processing means displays the virtual game world after the game processing as an image in the display area of the display device.

  In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the game processing means includes designated coordinate determination means (S53). The designated coordinate determining means determines a predetermined coordinate corresponding to the display area of the display device as the designated coordinate (Dc3) based on the first operation data. The game processing means performs a game process using the designated coordinates and the second operation data for a predetermined calculation.

  In a third aspect based on the second aspect, the first controller includes an imaging unit (74). The imaging unit is fixed to the controller main body, and can image a periphery in a predetermined direction with reference to the controller main body. The first operation data includes a captured image itself captured by the imaging unit or a result (Da1, Da2) obtained by performing a predetermined calculation on the captured image. The designated coordinate determining means determines the designated coordinates by moving the designated coordinates from the predetermined position in correspondence with the movement of the position of the predetermined imaging target (8) in the captured image.

  In a fourth aspect based on the second aspect, the first controller includes an acceleration sensor (701). The first operation data includes acceleration data (Da5) output from the acceleration sensor. The designated coordinate determining means determines the designated coordinates by moving the designated coordinates from a predetermined position in correspondence with the acceleration data.

  In a fifth aspect based on the second aspect, the game processing means obtains a three-dimensional designated coordinate in the three-dimensional virtual game space (S) corresponding to the designated coordinate and performs an operation using the three-dimensional designated coordinate. A game process including The display processing means performs processing for displaying the three-dimensional virtual game space processed by the game processing means on the display area of the display device.

  In a sixth aspect based on the fifth aspect, the game processing means performs predetermined processing on the object (E) existing at the position of the three-dimensional designated coordinates.

  In a seventh aspect based on the second aspect, the game processing means places a predetermined object (T) at a position corresponding to the designated coordinates.

  In an eighth aspect based on the second aspect, the game processing means generates a virtual game world including at least a menu area that prompts the player to select from a plurality of selection items (M1 to M7). The game processing means performs a process of selecting a selection item displayed at a position (Cs) including the designated coordinates in the display area.

  According to a ninth invention, in any one of the fifth to eighth inventions, the game processing means associates the position coordinates of the player character (P) in the virtual game world with the virtual camera (C ) And the direction vector of the virtual camera are changed.

  In a tenth aspect based on the fifth aspect, the game processing means moves the direction of the virtual camera so that the gazing point of the virtual camera coincides with the three-dimensional designated coordinates.

  In an eleventh aspect based on the first aspect, the game processing means performs a predetermined calculation on the change amount of the first operation data due to the movement of the first controller, and performs a predetermined calculation in a coordinate system corresponding to the display area. And the direction of the virtual camera is moved so that the gazing point of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional virtual game space moves in accordance with the movement vector on the display area. The display processing means performs processing for displaying the three-dimensional virtual game space processed by the game processing means on the display area of the display device.

  In a twelfth aspect based on the tenth or eleventh aspect, the game processing means changes at least one of the position coordinates of the player character and the position coordinates of the virtual camera in the virtual game world in accordance with the second operation data. Let

  The thirteenth invention is a game program that can be executed by the computer (30) of the game apparatus. The game device acquires first operation data that is data that changes according to the movement of the first controller body, and second operation data that corresponds to the direction input operation given to the second controller. The game program causes the computer to execute a game processing step (S52 to S56) and a display processing step (S57). In the game processing step, the first operation data and the second operation data are acquired, and predetermined game processing is performed on the two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual game world according to the two operation data. In the display processing step, the virtual game world after performing the game processing to be executed by the computer is displayed as an image on the display area of the display device.

  In a fourteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the game processing step includes a designated coordinate determining step (S53). In the designated coordinate determining step, predetermined coordinates corresponding to the display area of the display device are determined as designated coordinates based on the first operation data. The game processing step includes a step of performing a game process using the designated coordinates and the second operation data for a predetermined calculation.

  In a fifteenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the first operation data includes an image or a result obtained by performing a predetermined calculation on the image. The designated coordinate determining step includes a step of detecting a movement of a predetermined target position in the image and a step of determining a new designated coordinate by moving the designated coordinate from the predetermined position in correspondence with the movement.

  In a sixteenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the first operation data includes acceleration data output from an acceleration sensor provided in the first controller. The designated coordinate determining step includes a step of determining a new designated coordinate by moving the designated coordinate from a predetermined position in correspondence with the acceleration data.

  In a seventeenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the game processing step includes a step of obtaining a three-dimensional designated coordinate in a three-dimensional virtual game space corresponding to the designated coordinate, and an operation using the three-dimensional designated coordinate. Performing a game process. The display processing step includes a step of displaying in the display area of the display device the three-dimensional virtual game space in which the game processing is performed in the game processing step.

  In an eighteenth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the game processing step includes a step of detecting an object existing at the position of the three-dimensional designated coordinates and a step of performing a predetermined process on the object.

  In a nineteenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the game processing step includes a step of arranging a predetermined object at a position corresponding to the designated coordinates.

  In a twentieth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the game processing step includes a step of generating a virtual game world including at least a menu area that prompts the player to select from a plurality of selection items, and a position including the designated coordinates in the display area. And selecting the selected item displayed on the screen.

  In a twenty-first aspect based on any one of the seventeenth to twentieth aspects, the game processing step corresponds to the second operation data, and the position coordinates of the player character in the virtual game world, the position coordinates of the virtual camera, and Changing at least one of the direction vectors of the virtual camera.

  In a twenty-second aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the game processing step includes a step of moving the direction of the virtual camera so that the gazing point of the virtual camera coincides with the three-dimensional designated coordinates.

  In a twenty-third aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the game processing step includes a step of performing a predetermined calculation on a change amount of the first operation data due to the movement of the first controller, and a coordinate system corresponding to the display area. Determining a predetermined movement vector in step, and moving the virtual camera in a direction so that the gazing point of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional virtual game space moves in accordance with the movement vector on the display area. Including. The display processing step includes a step of displaying in the display area of the display device the three-dimensional virtual game space in which the game processing is performed in the game processing step.

  In a twenty-fourth aspect based on the twenty-second or twenty-third aspect, the game processing step changes at least one of the position coordinate of the player character and the position coordinate of the virtual camera in the virtual game world in accordance with the second operation data. Including a step.

  According to the first aspect, the first controller generates operation data that changes according to the movement of the controller body, and the second controller generates operation data corresponding to the direction input operation. Thus, in order to use these game controllers in a game, one hand of the player can move the hand itself, and the other hand can be input with a finger in the same manner as a conventional controller. In other words, since it is possible to perform completely different operations with the left and right hands of the player, it is possible to provide a new operation that has not been conventionally performed.

  According to the second aspect, the instruction coordinates corresponding to the display area of the display device are set according to the signal corresponding to the movement of the main body of the controller, and therefore can be used as an operation input that directly acts on the display screen. , Input with a higher degree of freedom becomes possible.

  According to the third aspect, it is possible to use the captured image captured by the imaging unit fixed to the first controller or information obtained from the captured image as the operation data. For example, since the direction and position of the first controller with respect to the imaging target can be detected, a game operation according to the controller direction and position is possible.

  According to the fourth aspect, the cost of the first operation data generation unit can be suppressed by using the acceleration sensor.

  According to the fifth aspect, in a game displaying a three-dimensional virtual game space, it is possible to set designated coordinates in the virtual game space according to a signal corresponding to the movement of the main body of the controller.

  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, it is possible to perform a game process that affects an object that exists at the position of the designated coordinate corresponding to the signal corresponding to the movement of the main body of the controller (for example, shooting an object at the position).

  According to the seventh aspect, it is possible to perform a game process in which an object (for example, an aiming cursor) is placed at the position of the designated coordinate corresponding to the signal corresponding to the movement of the main body of the controller.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the player can directly select an item with the other hand, so that the player can perform a comfortable operation with little time loss.

  According to the ninth aspect, a variety of operations can be performed by performing a direction input operation with the other hand while realizing an operation input that directly acts on the display screen according to the movement of the controller body with one hand. Is possible. For example, since the direction instruction operation performed by the player and the operation of designating the position of the game space can be performed by separate controllers, two stable direction instruction operations can be performed without affecting each other. Can do. It is also possible to use the two controllers properly according to the dominant hand. Further, for example, while using one controller for a movement instruction of a player character or the like, it is possible to watch the position designated using the other controller. In addition, for example, an operation of a character or the like can be performed with one hand and an item can be directly selected with the other hand, so that a comfortable operation can be performed with little time loss.

  According to the tenth and eleventh aspects of the invention, the point of gazing is moved by an operation input corresponding to the movement of the controller body, so that it is possible to quickly change the direction as necessary, and since the input is intuitive, the reverse mode is set. It becomes unnecessary.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, it is possible to gaze at a position to be instructed using the other controller while using one controller for instructing movement of the player character, virtual camera, or the like.

  Moreover, according to the game program of this invention, the same effect as the game system mentioned above can be acquired by running with the computer of a game device.

1 is an external view for explaining a game system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Functional block diagram of the game apparatus 3 of FIG. The perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the controller 7 of FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connection cable 79 of the controller 7 of FIG. 3 is detached from the core unit 70. FIG. The perspective view seen from the upper surface back of the core unit 70 of FIG. The perspective view which looked at the core unit 70 of FIG. 3 from the lower surface back. The perspective view which shows the state which removed the upper housing | casing of the core unit 70 of FIG. Top view, bottom view, and left side view of subunit 76 of FIG. The perspective view seen from the upper surface front of the subunit 76 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a first modification of the subunit 76 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a second modification of the subunit 76 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a third modification of the subunit 76 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a fourth modification of the subunit 76 in FIG. The block diagram which shows the structure of the controller 7 of FIG. An illustrative view outlining the state when operating the game using the controller 7 of FIG. An example in which the player holds the core unit 70 with his right hand as viewed from the front side of the core unit 70 An example in which the player holds the core unit 70 with his right hand as viewed from the left side of the core unit 70 The figure for demonstrating the viewing angle of LED module 8L and 8R and the imaging information calculating part 74 An example of the player holding the subunit 76 with his left hand as viewed from the right side of the subunit 76 The figure which shows the main data memorize | stored in the main memory 33 of the game device 3 The flowchart which shows the flow of the game process performed in the game device 3 The figure which shows the example of a game image displayed on the monitor 2 when the game device 3 performs a shooting game as a 1st example The figure which shows the state of the virtual camera C when the game device 3 produces a game image as a 2nd example. The figure which shows the example of a game image displayed on the monitor 2 when the game device 3 performs a role playing game as a 3rd example.

  A game system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an external view for explaining the game system 1. Hereinafter, the game system 1 of the present invention will be described using a stationary game apparatus as an example.

  In FIG. 1, the game system 1 includes a stationary game apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a monitor) 2 connected to a display (hereinafter referred to as a monitor) 2 having a speaker 2a such as a home television receiver via a connection cord. 3) and a controller 7 that gives operation information to the game apparatus 3. The game apparatus 3 is connected to the receiving unit 6 via a connection terminal. The receiving unit 6 receives transmission data wirelessly transmitted from the controller 7, and the controller 7 and the game apparatus 3 are connected by wireless communication. Further, an optical disk 4 as an example of an information storage medium that can be used interchangeably with the game apparatus 3 is attached to and detached from the game apparatus 3. The upper main surface of the game apparatus 3 is provided with a power ON / OFF switch of the game apparatus 3, a reset switch for game processing, and an OPEN switch for opening the lid on the upper part of the game apparatus 3. Here, when the player presses the OPEN switch, the lid is opened, and the optical disk 4 can be attached and detached.

  Further, an external memory card 5 equipped with a backup memory or the like for storing save data or the like in a fixed manner is detachably attached to the game apparatus 3 as necessary. The game apparatus 3 displays a result as a game image on the monitor 2 by executing a game program or the like stored on the optical disc 4. Furthermore, the game apparatus 3 can reproduce the game state executed in the past by using the save data stored in the external memory card 5 and display the game image on the monitor 2. Then, the player of the game apparatus 3 can enjoy the progress of the game by operating the controller 7 while viewing the game image displayed on the monitor 2.

  The controller 7 wirelessly transmits transmission data from a communication unit 75 (described later) provided therein to the game apparatus 3 to which the receiving unit 6 is connected, using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology. The controller 7 is configured by connecting two control units (a core unit 70 and a subunit 76) to each other via a flexible connection cable 79, and a player appearing in a game space mainly displayed on the monitor 2. It is an operation means for operating the object. Each of the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 is provided with a plurality of operation units such as operation buttons, keys, and sticks. In addition, as will be apparent from the description below, the core unit 70 includes an imaging information calculation unit 74 that captures an image viewed from the core unit 70. In addition, as an example of an imaging target of the imaging information calculation unit 74, two LED modules 8L and 8R are installed near the display screen of the monitor 2. These LED modules 8L and 8R each output infrared light toward the front of the monitor 2. In the present embodiment, the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 are connected by a bendable cable, but the connection cable 79 can be eliminated by mounting a wireless unit on the subunit 76. For example, by mounting a Bluetooth (registered trademark) unit as a wireless unit in the subunit 76, operation data can be transmitted from the subunit 76 to the core unit 70.

  Next, the configuration of the game apparatus 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the game apparatus 3.

  In FIG. 2, the game apparatus 3 includes, for example, a risk (RISC) CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30 that executes various programs. The CPU 30 executes a startup program stored in a boot ROM (not shown), initializes a memory such as the main memory 33, and the like, then executes a game program stored in the optical disc 4, and according to the game program Game processing and the like. A GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 32, a main memory 33, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 34, and an ARAM (Audio RAM) 35 are connected to the CPU 30 via a memory controller 31. The memory controller 31 is connected to a controller I / F (interface) 36, a video I / F 37, an external memory I / F 38, an audio I / F 39, and a disk I / F 41 via a predetermined bus. The receiving unit 6, the monitor 2, the external memory card 5, the speaker 2a, and the disk drive 40 are connected.

  The GPU 32 performs image processing based on an instruction from the CPU 30, and is configured by a semiconductor chip that performs calculation processing necessary for displaying 3D graphics, for example. The GPU 32 performs image processing using a memory dedicated to image processing (not shown) and a partial storage area of the main memory 33. The GPU 32 generates game image data and movie video to be displayed on the monitor 2 using these, and outputs them to the monitor 2 through the memory controller 31 and the video I / F 37 as appropriate.

  The main memory 33 is a storage area used by the CPU 30 and stores game programs and the like necessary for the processing of the CPU 30 as appropriate. For example, the main memory 33 stores a game program read from the optical disc 4 by the CPU 30 and various data. The game program and various data stored in the main memory 33 are executed by the CPU 30.

  The DSP 34 processes sound data generated by the CPU 30 when the game program is executed, and is connected to an ARAM 35 for storing the sound data. The ARAM 35 is used when the DSP 34 performs a predetermined process (for example, storage of a pre-read game program or sound data). The DSP 34 reads the sound data stored in the ARAM 35 and outputs the sound data to the speaker 2 a included in the monitor 2 via the memory controller 31 and the audio I / F 39.

  The memory controller 31 controls the overall data transfer and is connected to the various I / Fs described above. The controller I / F 36 includes, for example, four controller I / Fs 36a to 36d, and connects the external device and the game apparatus 3 that can be fitted to each other via a connector included in the controller I / F 36 so as to communicate with each other. For example, the receiving unit 6 is fitted with the connector and connected to the game apparatus 3 via the controller I / F 36. As described above, the receiving unit 6 receives the transmission data from the controller 7 and outputs the transmission data to the CPU 30 via the controller I / F 36. A monitor 2 is connected to the video I / F 37. An external memory card 5 is connected to the external memory I / F 38 and can access a backup memory or the like provided in the external memory card 5. A speaker 2a built in the monitor 2 is connected to the audio I / F 39 so that sound data read out from the ARAM 35 by the DSP 34 or sound data directly output from the disk drive 40 can be output from the speaker 2a. A disk drive 40 is connected to the disk I / F 41. The disk drive 40 reads data stored on the optical disk 4 arranged at a predetermined reading position, and outputs the data to the bus of the game apparatus 3 and the audio I / F 39.

  Next, the controller 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the controller 7. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where the connection cable 79 of the controller 7 of FIG. 3 is detached from the core unit 70.

  In FIG. 3, the controller 7 is configured by connecting a core unit 70 and a subunit 76 with a connection cable 79. The core unit 70 includes a housing 71, and a plurality of operation units 72 are provided in the housing 71. On the other hand, the subunit 76 has a housing 77, and a plurality of operation portions 78 are provided in the housing 77. The core unit 70 and the subunit 76 are connected by a connection cable 79.

  In FIG. 4, a connector 791 detachably attached to the connector 73 of the core unit 70 is provided at one end of the connection cable 79, and the other end of the connection cable 79 is fixedly connected to the subunit 76. The connector 791 of the connection cable 79 is fitted with the connector 73 provided on the rear surface of the core unit 70, and the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 are connected via the connection cable 79.

  The core unit 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the core unit 70 as viewed from the upper rear side. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the core unit 70 as viewed from the lower rear side.

  5 and 6, the core unit 70 includes a housing 71 formed by plastic molding, for example. The housing 71 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction, and is a size that can be gripped with one hand of an adult or a child as a whole.

  A cross key 72 a is provided on the center front side of the upper surface of the housing 71. The cross key 72a is a cross-shaped four-direction push switch, and operation portions corresponding to the four directions (front and rear, left and right) indicated by arrows are arranged at 90 ° intervals on the cross protruding pieces, respectively. The player selects one of the front, rear, left and right directions by pressing one of the operation portions of the cross key 72a. For example, when the player operates the cross key 72a, it is possible to instruct the moving direction of the player character or the like appearing in the virtual game world, or to instruct the moving direction of the cursor.

  Note that the cross key 72a is an operation unit that outputs an operation signal in response to the above-described direction input operation of the player, but may be an operation unit of another mode. For example, instead of the cross key 72a, a composite switch in which a push switch having a four-direction operation portion in a ring shape and a center switch provided at the center thereof may be provided. Further, an operation unit that outputs an operation signal according to the tilt direction by tilting a tiltable stick protruding from the upper surface of the housing 71 may be provided instead of the cross key 72a. Furthermore, an operation unit that outputs an operation signal corresponding to the sliding direction by sliding a horizontally movable disk-shaped member may be provided instead of the cross key 72a. Further, a touch pad may be provided instead of the cross key 72a. Further, an operation unit that outputs an operation signal in response to a switch pressed by the player may be provided instead of the cross key 72a for switches indicating at least four directions (front / rear / left / right).

  A plurality of operation buttons 72 b to 72 g are provided on the rear surface side of the cross key 72 a on the upper surface of the housing 71. The operation buttons 72b to 72g are operation units that output operation signals assigned to the operation buttons 72b to 72g when the player presses the button head. For example, functions such as an X button, a Y button, and a B button are assigned to the operation buttons 72b to 72d. Further, functions as a select switch, a menu switch, a start switch, and the like are assigned to the operation buttons 72e to 72g. Each of these operation buttons 72b to 72g is assigned a function according to a game program executed by the game apparatus 3, but will not be described in detail because it is not directly related to the description of the present invention. In the arrangement example shown in FIG. 5, the operation buttons 72 b to 72 d are arranged side by side along the center front-rear direction on the upper surface of the housing 71. Further, the operation buttons 72e to 72g are arranged in parallel between the operation buttons 72b and 72d along the left-right direction of the upper surface of the housing 71. The operation button 72f is a type of button whose upper surface is buried in the upper surface of the housing 71 and is not accidentally pressed by the player.

  An operation button 72h is provided on the front surface side of the cross key 72a on the upper surface of the housing 71. The operation button 72h is a power switch for remotely turning on / off the game apparatus 3 main body. This operation button 72h is also a type of button whose upper surface is buried in the upper surface of the housing 71 and that the player does not accidentally press.

  A plurality of LEDs 702 are provided on the rear surface side of the operation button 72 c on the upper surface of the housing 71. Here, the controller 7 is provided with a controller type (number) to distinguish it from other controllers 7. For example, the LED 702 is used to notify the player of the controller type currently set in the controller 7. Specifically, when transmitting transmission data from the core unit 70 to the receiving unit 6, among the plurality of LEDs 702, the LED corresponding to the type is lit according to the controller type.

  On the other hand, a recess is formed on the lower surface of the housing 71. As will be described later, the recess on the lower surface of the housing 71 is formed at a position where the player's index finger or middle finger is positioned when the player holds the core unit 70. And the operation button 72i is provided in the rear surface side inclined surface of the said recessed part. The operation button 72i is an operation unit that functions as an A button, for example, and is used for a trigger switch in a shooting game, an operation for causing a player object to pay attention to a predetermined object, or the like.

  An imaging element 743 that constitutes a part of the imaging information calculation unit 74 is provided on the front surface of the housing 71. Here, the imaging information calculation unit 74 is a system for analyzing the image data captured by the core unit 70, discriminating a place where the luminance is high, and detecting the position of the center of gravity or the size of the place, For example, since the maximum sampling period is about 200 frames / second, even a relatively fast movement of the core unit 70 can be tracked and analyzed. The detailed configuration of the imaging information calculation unit 74 will be described later. A connector 73 is provided on the rear surface of the housing 70. The connector 73 is a 32-pin edge connector, for example, and is used for fitting and connecting with the connector 791 of the connection cable 79.

  Next, the internal structure of the core unit 70 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper housing (a part of the housing 71) of the core unit 70 is removed. FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a state in which the lower housing (a part of the housing 71) of the core unit 70 is removed. Here, the substrate 700 shown in FIG. 7B is a perspective view seen from the back surface of the substrate 700 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 7A, a substrate 700 is fixed inside the housing 71. On the upper main surface of the substrate 700, operation buttons 72a to 72h, an acceleration sensor 701, an LED 702, a crystal resonator 703, a wireless module. 753, an antenna 754, and the like are provided. These are connected to the microcomputer 751 (see FIG. 14) by wiring (not shown) formed on the substrate 700 or the like. The core unit 70 functions as a wireless controller by the wireless module 753 and the antenna 754. The crystal resonator 703 generates a basic clock for the microcomputer 751 described later.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 7B, the imaging information calculation unit 74 is provided at the front edge on the lower main surface of the substrate 700. The imaging information calculation unit 74 includes an infrared filter 741, a lens 742, an imaging element 743, and an image processing circuit 744 in order from the front of the core unit 70, and is attached to the lower main surface of the substrate 700. A connector 73 is attached to the rear edge on the lower main surface of the substrate 700. And the operation button 72i is attached on the lower main surface of the board | substrate 700 in the back of the imaging information calculating part 74, and the battery 705 is accommodated in the back further. A vibrator 704 is attached on the lower main surface of the substrate 700 between the battery 705 and the connector 73. The vibrator 704 may be a vibration motor or a solenoid, for example. Since the vibration is generated in the core unit 70 by the operation of the vibrator 704, the vibration is transmitted to the hand of the player holding it, and a so-called vibration-compatible game can be realized.

  The subunit 76 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. 8A is a top view of the subunit 76, FIG. 8B is a bottom view of the subunit 76, and FIG. 8C is a left side view of the subunit 76. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the subunit 76 as seen from the upper front side.

  8 and 9, the subunit 76 has a housing 77 formed by plastic molding, for example. The housing 77 has a streamlined three-dimensional shape in which the front-rear direction is the longitudinal direction and the head portion that is the thickest part of the subunit 76 is formed in the front. The housing 77 is large enough to be grasped by one hand of an adult or a child as a whole. That's it.

  A stick 78 a is provided in the vicinity of the thickest portion on the upper surface of the housing 77. The stick 78a is an operation unit that outputs an operation signal according to the tilting direction by tilting the tiltable stick protruding from the upper surface of the housing 77. For example, the player can specify an arbitrary direction and position by tilting the tip of the stick in an arbitrary direction of 360 °, and can instruct the moving direction of a player character or the like appearing in the virtual game world, or the moving direction of the cursor Can be instructed.

  Note that the stick 78a is an operation unit that outputs an operation signal in response to the above-described direction input operation of the player, but may be an operation unit of another mode. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13, first to fifth modifications in which an operation unit that outputs an operation signal according to a direction input operation is provided in the subunit 76 will be described.

  As a first modification, as shown in FIG. 10, a cross key 78f similar to the cross key 72a provided in the core unit 70 may be provided in the subunit 76 instead of the stick 78a. As a second modified example, as shown in FIG. 11, a slide pad 78g that outputs an operation signal corresponding to the sliding direction by sliding a horizontally movable disk-shaped member is used instead of the stick 78a. The unit 76 may be provided. As a third modified example, as shown in FIG. 12, a touch pad 78h may be provided in the subunit 76 instead of the stick 78a. As a fourth modified example, as shown in FIG. 13, there are provided buttons 78i to 78l indicating at least four directions (front and rear, left and right), respectively, and an operation for outputting an operation signal according to the buttons 78i to 78l pressed by the player. The portion may be provided in the subunit 76 instead of the stick 78a. As a fifth modification, a composite switch in which a push switch having a ring-shaped operation portion in four directions and a center switch provided at the center thereof may be provided in the subunit 76 instead of the stick 78a. Absent.

  A plurality of operation buttons 78 b to 78 e are provided on the rear surface side of the stick 78 a on the upper surface of the housing 77 and on the front surface of the housing 77. The operation buttons 78b to 78e are operation units that output operation signals assigned to the operation buttons 78b to 78e when the player presses the button head. For example, functions as an X button and a Y button are assigned to the operation buttons 78b to 78e. These operation buttons 78b to 78e are assigned respective functions according to the game program executed by the game apparatus 3, but are not directly related to the description of the present invention, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. In the arrangement example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the operation buttons 78 b and 78 c are arranged side by side along the central left and right direction of the upper surface of the housing 77. The operation buttons 78d and 78e are arranged side by side along the vertical direction of the front surface of the housing 77.

  Next, the internal configuration of the controller 7 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the controller 7.

  In FIG. 14, the core unit 70 includes a communication unit 75 and an acceleration sensor 701 inside the operation unit 72 and the imaging information calculation unit 74 described above.

  The imaging information calculation unit 74 includes an infrared filter 741, a lens 742, an imaging element 743, and an image processing circuit 744. The infrared filter 741 allows only infrared light to pass through from light incident from the front of the core unit 70. The lens 742 condenses the infrared light that has passed through the infrared filter 741 and outputs the condensed infrared light to the image sensor 743. The imaging element 743 is a solid-state imaging element such as a CMOS sensor or a CCD, for example, and images the infrared rays collected by the lens 742. Therefore, the image sensor 743 captures only the infrared light that has passed through the infrared filter 741 and generates image data. Image data generated by the image sensor 743 is processed by an image processing circuit 744. Specifically, the image processing circuit 744 processes the image data obtained from the image sensor 743 to detect high-luminance portions, and transmits processing result data indicating the result of detecting their position coordinates and area to the communication unit 75. Output to. The imaging information calculation unit 74 is fixed to the housing 71 of the core unit 70, and the imaging direction can be changed by changing the direction of the housing 71 itself. However, since the housing 71 is connected to the subunit 76 by a flexible connecting cable 79, the imaging direction of the imaging information calculation unit 74 does not change even if the direction or position of the subunit 76 is changed. . As will be apparent from the description below, a signal corresponding to the position and movement of the core unit 70 can be obtained based on the processing result data output from the imaging information calculation unit 74.

  The acceleration sensor 701 is an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration along three axes of the core unit 70 in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the front-rear direction. The acceleration sensor 701 may be an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration on two axes in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction depending on the type of operation signal required. Data indicating the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 701 is output to the communication unit 75. The acceleration sensor 701 is typically a capacitance type acceleration sensor, but other types of acceleration sensors or gyro sensors may be used. Based on the acceleration data output from the acceleration sensor 701, the movement of the core unit 70 can be detected.

  The communication unit 75 includes a microcomputer (microcomputer) 751, a memory 752, a wireless module 753, and an antenna 754. The microcomputer 751 controls the wireless module 753 that wirelessly transmits transmission data while using the memory 752 as a storage area during processing.

  An operation signal (core key data) from the operation unit 72 provided in the core unit 70, an acceleration signal (acceleration data) from the acceleration sensor 701, and processing result data from the imaging information calculation unit 74 are output to the microcomputer 751. The In addition, an operation signal (sub key data) from the operation unit 78 provided in the subunit 76 is output to the microcomputer 751 via the connection cable 79. The microcomputer 751 temporarily stores the input data (core key data, subkey data, acceleration data, and processing result data) in the memory 752 as transmission data to be transmitted to the receiving unit 6. Here, the wireless transmission from the communication unit 75 to the receiving unit 6 is performed every predetermined cycle, but since the game processing is generally performed in units of 1/60, a shorter cycle than that is performed. It is necessary to send in. Specifically, the processing unit of the game is 16.7 ms (1/60 seconds), and the transmission interval of the communication unit 75 configured with Bluetooth is 5 ms. When the transmission timing to the receiving unit 6 comes, the microcomputer 751 outputs the transmission data stored in the memory 752 as a series of operation information and outputs it to the wireless module 753. The wireless module 753 radiates operation information from the antenna 754 as a radio wave signal using a carrier wave of a predetermined frequency using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology. That is, core key data from the operation unit 72 provided in the core unit 70, subkey data from the operation unit 78 provided in the subunit 76, acceleration data from the acceleration sensor 701, and processing from the imaging information calculation unit 74. Result data is transmitted from the core unit 70. Then, the radio signal is received by the receiving unit 6 of the game apparatus 3, and the radio signal is demodulated or decoded by the game apparatus 3, thereby a series of operation information (core key data, sub key data, acceleration data, and processing result data). ) To get. And CPU30 of the game device 3 performs a game process based on the acquired operation information and a game program. When the communication unit 75 is configured using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology, the communication unit 75 can also have a function of receiving transmission data wirelessly transmitted from other devices. The acceleration data and / or processing result data is an example of first operation data, and the sub key data is an example of second operation data.

  As shown in FIG. 15, in order to play a game using the controller 7 in the game system 1, the player holds the core unit 70 with one hand (for example, the right hand) (see FIGS. 16 and 17). The subunit 76 is held with the other hand (for example, the left hand) (see FIG. 19). Then, the player holds the core unit 70 so that the front surface of the core unit 70 (the light entrance side of the light imaged by the imaging information calculation unit 74) faces the monitor 2. On the other hand, near the display screen of the monitor 2, two LED modules 8L and 8R are installed. These LED modules 8L and 8R each output infrared light toward the front of the monitor 2.

  When the player holds the core unit 70 so that the front surface thereof faces the monitor 2, infrared light output from the two LED modules 8 </ b> L and 8 </ b> R enters the imaging information calculation unit 74. Then, the imaging device 743 captures the incident infrared light through the infrared filter 741 and the lens 742, and the image processing circuit 744 processes the captured image. Here, the imaging information calculation unit 74 detects the infrared component output from the LED modules 8L and 8R, thereby acquiring the position (position of the target image) and area information of the LED modules 8L and 8R in the captured image. To do. Specifically, the image processing circuit 744 analyzes the image data captured by the image sensor 743, first excludes images that cannot be infrared light from the LED modules 8L and 8R from the area information, and further increases the luminance. The high point is determined as the position of each of the LED modules 8L and 8R. Then, the imaging information calculation unit 74 acquires position information such as the barycentric position of the determined bright spots and outputs it as the processing result data. Here, the position information as the processing result data may be output as a coordinate value with a predetermined reference point in the captured image (for example, the center or upper left corner of the captured image) as the origin, and a bright spot at a predetermined timing The position may be used as a reference point, and the difference in the current bright spot position from the reference position may be output as a vector. That is, the position information of the target image is a parameter used as a difference with respect to the reference point when a predetermined reference point is set for the captured image captured by the image sensor 743. By transmitting such processing result data to the game apparatus 3, the game apparatus 3 moves the imaging information calculation unit 74, that is, the core unit 70, with respect to the LED modules 8L and 8R based on the difference in the position information from the reference. The change amount of the signal according to the posture, position, etc. can be obtained. Specifically, since the position of the high luminance point in the image transmitted from the communication unit 75 changes when the core unit 70 is moved, direction input and coordinate input corresponding to the change in the position of the high luminance point are performed. By performing the above, direction input and coordinate input along the moving direction of the core unit 70 can be performed. In the game processing operation example to be described later, an example is used in which the imaging information calculation unit 74 acquires the coordinates of the center of gravity of each of the target images of the LED modules 8L and 8R in the captured image and outputs it as the processing result data.

  In this manner, the imaging information calculation unit 74 of the core unit 70 images the marker (infrared light from the two LED modules 8L and 8R) fixedly installed in the game apparatus 3 by imaging. In the game process, by processing the data output from the core unit 70, an operation corresponding to the movement, posture, position, etc. of the controller becomes possible, and the intuition that is different from the operation buttons and operation keys that press the buttons is different. Operation input. Further, as described above, since the marker is installed in the vicinity of the display screen of the monitor 2, it is easy to convert the position relative to the marker into the movement, posture, position, etc. of the core unit 70 relative to the display screen of the monitor 2. It can be carried out. That is, the processing result data based on the movement, posture, position, etc. of the core unit 70 can be used as an operation input that directly acts on the display screen of the monitor 2.

  A state where the player holds the core unit 70 with one hand will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG. 16 is an example of a state where the player holds the core unit 70 with the right hand as viewed from the front side of the core unit 70. FIG. 17 is an example of a state in which the player holds the core unit 70 with the right hand as viewed from the left side of the core unit 70.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the core unit 70 has a size that can be grasped with one hand of an adult or a child as a whole. When the player's thumb is attached to the upper surface of the core unit 70 (for example, in the vicinity of the cross key 72a) and the player's index finger is applied to the concave portion (for example, in the vicinity of the operation button 72i) of the core unit 70, the front surface of the core unit 70 is obtained. The light incident port of the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided in is exposed in the forward direction of the player. Needless to say, such a gripping state with respect to the core unit 70 can be similarly performed even with the left hand of the player.

  In this manner, the core unit 70 can easily operate the operation unit 72 such as the cross key 72a and the operation button 72i while being held by the player with one hand. Furthermore, when the player holds the core unit 70 with one hand, the light incident port of the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided on the front surface of the core unit 70 is exposed, so that the two LED modules 8L and 8R described above are exposed. Infrared light can be easily taken from the light entrance. That is, the player can hold the core unit 70 with one hand without hindering the function of the imaging information calculation unit 74 of the core unit 70. That is, when the player moves the hand holding the core unit 70 with respect to the display screen, the core unit 70 can further include an operation input in which the movement of the player's hand acts directly on the display screen.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 18, the LED modules 8L and 8R each have a viewing angle θ1. Further, the image sensor 743 has a viewing angle θ2. For example, the viewing angles θ1 of the LED modules 8L and 8R are both 34 ° (half-value angle), and the viewing angle θ2 of the image sensor 743 is 41 °. When both the LED modules 8L and 8R exist in the viewing angle θ2 of the imaging device 743, and the imaging device 743 exists in the viewing angle θ1 of the LED module 8L and in the viewing angle θ1 of the LED module 8R. The game apparatus 3 detects the position of the core unit 70 by using the position data regarding the high luminance point by the two LED modules 8L and 8R.

  On the other hand, when there is only one LED module 8L or 8R in the viewing angle θ2 of the imaging device 743, or in either one of the viewing angle θ1 of the LED module 8L or the viewing angle θ1 of the LED module 8R. When 743 exists, the position of the core unit 70 is detected using the position data regarding the high-luminance point by only one of the two LED modules 8L and 8R.

  Next, a state where the player holds the subunit 76 with one hand will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 shows an example in which the player holds the subunit 76 with his left hand as viewed from the right side of the subunit 76.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the subunit 76 has a size that can be grasped with one hand of an adult or a child as a whole. For example, the player's thumb is attached to the upper surface of the subunit 76 (for example, near the stick 78a), the player's index finger is attached to the front surface of the subunit 76 (for example, near the operation buttons 78d and 78e), and the player's middle finger, ring finger, and little finger It is possible to hold the subunit 76 so that is attached to the lower surface of the subunit 76. Needless to say, such a gripping state with respect to the subunit 76 can be similarly performed even with the right hand of the player. In this way, the subunit 76 can easily operate the operation unit 78 such as the stick 78a and the operation buttons 78d and 78e while being held by the player with one hand.

  Next, the details of the game process performed in the game system 1 will be described. First, main data used in the game process will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing main data stored in the main memory 33 of the game apparatus 3.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the main memory 33 stores operation information Da, operation state information Db, operation target information Dc, and the like. In addition to the data included in the information shown in FIG. 20, the main memory 33 includes data relating to the player character appearing in the game (player character image data, position data, etc.), data relating to the game space (terrain data, etc.), etc. Data necessary for the game process is stored.

  The operation information Da is a series of operation information transmitted as transmission data from the controller 7, and is updated to the latest operation information. The operation information Da includes first coordinate data Da1 and second coordinate data Da2 corresponding to the processing result data described above. The first coordinate data Da1 is coordinate data representing the position (position in the captured image) of one of the two markers (LED modules 8L and 8R) with respect to the captured image captured by the image sensor 743. is there. The second coordinate data Da2 is coordinate data representing the position of the image of the other marker (position in the captured image). For example, the position of the marker image is represented by an xy coordinate system in the captured image.

  The operation information Da includes coordinate data (first coordinate data Da1 and second coordinate data Da2) as an example of processing result data obtained from the captured image, subkey data Da3 obtained from the operation unit 78, and an operation unit 72. Core key data Da4 obtained from the above, acceleration data Da5 obtained from the acceleration sensor 701, and the like. The receiving unit 6 provided in the game apparatus 3 receives operation information Da transmitted from the controller 7 at a predetermined interval, for example, every 5 ms, and is stored in a buffer (not shown) provided in the receiving unit. Thereafter, the game processing interval is read, for example, every frame (1/60 seconds), and the latest information is stored in the main memory 33.

  The operation state information Db is information obtained by determining the operation state of the controller 7 based on the captured image. The operation state information Db is data indicating the position and orientation of the target image (marker) included in the captured image, and specifically includes direction data Db1 and midpoint data Db2. The direction data Db1 is data indicating a direction from the first coordinate data Da1 to the second coordinate data Da2. Here, the direction data Db1 is vector data starting from the position of the first coordinate data Da1 and ending at the position of the second coordinate data Da2. The midpoint data Db2 indicates the coordinates of the midpoint between the first coordinate data Da1 and the second coordinate data Da2. Here, when the images of the two markers (LED modules 8L and 8R) are viewed as one target image, the midpoint data Db2 indicates the position of the target image.

  The operation target information Dc is information indicating the posture, position, and designated position of the operation target on the screen or in the game space. Here, the operation target is an object displayed on the screen or an object appearing in the virtual game space, and when a three-dimensional virtual game space is constructed, the virtual game space is displayed on the screen. It may be a virtual camera. Further, the operation target information Dc includes posture data Dc1, target position data Dc2, and designated position data Dc3. The posture data Dc1 is data indicating the posture of the operation target. The target position data Dc2 is data indicating a position in the game space to be operated or a position on the screen. The designated position data Dc3 is data indicating the position on the screen of the monitor 2 indicated by the core unit 70 obtained from the first coordinate data Da1 and the second coordinate data Da2.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 21, the details of the game process performed in the game apparatus 3 will be described. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a flow of game processing executed in the game apparatus 3. When the power of the game apparatus 3 is turned on, the CPU 30 of the game apparatus 3 executes a startup program stored in a boot ROM (not shown), thereby initializing each unit such as the main memory 33. Then, the game program stored in the optical disc 4 is read into the main memory 33, and the CPU 30 starts executing the game program. The flowchart shown in FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a game process performed after the above process is completed. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 21, the game process performed based on the game operation related to the controller 7 in the game process will be described, and detailed description of other game processes not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. In FIG. 21, each step executed by the CPU 30 is abbreviated as “S”.

  In FIG. 21, the CPU 30 acquires the operation information received from the controller 7 (step 51), and advances the processing to the next step. Then, the CPU 30 stores the operation information as operation information Da in the main memory 33. Here, the operation information acquired in step 51 includes the operation of the core unit 70 in addition to the coordinate data (first coordinate data Da1 and second coordinate data Da2) indicating the positions of the LED modules 8L and 8R in the captured image. Data indicating how the operation unit 78 of the unit 72 and the subunit 76 is operated (sub key data Da3 and core key data Da4), and data indicating acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 701 (acceleration data Da5). ing. Here, the communication unit 75 transmits the operation information to the game apparatus 3 at a predetermined time interval, for example, an interval of 5 ms. The CPU 30 uses operation information for each frame. Therefore, the processing loop of step 51 to step 58 shown in FIG. 21 is repeatedly executed for each frame.

  Next, the CPU 30 calculates operation state information (step 52), and advances the processing to the next step. In the calculation process of the operation state information, the operation state of the core unit 70 (movement, position, posture, etc. of the core unit 70) based on the first coordinate data Da1 and the second coordinate data Da2 transmitted from the controller 7 and stored. Is calculated.

  In step 52, the CPU 30 calculates direction data Db1 from the first coordinate data Da1 to the second coordinate data Da2. Specifically, the CPU 30 refers to the first coordinate data Da1 and the second coordinate data Da2, and calculates a vector having the position of the first coordinate data Da1 as the start point and the position of the second coordinate data Da2 as the end point. Then, the CPU 30 stores the calculated vector data in the main memory 33 as the direction data Db1. The rotation about the direction perpendicular to the imaging surface of the core unit 70 can be calculated based on the difference between the direction data Db1 and the predetermined reference direction.

  Further, the CPU 30 calculates midpoint data Db2 indicating the midpoint between the first coordinate data Da1 and the second coordinate data Da2. Specifically, the CPU 30 refers to the first coordinate data Da1 and the second coordinate data Da2, and calculates the coordinates of the midpoint. Then, the CPU 30 stores the calculated midpoint coordinate data in the main memory 33 as the midpoint data Db2. Here, the midpoint data Db2 indicates the position of the target image (LED modules 8L and 8R) in the captured image. The change in the image position due to the change in the position of the core unit 70 can be calculated from the difference between the midpoint data Db2 and the predetermined reference position.

  Next, the CPU 30 calculates designated position data (step 53), and advances the processing to the next step. The CPU 30 calculates the designated position data Dc3 using the direction data Db1 and the midpoint data Db2 calculated in step 52.

  For example, when two LED modules 8L and 8R are installed on the upper surface of the monitor 2 (see FIG. 15) and the player points to the center of the screen of the monitor 2 using the core unit 70 with the upper surface facing upward (imaging) Consider a state in which the center of the screen is captured at the center of the captured image of the information calculation unit 74. At this time, in the captured image of the imaging information calculation unit 74, the position of the midpoint of the target image (the midpoint of the LED modules 8L and 8R) does not match the indicated position (center of the screen). Specifically, the position of the target image in the captured image is a position above the center of the captured image. If the reference position is set so as to indicate the center of the screen when the target image is located at such a position, the position of the target image in the captured image also moves in accordance with the movement of the core unit 70. (The moving direction is the reverse direction.) Therefore, a process for moving the indicated position in the screen in accordance with the movement of the position of the target image in the captured image is performed, and the position in the screen corresponding to the moving direction of the core unit 70 is performed. Can be instructed. Here, as for the setting of the reference position, as described above, the user may support a predetermined position on the screen in advance, and the position of the target image at that time may be stored in association with the reference position as a reference. If the positional relationship between the target image and the screen is fixed, it may be set in advance. Such an indicated position is calculated using a function for calculating coordinates (indicated position data Dc3) on the screen of the monitor 2 from the midpoint data Db2. This function converts the value of the midpoint coordinates calculated from a certain captured image into coordinates representing the position (indicated position) on the screen pointed to by the core unit 70 when the captured image is captured. is there. With this function, the indicated position on the screen can be calculated from the midpoint coordinates. When the midpoint coordinates are converted into coordinates representing the position in the game space, the position on the screen calculated by the above function is further converted to a position in the game space corresponding to the position on the screen. That's fine. Note that the position in the game space corresponding to the position on the screen is the position in the game space displayed at the position on the screen.

  However, when the player points to the center of the screen of the monitor 2 using the core unit 70 whose upper surface is directed in a direction other than the upward direction (for example, the right direction), the position of the target image in the captured image is above the center of the captured image. The position is shifted in a direction other than (for example, left). That is, due to the inclination of the core unit 70, the moving direction of the core unit 70 does not match the moving direction of the indicated position in the screen. Therefore, the midpoint data Db2 is corrected based on the direction data Db1. Specifically, the midpoint data Db2 calculated in step 52 is corrected to the midpoint coordinates when the upper surface of the core unit 70 is in the upward direction. More specifically, when the reference position is set, the direction data reference is also set, and the midpoint data Db2 calculated in step 52 is an amount corresponding to the angle difference between the direction data Db1 and the reference direction. Thus, the coordinates indicated by the midpoint data Db2 are rotated and corrected around the center of the captured image. Then, the designated position data Dc3 is calculated as described above using the corrected midpoint data Db2.

  Next, the CPU 30 sets an operation target operated by the controller 7 (step 54), and advances the processing to the next step. The CPU 30 sets each operation target for each operation unit, the imaging information calculation unit 74, the sensor, and the like provided in the controller 7.

  As an example, the operation target is appropriately changed according to the progress of the game or the operation of the player. For example, an operation target based on a signal from the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided in the core unit 70 is an object that exists at a position in the virtual game world obtained by converting the indicated position. When a menu screen that prompts the player to select from a plurality of options is displayed on the monitor 2, the operation target based on the signal from the imaging information calculation unit 74 is set as the option displayed at the indicated position. In addition, the operation target of the stick 78a provided in the subunit 76 is set to any object currently displayed on the monitor 2 among objects appearing in the virtual game world.

  As another example, the operation target is fixedly set. For example, the operation target of the stick 78a provided in the subunit 76 is fixed to the player character appearing in the virtual game space. In addition, an operation target based on a signal from the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided in the core unit 70 is fixed to a cursor (for example, an aiming cursor) displayed on the monitor 2 or a virtual camera for displaying a virtual game space on the screen. To do. Note that when the operation target is fixedly set, it is not necessary to repeatedly set it for each processing loop, and therefore step 54 may be executed only at the initial setting of the game process.

  Next, the CPU 30 performs processing for the operation target (step 55). And CPU30 performs the process according to the other operation information Da which was not processed at step 55 (step 56), and advances a process to the next step. In step 55, the CPU 30 performs processing corresponding to the operation information Da on the operation target set in step 54, and updates the posture data Dc1 and the target position data Dc2. For example, when the operation target of the stick 78a is a player character or a virtual camera, the position of the player character, the position of the virtual camera, or the direction of the virtual camera is changed according to the sub key data Da3 of the stick 78a. To change. Further, when the operation target of the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided in the core unit 70 is an aiming cursor, a virtual camera, and a menu screen, the position of the aiming cursor is moved, the direction of the virtual camera is changed, the menu screen Or select an option. A specific example of processing according to the operation information Da will be described later.

  Next, the CPU 30 performs display processing (step 57), and advances the processing to the next step. The CPU 30 refers to the operation target information Dc stored in the main memory 33 and data necessary for generating the game image (player character image, position data, terrain data, etc.), and generates a game image. Then, the CPU 30 displays the generated image on the screen of the monitor 2.

  Next, the CPU 30 determines whether or not to end the game (step 58). As a condition for ending the game, for example, a condition for a game over (for example, a parameter indicating the physical strength of the player character becomes 0) is satisfied, or the player performs an operation to end the game. There are things. CPU30 returns to the said step 51, and repeats a process, when not complete | finishing a game, and complete | finishes the process by the said flowchart, when a game is complete | finished.

  As described above, by imaging the marker (infrared light from the two LED modules 8L and 8R in the embodiment) fixedly installed by the imaging information calculation unit 74 of the core unit 70, the core unit for the marker is captured. A function as an intuitive operation device according to the position of 70 can be realized. That is, in the game processing in the game apparatus 3, by using the position of the core unit 70 as operation data corresponding to the operation of the player, an operation input different from an operation button or an operation key for pressing the button is obtained. Further, as described above, since the marker is installed in the vicinity of the display screen of the monitor 2, the position with respect to the marker can be easily converted into the position of the core unit 70 with respect to the display screen of the monitor 2. That is, the operation data based on the position and orientation of the core unit 70 can be used as an operation input that directly acts on the display screen of the monitor 2.

  Here, a game example in which a game operation is performed using the controller 7 described above will be described. The first example is a shooting game in which a game operation is performed using the controller 7. FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game image displayed on the monitor 2 when the game apparatus 3 executes a shooting game as a first example.

  In FIG. 22, a part of the three-dimensional virtual game space S is displayed on the display screen of the monitor 2. As a game object that operates in response to an operation of the controller 7, a part of the player character P and a part of the gun G possessed by the player character P are displayed on the display screen. Further, the virtual game space S displayed on the display screen expresses the field of view ahead of the player character P, and the enemy character E is displayed as a shooting target in the example of FIG. Then, the aim when the player character P shoots with the gun G is displayed on the display screen as an aiming cursor T.

  In a shooting game in which such a game image is displayed on the monitor 2, the player advances the game by operating the core unit 70 with one hand and the subunit 76 with the other hand (see FIG. 15). The operation target of the stick 78 a provided in the subunit 76 is fixed to the player character P. Further, the operation target of the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided in the core unit 70 is fixed to the aiming cursor T. When the operation target is set in this way, the player character P moves in the virtual game space S according to the tilt direction by tilting the stick 78a provided on the subunit 76 by the player. Further, when the player moves the hand holding the core unit 70 with respect to the display screen, an instruction position for the monitor 2 (LED modules 8L and 8R) is set, and the aiming cursor T moves to the instruction position. Then, when the player presses an operation button 72i (see FIG. 6) provided on the core unit 70, the gun G possessed by the player character P moves toward a virtual three-dimensional space position corresponding to the position of the aiming cursor T. When shooting is performed and the enemy character E exists at the shooting position, processing such as damage and destruction of the enemy character E is performed.

  In other words, the player can use the core unit 70 as if it were a gun for a shooting game while using the stick 78a provided in the subunit 76 for the movement instruction of the player character P, so that the interest of the shooting game is further increased. . Further, since the direction in which the position indicated by the core unit 70 is moved with respect to the screen of the monitor 2 is the same as the direction in which the aiming cursor T is moved, it is easy for the player to intuitively understand the operation direction. Since the operation for moving the player character P and the operation for moving the aiming cursor T are performed using units held by different hands, the player's operation can be performed with independent thinking. For example, since the virtual game space S displayed on the display screen changes in accordance with the movement of the player character P, the vicinity of the position in the virtual game space S where the player pays attention (for example, the enemy character E jumping out from the shadow) It may be difficult to always position the aim at (attention). However, since the player character P is moved by the movement of one hand (for example, the thumb of the left hand), the position indicated by the core unit 70 can be adjusted by the movement of the other arm (for example, the right arm) so that the position indicated by the core unit 70 becomes the above-mentioned attention position. The degree of freedom of operation of the controller 7 itself is significantly improved, and a realistic shooting game can be realized. Further, since the direction instruction operation for moving the player character P performed by the player and the direction instruction operation for moving the aiming cursor T do not affect each other, the player can perform two stable direction instruction operations. That is, by using the controller 7, the player's left and right hands are freed, and at the same time, a new operation with a high degree of freedom that cannot be physically operated by one controller is possible. It is also possible to use two units according to the dominant hand.

  With reference to FIG. 23, a second example in which a game operation is performed using the controller 7 described above will be described. FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a state of the virtual camera C when the game apparatus 3 creates a game image as a second example.

  In FIG. 23, an image of the game field F viewed from the virtual camera C is created as a game image. As in the first example, the player operates the core unit 70 with one hand and the subunit 76 with the other hand to advance the game. The operation target of the stick 78 a provided in the subunit 76 is fixed to the player character P. In addition, the operation target of the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided in the core unit 70 is fixed to the virtual camera C. When the operation target is set as described above, the player character P moves on the game field F in accordance with the tilt direction by tilting the stick 78a provided on the subunit 76 by the player. Further, when the player moves the hand holding the core unit 70 with respect to the display screen, the designated position P1 with respect to the screen of the monitor 2 is set. Then, the designated position P1 on the screen is further converted into a position P2 in the game space corresponding to the position on the screen. At this time, the virtual camera C changes the imaging direction to the a direction in the drawing so that the gazing point follows the position P2. That is, when the player moves the hand holding the core unit 70 with respect to the display screen, the point of sight of the virtual camera C moves following the position pointing to the monitor 2. In this case, since the display state of the screen is changed by the operation of the core unit 70, the indicated position in the virtual three-dimensional space is also moved. Therefore, when the virtual camera C is operated by the core unit 70, in combination with the operation of other operation keys or the like, the process of moving the camera so that the gazing point is directed to the position indicated at the moment when the key is pressed. I do. Also, instead of using the pointed position itself as a gazing point, the amount of movement of the pointed position is calculated while the key is held down, and the camera is moved so that the point of sight moves according to the amount of movement. May be performed.

  By such an operation, the player can watch the position of the game field F toward the core unit 70 while using the stick 78a provided in the subunit 76 for the movement instruction of the player character P. In a game or the like in which the shooting aim is always set at the center of the screen, the aim follows the position indicated by the core unit 70 by the operation of the second example. Furthermore, conventionally, in order to change the direction of the player character P, it is necessary to keep the operation unit such as a stick down, and the direction cannot be quickly changed. Further, since the relationship between the direction in which the stick is tilted and the direction in the screen varies depending on the player, it is necessary to provide a reverse mode in which the direction can be set according to the player's preference. However, in the second example, in a game or the like where the gazing point of the virtual camera C is always set to a position where the player character P is focused, the speed at which the gazing point moves is adjusted by an operation input according to the movement of the core unit 70. Then, if necessary, the player character P can quickly change direction, and the reverse mode is unnecessary because of the intuitive input.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 24, a third example in which a game operation is performed using the controller 7 described above will be described. The third example is a role playing game in which a game operation is performed using the controller 7. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a game image displayed on the monitor 2 when the game apparatus 3 executes a role playing game as a third example.

  In FIG. 24, a part of the three-dimensional virtual game space S is displayed on the display screen of the monitor 2. A player character P and a menu M are displayed on the display screen as game objects that operate according to the operation of the controller 7. The menu M is a menu screen that describes a plurality of options M1 to M7 for the player character P to act in the virtual game space S and prompts the player to select from the options M1 to M7.

  In a role-playing game in which such a game image is displayed on the monitor 2, as in the first example, the player operates the core unit 70 with one hand and the subunit 76 with the other hand to advance the game. To do. The operation target of the stick 78 a provided in the subunit 76 is fixed to the player character P. In addition, the operation target of the imaging information calculation unit 74 provided in the core unit 70 is set to one of the options M1 to M7 corresponding to the current designated position. When the operation target is set in this way, the player character P moves in the virtual game space S according to the tilt direction by tilting the stick 78a provided on the subunit 76 by the player. Further, an instruction position for the monitor 2 is set by moving the hand holding the core unit 70 with respect to the display screen by the player, and one of the options M1 to M7 displayed at the instruction position (in FIG. 24, A selection cursor Cs is displayed for the choice M1). Then, when the player presses the operation button 72i provided on the core unit 70, one of the currently selected options M1 to M7 (that is, the option on which the selection cursor Cs is displayed) is the player character P. It is determined as an action.

  By such an operation, the player can select the menu by pointing with the core unit 70 from the plurality of options M1 to M7 while using the stick 78a provided in the subunit 76 for the movement instruction of the player character P. In conventional game operations, menu selection by the controller takes time, and input by direction keys or the like is required. Therefore, in the case of a game in which the game progresses in real time, the player character is selected while the menu option is selected. The operation may fail because the operation cannot be performed. However, in the third example, since the character can be operated with one hand and the item can be selected directly with the other hand, a comfortable operation can be performed with little time loss.

  It should be noted that the first to third examples described above are merely game examples in which a great effect can be obtained by realizing the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these games. For example, the player character or other game object may be moved to a position in the game space corresponding to the designated position set by being pointed by the core unit 70.

  In the above description, the controller 7 and the game apparatus 3 are connected by wireless communication. However, the controller 7 and the game apparatus 3 may be electrically connected via a cable. In this case, the cable connected to the core unit 70 is connected to the connection terminal of the game apparatus 3.

  Further, although the communication unit 75 is provided only in the core unit 70 among the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 constituting the controller 7, a communication unit that wirelessly transmits transmission data to the reception unit 6 may be provided in the subunit 76. It doesn't matter. The communication unit may be provided in each of the core unit 70 and the subunit 76. For example, the communication units provided in the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 may wirelessly transmit transmission data to the receiving unit 6, respectively, or the transmission data may be wirelessly transmitted from the communication unit of the subunit 76 to the core unit 70. After being received by the communication unit 75 of the core unit 70, the communication unit 75 of the core unit 70 may wirelessly transmit the transmission data of the core unit 70 to the reception unit 6 together with the transmission data of the subunit 76. In these cases, the connection cable 79 for electrically connecting the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 is not necessary, and the two units are completely separated, so that two people can operate.

  Further, the reception unit 6 connected to the connection terminal of the game apparatus 3 has been described as the reception means for receiving transmission data wirelessly transmitted from the controller 7. However, the reception module provided in the main body of the game apparatus 3 has been described. The receiving unit may be configured as follows. In this case, the transmission data received by the receiving module is output to the CPU 30 via a predetermined bus.

  In addition, as an example of the detection unit that outputs a signal (processing result data) that changes according to the movement of the core unit 70 main body, the imaging information calculation unit 74 has been described as being built in the core unit 70, but other mechanisms may be used. Absent. For example, the core unit 70 includes the acceleration sensor 701 as described above, and a gyro sensor may be used. The acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor can detect the movement and posture of the core unit 70. If these detection signals are used, the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor is used as a detection unit that outputs a signal that changes according to the movement of the core unit 70 body. Can do. In this case, the imaging information calculation unit 74 built in the core unit 70 may be eliminated, or the sensor and the imaging information calculation unit may be combined.

  In addition, although the imaging information calculation unit 74 is provided only in the core unit 70, a similar imaging information calculation unit is also provided in the subunit 76 so that an intuitive operation corresponding to the movement of the controller is performed in both units. Also good. In this case, an input operation with a higher degree of freedom is possible. In the above-described embodiment, the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 are described as one controller. However, instead of the subunit 76, an alternative product having the same function as the core unit 70 may be used. For example, the core unit 70 itself is used. May be. In this case, two core units 70 are used. If the core unit 70 is considered as one controller, two controllers are used. Since the core unit 70 includes a communication unit for communicating with the game device, each core unit 70 communicates with the game device. On the game device side, the operation data received from one core unit 70 and the other core unit 70 are communicated. The game processing is performed based on the operation data received from.

  Further, the image data picked up by the image pickup device 743 is analyzed to acquire the position coordinates of the infrared light from the LED modules 8L and 8R, the barycentric coordinates thereof, and the like, and these are generated in the core unit 70 as the processing result data. Although the aspect of transmitting to the game apparatus 3 has been described, data of other processing stages may be transmitted from the core unit 70 to the game apparatus 3. For example, the image data captured by the image sensor 743 may be transmitted from the core unit 70 to the game apparatus 3, and the CPU 30 may perform the above analysis process to acquire the processing result data. In this case, the image processing circuit 744 provided in the core unit 70 becomes unnecessary. Further, the data during the analysis of the image data may be transmitted from the core unit 70 to the game apparatus 3. For example, data indicating brightness, position, area, and the like obtained from the image data may be transmitted from the core unit 70 to the game apparatus 3, and the CPU 30 may perform the remaining analysis processing to obtain processing result data.

  Further, in the above description, the infrared light from the two LED modules 8L and 8R is the imaging target of the imaging information calculation unit 74 of the core unit 70, but other objects may be the imaging target. For example, one or three or more LED modules may be installed in the vicinity of the monitor 2 and infrared light from these LED modules may be used as an imaging target of the imaging information calculation unit 74. In addition, the display screen itself of the monitor 2 or other light emitters (such as room lights) may be the imaging target of the imaging information calculation unit 74. If the position of the core unit 70 relative to the display screen is calculated based on the positional relationship between the imaging target and the display screen of the monitor 2, various light emitters can be used as the imaging target of the imaging information calculation unit 74.

  Further, the shapes of the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 described above and the shapes, numbers, and installation positions of the operation units 72 and 78 provided on them are merely examples, and other shapes, numbers, and installations are provided. It goes without saying that the present invention can be realized even in the position. Further, the position of the imaging information calculation unit 74 in the core unit 70 (the light incident port of the imaging information calculation unit 74) does not have to be the front surface of the housing 71. If the light can be taken in from the outside of the housing 71, the other surface. May be provided.

  Thus, the controller of the present invention can enjoy the game by using both the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 for the operation. Here, the core unit 70 has a function of outputting a signal corresponding to the movement of the unit main body such as the imaging information calculation unit 74 and the acceleration sensor 701, and the subunit 76 corresponds to the direction input operation of the player. It has a function to output a signal. For example, assuming a controller in which the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 are united and integrated, it is necessary to move the entire unit in order to output a signal corresponding to the movement of the unit body. It will have an effect. In addition, the opposite effect occurs. That is, when the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 are combined, the degree of freedom realized by separating them is significantly impaired. Accordingly, the core unit 70 and the subunit 76 are not only configured so that the conventional game machine controller can be separated into the left and right, but also the player's left and right hands are freed and at the same time a new one that cannot be operated in the combined type. Operation is possible. Further, since the degree of freedom of operation of the controller itself is remarkably improved, a realistic game operation can be realized.

  The game system and game program according to the present invention can realize a highly flexible operation, and are useful as a game system and a game program in which one player holds and operates a physically separated unit. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Game system 2 ... Monitor 2b ... Speaker 3 ... Game device 30 ... CPU
31 ... Memory controller 32 ... GPU
33 ... Main memory 34 ... DSP
35 ... ARAM
36 ... Controller I / F
37 ... Video I / F
38 ... External memory I / F
39 ... Audio I / F
40 ... disk drive 41 ... disk I / F
4 ... Optical disk 5 ... External memory card 6 ... Reception unit 7 ... Controller 70 ... Core unit 71, 77 ... Housing 72, 78 ... Operation part 73, 791 ... Connector 74 ... Imaging information calculation part 741 ... Infrared filter 742 ... Lens 743 ... Image sensor 744 ... Image processing circuit 75 ... Communication unit 751 ... Microcomputer 752 ... Memory 753 ... Wireless module 754 ... Antenna 700 ... Substrate 701 ... Acceleration sensor 702 ... LED
703 ... Crystal oscillator 704 ... Vibrator 705 ... Battery 76 ... Subunit 79 ... Connection cable 8 ... LED module

Claims (23)

A first controller;
A second controller configured separately from the first controller;
A game device that executes a predetermined game program and displays a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual game world in a display area of the display device;
The first controller includes:
An acceleration sensor;
A first operation data generation unit that generates first operation data including operation data corresponding to an input operation of a player other than the acceleration data output from the acceleration sensor and the acceleration data;
The second controller includes a second operation data generation unit that generates second operation data according to a direction input operation of the player,
The game device includes:
The first operation data and the second operation data are acquired, a predetermined game process is performed on the virtual game world according to the both operation data, and the second operation data is stored as part of the game process. Game processing means for moving the object in the virtual game world in response ,
Display processing means for displaying the virtual game world after the game processing as an image in a display area of the display device. The game processing means includes instruction coordinate determination means for determining, as instruction coordinates, predetermined coordinates corresponding to a display area of the display device based on the acceleration data,
The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game processing means performs a game process using the designated coordinates and the second operation data for a predetermined calculation.   The game system according to claim 2, wherein the designated coordinate determining means determines the designated coordinates by moving the designated coordinates from a predetermined position in correspondence with the acceleration data. The game processing means obtains a three-dimensional designated coordinate in a three-dimensional virtual game space corresponding to the designated coordinate, performs a game process including a calculation using the three-dimensional designated coordinate,
4. The game system according to claim 2, wherein the display processing unit performs a process of displaying a three-dimensional virtual game space on which the game processing unit has processed the game in a display area of the display device.   The game system according to claim 4, wherein the game processing means performs a predetermined process on the object existing at the position of the three-dimensional designated coordinates.   The game system according to claim 2, wherein the game processing unit arranges a predetermined object at a position corresponding to the designated coordinates. The game processing means generates a virtual game world including at least a menu area that prompts the player to select from a plurality of selection items,
The game system according to claim 2, wherein the game processing means performs a process of selecting a selection item displayed at a position including the designated coordinates in the display area.   The game processing means changes at least one of a position coordinate of a player character, a position coordinate of a virtual camera, and a direction vector of a virtual camera in the virtual game world in correspondence with the second operation data. 8. The game system according to any one of 7 to 7.   The game system according to claim 4, wherein the game processing means moves the direction of the virtual camera so that a gazing point of the virtual camera coincides with the three-dimensional designated coordinates. The game processing means performs a predetermined calculation on the amount of change in acceleration indicated by the acceleration data, determines a predetermined movement vector in a coordinate system corresponding to the display area, and performs a virtual camera in a three-dimensional virtual game space Move the direction of the virtual camera so that the point of interest moves in accordance with the movement vector on the display area,
The game system according to claim 1, wherein the display processing unit performs a process of displaying a three-dimensional virtual game space processed by the game processing unit in a display area of the display device.   The game system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the game processing means changes at least one of a position coordinate of a player character and a position coordinate of a virtual camera in the virtual game world in accordance with the second operation data. First operation data including acceleration data output from an acceleration sensor provided in the first controller and operation data corresponding to the player's input operation other than the acceleration data, and the first controller are configured separately. A game program for causing a computer of a game device to acquire second operation data corresponding to a direction input operation given to the second controller, to execute a predetermined procedure;
The first operation data and the second operation data are acquired, a predetermined game process is performed on a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual game world according to the two operation data, and as part of the game process, A game processing step of moving an object in the virtual game world according to second operation data ;
A game program that causes the computer to execute a display processing step of displaying the virtual game world after the game processing as an image in a display area of a display device. The game processing step includes
An instruction coordinate determination step for determining, as instruction coordinates, predetermined coordinates corresponding to a display area of the display device, based on the acceleration data;
The game program of Claim 12 including the step which performs a game process using the said instruction | indication coordinate and the said 2nd operation data for predetermined | prescribed calculation.   The game program according to claim 13, wherein the designated coordinate determining step includes a step of determining a new designated coordinate by moving the designated coordinate from a predetermined position in correspondence with the acceleration data. The game processing step includes
Obtaining a three-dimensional designated coordinate in a three-dimensional virtual game space corresponding to the designated coordinate;
Performing a game process including a calculation using the three-dimensional indication coordinates,
The game program according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the display processing step includes a step of displaying the three-dimensional virtual game space game-processed in the game processing step in a display area of the display device. The game processing step includes
Detecting an object present at the position of the three-dimensional indication coordinates;
The game program according to claim 15, further comprising a step of performing a predetermined process on the object.   The game program according to claim 13, wherein the game processing step includes a step of arranging a predetermined object at a position corresponding to the designated coordinates. The game processing step includes
Generating a virtual game world including at least a menu area that prompts the player to select from a plurality of selection items;
The game program according to claim 13, comprising a step of selecting a selection item displayed at a position including the designated coordinates in the display area.   The game processing step includes a step of changing at least one of a position coordinate of the player character in the virtual game world, a position coordinate of the virtual camera, and a direction vector of the virtual camera in correspondence with the second operation data. The game program according to any one of claims 15 to 18.   The game program according to claim 15, wherein the game processing step includes a step of moving the direction of the virtual camera so that a gazing point of the virtual camera coincides with the three-dimensional designated coordinates. The game processing step includes
Performing a predetermined calculation on the change amount of the first operation data due to the movement of the first controller;
Determining a predetermined movement vector in a coordinate system corresponding to the display area;
Moving the direction of the virtual camera so that the gazing point of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional virtual game space moves corresponding to the movement vector on the display area,
The game program according to claim 12, wherein the display processing step includes a step of displaying the three-dimensional virtual game space game-processed in the game processing step in a display area of the display device.   The game according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the game processing step includes a step of changing at least one of a position coordinate of a player character and a position coordinate of a virtual camera in the virtual game world in correspondence with the second operation data. program. A first controller;
A second controller configured separately from the first controller;
A game device that executes a predetermined game program and displays a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual game world in a display area of the display device;
The first controller includes:
An imaging unit fixed to the first controller body and capable of imaging a periphery in a predetermined direction with reference to the first controller body;
A first operation data generating unit that generates first operation data including a captured image itself captured by the imaging unit or a result of performing a predetermined calculation on the captured image and operation data according to an input operation of the player;
The second controller includes a second operation data generation unit that generates second operation data according to a direction input operation of the player,
The game device includes:
The first operation data and the second operation data are acquired, a predetermined game process is performed on the virtual game world according to the both operation data, and the second operation data is stored as part of the game process. Game processing means for moving the object in the virtual game world in response ,
Display processing means for displaying the virtual game world after the game processing as an image in a display area of the display device.

Images