Patent ID: 9254439
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: A63F

Claim Text:
1. A method comprising: while playing a multi-player video game in which multiple players each supply inputs to a respective input device to control a corresponding game character in a game world displayed on a display screen, controlling movements of each game character in the game world in accordance with respective first game character control operations during the playing of the multi-player video game; in response to a first predetermined input by one of the players during the playing of the multi-player video game, protecting the one player's game character from harm in the game world without an end to the protected game character's life; controlling movements of the protected game character in the game world; and automatically stopping the protecting of the one player's game character in response to at least one of one or more protecting stopping conditions occurring during the playing of the multi-player video game, whereby the movements and actions of the one player's game character in the game world are controllable in accordance with the first game character control operation for that game character, wherein a first protecting stopping condition of the one or more protecting stopping conditions is contact between the protected game character and another player's game character.