Patent ID: 8272953
Filing Date: 2012-09-25
Classification: A63F

Abstract:
1. A game machine for playing a predetermined game individually or in cooperation with two or more game machines that are connected with each other so as to communicate therebetween, comprising: virtual world producing means, for producing a virtual world for a game in a virtual space in a memory, space time parameter which is comprised of a world coordinate and a virtual time being set in said virtual world; scenario advancing means, for advancing a scenario by moving a player character operable by a player in response to a signal from input means in said virtual world; said scenario advancing means having standalone execution means and cooperation game execution means, said standalone execution means for executing a standalone game where said scenario of said game is advanced alone by said game machine, and said cooperation game execution means for executing a cooperation game where said scenario of said game is advanced in cooperation with one's own game machine and the other game machine connected with said one's own game machine so as to communicate with each other by exchanging game information between said game machine and said other game machine through mutual communication; memory means, for storing a coordinate position of said player character in said virtual space and a virtual time at this point of time as present information; present position renewal means, for computing said coordinate position of said player character in said virtual space during execution of said game and renewing said present information of said player character stored in said memory means; character position transmitting means, for transmitting said coordinate position of said player character in said virtual space during execution of said cooperation game to the other game machine which is executing said cooperation game; 1) in a case where said game machine is a host game machine which requests the other guest game machine to execute said cooperation game at a time of execution of said cooperation game by said cooperation game execution means, said host game machine subsequently further comprising: request input means, through which an instruction to request said other game machine to execute said cooperation game is inputted; cooperation request information producing and transmitting means, for producing cooperation request information based on said inputted instruction to request to execute said cooperation game and transmitting said information to two or more other game machines connected so as to communicate; present information reading and transmitting means, for reading said coordinate position of said player character and said virtual time stored in said memory means at a first point of time when receiving cooperation game acceptance information showing acceptance of participation in said cooperation game from said other game machine and transmitting said read information to said other game machine; first cooperation game advance switching means, for storing in a memory information showing that said game machine is executing said cooperation game with said other game machine from which said cooperation game acceptance information was returned, and switching said game machine from the last standalone game execution state into a cooperation game execution state; first present time renewal means, for clocking said virtual time during execution of said cooperation game and renewing said present information stored in said memory means; present time transmitting means, for transmitting said renewed virtual time to said other game machine which is executing said cooperation game; 2) in a case where said game machine is a guest game machine which participates in said cooperation game requested by said other host game machine at a time of execution of said cooperation game by said cooperation game execution means, said guest game machine subsequently further comprising: cooperation request information input display means, for receiving said cooperation request information transmitted from said other game machine and displaying information showing that said cooperation request information was inputted by said other game machine on a display; acceptance input means, through which an instruction of acceptance of participation in said cooperation game is inputted in response to said received cooperation request information of said cooperation game; cooperation game acceptance information producing and returning means, for producing cooperation game acceptance information based on said inputted instruction of acceptance, and retuning said produced information to said other game machine; virtual time renewal means, for renewing said present information of said memory means by said virtual time at said first point of time, which was received from said other game machine to which said cooperation game acceptance information was transmitted; other machine present position renewal means, for storing said coordinate position of said player character of said other game machine at said first point of time which is transmitted by said present information reading and transmitting means at a time of execution of said cooperation game, in said memory means as other machine present information, and renewing said other machine present information based on said coordinate position of said player character of said other game machine which is transmitted from character position transmitting means of said other game machine during execution of said cooperation game; character position setting means, for computing and setting a coordinate position where said player character of said game machine should be displayed in said cooperation game based on said coordinate position of said player character of said other game machine at said first point of time, and for storing said computed position in said present information in said memory means; second cooperation game advance switching means, for storing in said memory information showing that said game machine is executing said cooperation game with said other game machine to which said cooperation game acceptance information was transmitted, and switching said game machine from the last standalone game execution state into said cooperation game execution state; and second present time renewal means, for renewing said present information stored in said memory means based on said virtual time which is transmitted from said present time transmitting means of said other game machine; wherein said cooperation game execution means displays both player characters of said host game machine and said guest game machine which participate in said cooperation game on said displays of said game machines based on said respective coordinate positions of said present information and said other machine present information, and thereafter said player character of said game machine is controlled in its position to be displayed based on said present information and said player character of said other game machine is controlled in its position to be displayed based on said other machine present information, and controls said virtual time in said cooperation game based on said present information.