Abstract:
[ProblemsTo provide a game system in which each of the players in turn controls a common character (operation object) so as to enjoy a continuous electric game; and to provide a game system in which a previous player who has been replaced by another player still has willing to participate in the game. There is provided a game system to which a plurality of players can access via respective operation terminals. According to input data from the operation terminals, a calculation processing device executes a game program, judges that a plurality of players are participating in the game, establishes teams, each consisting of a plurality of players, assigns a common character to each team, decides a reference point when the operation of the character is to be performed by another player belonging to the same team according to the program, judges whether the character has reached the reference point according to the parameter of the character, and, if the judgment is yes, offers the operation right of the character to another player, and controls the game system to continue the operation of the character addording to the signal from the operation terminal of the another player.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a game system, and in particular relates to a game system which is capable of performing information processing operation related to a competition game of the relay method.  
         [0002]     In recent years, due to the development of communication technique, it has become possible for each one of several players at far separated locations to connect game devices to the internet, and mutually to experience the same game at the sametime.  
         [0003]     Since such a game device includes a micro computer, and is made so as to be able to perform virtual three dimensional image processing, accordingly it is possible to perform various games in which a plurality of players are present within a virtual play space with common coordinates.  
         [0004]     A race game is one of these types of game. In such a race game, several users determine on automobile characters which each of them will operate, and, from the speeds and running positions and so on of these various automobile characters, a server determines on parameters for these various automobile characters to compete. The various game devices based on these parameters, the game devices display competition images on their display devices. The scores of the various automobile characters are calculated and compared by the server, and thereby it determines on the competitive rankings of the automobile characters.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     With a prior art game system, no consideration has been given to the aspect of performing continuous electronic play in which a plurality of players are controlling a common character (an object of operation) while taking turns. Furthermore, if after a change over has been performed the previous player goes away from the game, then his desire to continue by again participating in the game which is being continued by another player undesirably declines. Due to this type of reason, no electronic play method of the previously described type has ever been implemented  
         [0006]     The present invention takes as its object to provide a novel electronic playing system which solves this type of problem.  
         [0007]     In order to achieve this object, the first invention is a game system which can be accessed by a plurality of players via operation terminals, comprising a memory and a calculation processing device, wherein a game program is stored in the memory, and the calculation processing device executes the game program based on input data from the operation terminals, and wherein the game system is made to implement: means for deciding that a plurality of players have participated for game playing; means for establishing team composition for the plurality of players; means for assigning a common character to each team; means for determining a reference point at which operation of the character is changed over between players who belong to the same team, based on the game program; means for deciding whether or not the character has arrived at this reference point, from parameters of the character; and means for transferring a right of operating the character to another player when the decision is affirmative, and performing control so as to continue operation of the character, based on a signal from the operation terminal by the other player.  
         [0008]     According to this first invention, since, by the character arriving at the reference point, the right of operating the character is transferred to the side of the next player within the team, accordingly it becomes possible to provide a game system, with which it is possible to continue operating the same character continuously, even though the players change over.  
         [0009]     In one embodiment of the game system of the first invention, there is a race game in which players compete for better ranking points for characters which correspond to vehicles. A plurality of game devices are mutually connected together via the internet. A server for controlling the synchronization of a plurality of game devices which are connected to a communication circuit may be connected to a separate communication circuit from the game machine, or one of the game devices may also have the function of acting as a server.  
         [0010]     As for the method for team composition, the players who have established access may be divided up randomly, or may be divided up in order of access. As the reference point at which the players who belong to the same team change over, there are several examples. In one, it is a ground point which is present within a three dimensional virtual space which is defined by the game program. In a second, it is a time point on a time axis. The operation input from the second player is not used by the calculation processing device before the character arrives at this reference point; rather, the calculation processing device processes the character by operation input from the first player. After arrival at the reference point, the calculation processing device makes the input of the second player effective.  
         [0011]     Means for transmitting information between the side of the first player and the side of the second player is provided. For example, voice chat (conversation) may be implemented between the first operation terminal and the second operation terminal. Or, alternatively, the same information as the image or the voice which is displayed on the player terminal, which has the right of operating the character, may be reproduced on the operation terminals of the other players within the team.  
         [0012]     The first invention is one which is characterized by being a game device which is applied to the game system, by being a program for causing the already described calculation processing device to execute the already described means, and by being a storage medium on which this program is stored.  
         [0013]     Furthermore, the present invention is an information processing method in a game system which can be accessed by a plurality of players via operation terminals, with this game system comprising a memory and a calculation processing device, and with a game program being stored in this memory, with the calculation processing device executing the game program based on input data from the operation terminals, characterized in that this information processing method in the game system is made so as to implement: a process of deciding that a plurality of players have participated in game playing; a process of establishing team composition for the plurality of players; a process of assigning a common character to each team; a process of determining a reference point at which change over operation of the character between players who belong to the same team is performed, based on the game program; a process of deciding whether or not the character has arrived at this reference point, from parameters of the character; and a process of transferring the right of operating the character to another player when this decision is affirmative, and performing control so as to continue operation of the character, based on a signal from the operation terminal by the other player.  
         [0014]     A second invention is a game program for causing a computer device to input operation signals via operation means which are operated by a plurality of players, so as to execute a relay race game within a game space by player characters which are operated based on the operation signals, characterized by including: a game setting process of, based on operation signals from the players, reading out from a recording medium data for player characters based on selection by the players, and acquiring information about division of the players into teams for the relay race game, and about the order of play within each team; a game execution process of executing a start of the relay race game between the teams based on the team division information and the order-of-play information, and, based on the order-of-play information, performing a process of taking a player character of each team set as a current runner among the player characters, as a current runner character, to be moved within the game space; a display process of displaying the situation of movement as a game screen on game screen display means of the players; a decision process of acquiring position coordinates of the current runner character within the game space, taking a predetermined operation change over position as a reference point, and deciding whether or not the character is positioned within a predetermined distance range from the reference point; a notification process of, when decided that the current runner character is positioned within the predetermined distance range from the operation change over position, providing a display which announces a change over of operation of the current runner character on the game screen of the player who operates the next runner character which is set as the next runner among the player characters based on the-order-of play information; and an operation change over process of, when the current runner character arrives at the operation change over position, along with displaying the next runner character at the position of the current runner character, also inhibiting operation signals from the operator of the current runner character, and making effective an operation signal from the operator of the next runner character.  
         [0015]     Thus, according to the second invention, in a game setting process of the game program, based on operation signals from the players, data for player characters is read out from a recording medium based on selection by the players, and information is acquired about division of the players into teams for the relay race game, and about the order of play within each team; and, in a game execution process, a start of the relay race game between the teams is executed based on the team division information and the order of play information.  
         [0016]     At this time, in a display process, based on the order of play information, a process is performed of moving the player character of each team which is set as the current runner among the player characters within the game space as the current runner character, and displaying this situation as game screens on game screen display means of the players; and, from this display state, position coordinates of the current runner character within the game space are acquired, taking a predetermined operation change over position as a reference point, and a decision is taken (in a decision process) as to whether or not the character is positioned within a predetermined distance range from the reference point.  
         [0017]     In the above described decision process, if it has been decided that the current runner character is positioned within the predetermined distance range from the operation change over position, a display is provided (in a notification process) which notifies a change over of operation of the current runner character on the game screen of the player to operate the next runner character which is set as the next runner among the player characters based on the order of play information.  
         [0018]     And, in an operation change over process, when the current runner character arrives at the operation change over position, along with displaying the next runner character at the position of the current runner character, also operation signals from the operator of the current runner character are inhibited, and actuation signals from the operator of the next runner character are made effective.  
         [0019]     Since the change over timing for a character whose operation is shared between a plurality of players is decided on in this manner, and a notification of the change over of operation is provided on the game screens of the players, accordingly the operation start time for operating the next runner character is clear, so that mistaken operation does not occur. On the other hand, by inhibiting the operation signals from the operator of the present runner character, the so caller relay zone becomes clear, and it is possible to prevent dishonest changing over.  
         [0020]     With this second invention, it may be further characterized by including: a change over timing calculation process of, in the notification process, calculating timing at which operation change over is performed, based on the distance between the current runner character and the reference point; and a change over timing display process of providing a display which shows the timing of operation change over on the game screen of the operator of the next runner character, based on the change over timing information calculated by the change over timing calculation process.  
         [0021]     It is possible to calculate the timing for performing the operation change over in advance according to the distance from the reference point, and, by displaying this change over timing, it is possible to make clear the ranges over which the player who is operating the present runner character and the player who will operate the next runner character can respectively perform operation.  
         [0022]     Furthermore, with this second invention, it may be further characterized by including: a process of, in the notification process, displaying the next runner character translucently overlapped on the current runner character which is being displayed on the game screen of the operator of the next runner character; and a process of, based on the change over timing information which has been calculated by the change over timing calculation process, changing the transparency of the display of the current runner character and of the next runner character as the time for change over approaches, and, at the time point when the time for change over has arrived, displaying the next runner character normally along with deleting the display of the current runner character.  
         [0023]     When changing over between the present runner character and the next runner character, it may happen that one of them disappears suddenly, and, when the other appears, the timing of the change over is missed.  
         [0024]     Thus, the next runner character is displayed translucently overlapped on the current runner character which is being displayed on the game screen of the operator of the next runner character, and furthermore, based on the change over timing information which has been calculated by the change over timing calculation process, the transparency of the display of the current runner character and of the next runner character are changed as the change over time approaches, so that, at the time point that the change over time is reached, along with the display of the current runner character being deleted, the next runner character is displayed in a normal manner, so that it is possible to make the change over timing clear.  
         [0025]     Furthermore, with this second invention, it may be further characterized by including: a process of, in the announcement process, deforming the current runner character which is being displayed on the game screen of the operator of the next runner character into the next runner character; and a process of, based on the change over timing information which has been calculated by the change over timing calculation process, performing display so as to deform the current runner character into the next runner character as the time for change over approaches.  
         [0026]     When changing over between the present runner character and the next runner character, it may happen that one of them disappears suddenly, and, when the other appears, the timing of the change over is missed. Thus, the current runner character which is being displayed on the game screen of the operator of the next runner character is deformed into the next runner character, and furthermore by performing display, based on the change over timing information which has been calculated by the change over timing calculation process, so that the current runner character is deformed into the next runner character as the change over time approaches, it is accordingly possible to make the change over timing clear.  
         [0027]     According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a game system in which a plurality of players perform continuous electronic play by controlling a common character (an operated object) while taking turns. Furthermore it is possible to provide a game system with which, even after a change over has been performed, the desire of the previous player to continue taking part in the game increases. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]      FIG. 1  is a network diagram of a game system according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a game device according to the first embodiment;      FIG. 3  is a operation chart of the game device according to the first embodiment;      FIG. 4  is a figure showing a game screen outputted by the first embodiment;      FIG. 5  is a functional block diagram for movement control of a runner character by a CPU which is fitted to a game device according to the second embodiment;      FIG. 6  is a flow chart showing a character movement control routine according to the second embodiment; and      FIG. 7  shows a correlation related image which, according to the second embodiment, is displayed when changing over, and is a front view of a display monitor.         
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]     The first embodiment  
         [0036]      FIG. 1  shows a situation in which a plurality of game device  10 - 1  through  10 -n (hereinafter referred to as game devices  10 , as a generic term) are connected to a communication circuit  10  which consists of the internet. The game device  10 - 1  also functions as a master game machine (a server), and controls the other clients ( 10 - 2  through  10 -n) synchronously. And  FIG. 2  shows the system structure of each of the game devices  10 .  
         [0037]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the game device  10  comprises: a program and data storage device or storage medium (also including an optical disk and an optical disk drive or the like) 101 on which a game program and data (including both image and voice data) are stored; a CPU  102  which executes the game program, and performs control of the overall system and coordinate calculation for displaying images and the like; a system memory  103  in which programs and data which are necessary for the CPU  102  to perform its procedures are stored; a BOOT ROM  104  on which programs and data which are necessary when starting the game device  10  are stored; and a bus arbiter  105  which controls the flow of programs and data between the various blocks of the game device  10 , or to devices which are conarious blocks of the game device  10 , or to devices which are connected externally; and these are connected together by a bus.  
         [0038]     A rendering processor  106  is connected to the bus, and reflection (movie) data which has been read out from the program and data storage device or storage medium  101 , and images which may be created according to operation by the player and the progression of the game, are displayed by this rendering processor  106  on a display monitor  110 . Graphic data and the like required for the rendering processor  106  to perform image generation are stored in a graphic memory  107 .  
         [0039]     A sound processor  106  is connected to the bus, and music data which has been read out from the program and data storage device or storage medium  101 , and sound effects or voices which may be created according to operation by the player and the progression of the game, are outputted from a speaker  111  by this sound processor  108 . Sound data and the like required for the sound processor  108  to perform sound effect and voice generation are stored in a sound memory  109 . A modem/router C 1  is connected to the game device  10 , and performs communication with other game devices and a network server via an internet circuit. The reference symbol  300  is an operation terminal, and a dedicated controller, a keyboard, and a voice input device for voice chat are included in this operation terminal.  
         [0040]     In the game system shown in  FIG. 1 , team composition processing, race game execution processing , player change over processing, and various functions for information exchange between players who have been changed over are implemented.  FIG. 3  is a chart showing the information exchange operation between the master device and a game device (clients): the master device receives entries from the various game devices, terminates the reception of entries and determines the players who will participate in game play at the time point at which the number of people reaches the number necessary for team composition, and then executes team composition processing for the players.  
         [0041]     The CPU of the master device determines on the ID of the game device for which an entry has taken place and on the date and time of the entry, and stores it in a predetermined storage region of the system memory. For example, if it is supposed that four game devices have been entered, the game device ( 1 P) which accessed the master first and the game device ( 2 P) which accessed the master second may be made into team A, while  3 P and  4 P may be made into team B.  
         [0042]     The CPU, along with setting flags for  1 P and  2 P in the memory region which show that they are on the same team, also sets a flag for  1 P which shows that it is the first driver and a flag for  2 P which shows that it is the second driver. The same is the case for  3 P and  4 P.  
         [0043]     The master device  10 - 1  transmits the data related to team composition to each of the game devices. Each of the game devices displays on its monitor a screen related to team composition based on this data. This is performed by displaying the IDs of the game devices classified by team.  
         [0044]     Next, standby signals are sent from each of the game devices to the master device to the effect that it is possible to start the game. The CPU of the game master outputs a game start command (a start display) to  1 P and  3 P which relate to the first runners. The CPUs of  1 P and  3 P receive operating input from their operation terminals, set parameters for creating images of race cars (characters) in the running state, and transmit them to the game master. The master device first sets parameters for creating images on the game devices from the parameters of all the running vehicles, and transmits them to the game devices.  
         [0045]     The rendering processors of the game devices create and display images based on these parameters and the game program. This image creation is performed based on a point of view which has been defined in three dimensional coordinate space.  
         [0046]      FIG. 4  is a game screen which is displayed on the display monitor of  1 P or  3 P. The automobile at the center of the screen is a common character which is actuated by  1 P and  2 P (or  3 P and  4 P). The parameters related to the rate and the position of the character which have been created by the CPU of  1 P ( 3 P) are send via the game master to the side of the second driver  2 P ( 4 P). The CPU of  2 P ( 4 P) creates a game reflection based on these parameters. Accordingly, during the data processing period of  1 P, the same image as that of  1 P is displayed on the display monitor of  2 P, which is in the waiting state. The same is true between  3 P and  4 P.  
         [0047]     In regions  1 P through  4 P which are in the memory of the game master, there are provided flags related to the right of operation. During the processing period of  1 P (before changing over), data is set in the operation flag which identifies that operation by  1 P is effective. At this time, data is set in the flag related to  2 P which shows that operation by  2 P is inhibited. When a changeover of the right of operation from  1 P to  2 P is determined on by the CPU, these flags are reset, and the operation data of  2 P is made effective. The same is true for  3 P and  4 P.  
         [0048]     To continue the explanation further based on  FIG. 3 , the change over of the right of operation from  1 P to  2 P, or from  3 P to  4 P, is supposed to be performed when the character has made a specified number or more of circuits around a course in the three dimensional virtual space which is defined by the game program. In other words, when a certain ground point over the course has passed through the predetermined number of circuits, a change over of the right of operation for the character is performed.  
         [0049]     When this change over is performed, the respective game devices for before and after the change over is notified by i.e. a display such as “Ready”. After this change over has been performed, displays to the effect that the change over has been completed are made on the respective game devices for before and after the change over. The resetting of the flags related to the right of operation is performed at the time point that the character has passed the reference point. Since the two game devices which are being changed over are being actuated by their respective players before and after the character passes the reference point, it is not normal for blanks to occur on the input from their operation terminals.  
         [0050]     The CPU of the game master permits voice chat between those game devices, for which a common flag is set which shows that they are on the same team. This voice chat is a function by which simultaneous conversation is possible between the game terminals which belong to the same team, via voice input and output devices. For example if, during operation of the character by  2 P, voice input from  1 P has been performed to the game master, then the CPU checks the flags in its memory, and outputs the voice signal to  2 P, for which the same team flag is set. Accordingly, participation in the race game is possible even for a player, belonging to the same team, for whom the right of operating the character has been transferred. This may be easily understood if, for example, one considers that  1 P is a navigator who is sitting beside  2 P, who is the driver.  
         [0051]     Apart from voice communication, character information is also available for information exchange between the players. A player who does not have the right of operation may input characters or symbols using his own game device. This game device may transmit the inputted information, via the game master, to the game device on the side of the player to whom the right of operation has been transferred. The characters or symbols are displayed on the monitor of the game device which has inputted this signal. For example, it becomes possible to transmit the direction of the next corner, whether it is a right curve or a left curve, or the degree of curvature of the curve to the player who is actuating the character by characters or symbols (arrow signs). For example, one example of cooperative play within a team is when, in a “navigator game” mode, one side becomes the driver and one side becomes the navigator, and a screen is displayed on the screen on the side of the driver which cannot be properly seen because fog has come down, while on the side of the navigator, instead of him being able to perform driving operation, the course is seen normally, so that he can issue commands for curving or braking or the like. It is also possible to provide a game scene such as one in which, each time the race character performs one circuit, the player on the side of the driver and the player on the side of the navigator change over.  
         [0052]     The CPU of the game master decides whether or not a character has reached the goal, and calculates the points obtained by the team owing a character who has done so. The number of points obtained is added up and rankings are determined for all of the teams, and this total screen is transmitted to each of the game devices, and then the sequence of procedures terminates.  
       The Second Embodiment  
       [0053]     In the following, a second embodiment of the present invention (a second invention) will be explained. It should be understood that, in this second embodiment, to structural portions which are the same as in the first embodiment, the same reference symbols are appended, and the explanation of their structure will be curtailed.  
         [0054]     It should be understood that, in this second embodiment, there is shown a competitive game in which runner characters are applied as the objects which are operated, and these runner characters are ones which correspond to the vehicles in the vehicle running game of the first embodiment.  
         [0055]     Mainly, the particular characteristic of this second embodiment is that a clear notification is issued when changing over operation between the players on the same team.  
         [0056]     In other words, in the first embodiment, when changing over the operation, “Ready” was announced to the game devices for before and after the change over, and, before and after the reference point, which is a ground point for changing over, the two game devices which are changing over can each be actuated by its respective player.  
         [0057]     According to this, the players recognize when changing over is occurring, and a smooth change over is possible, but sometimes it may happen that, due to change of the speed of the character which is being displayed or the like, the time of the change over does not become clear.  
         [0058]     Thus, in this second embodiment, it is determined whether or not the present runner character is within a predetermined range from the reference point, and it is arranged to provide clear information about the time of change over to the players by notifying, based on the result of this decision, when he arrives at the reference point.  
         [0059]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram, functionally showing the main points of the control by the CPU  102  of the game device  10 , which mainly includes this change over time notification.  
         [0060]     A play execution control unit  200  is a device which manages overall image processing based on this game program, and an operation terminal  300  is connected to it via a bus arbiter  105 . Based on operation of this operation terminal  300 , play is caused to progress by the play execution control unit  200 . Furthermore, the progression of play by the play execution control unit  200  is displayed on a display monitor  110  which is connected via the bus arbiter  105  and a rendering processor  106 .  
         [0061]     A character movement control unit  202  is connected to this play execution control unit  200 . By this character movement control unit  202 , the movement is controlled of both its own runner character which is being operated by this operation terminal  300 , and of the other runner characters which must be displayed on the display monitor  110  along with this own runner character.  
         [0062]     A synchronization control unit  204  is connected to the character movement control unit  202 . This synchronization control unit  204  fulfils the role of synchronizing the movement state of the other runner characters (their movement coordinates) to the display of its own game device, based on the information which has been received from the other game devices and has been analyzed by a received data analysis unit  206 . This received data analysis unit  206  is connected to the bus via the sending and reception unit  208 .  
         [0063]     The positions of the other runner characters who are not on the same team, received from this synchronization control unit  204 , are recognized by this character movement control unit  202  based on the position coordinates of these other runner characters.  
         [0064]     In addition to this synchronization control unit  204 , a change over timing display control unit  210  and an image generation during change over command unit  212  are connected to this received data analysis unit  206 .  
         [0065]     The change over timing display control unit  210  creates image data for display (notification) of the change over timing on the display monitor  110 , based on the change over information which is transmitted from the other game devices which are on the same team. In other words, the change over timing display control unit  210  is connected to the play execution control unit  200 , and, if a runner character which is actuated by another game device  10  on the same team is the present runner character, and the runner character which is actuated by this game device is the next runner character, then notification information is extracted by the received data analysis unit  206 , and, based on this notification information, it commands the play execution control unit  200  to perform announcement control.  
         [0066]     As for example shown in  FIG. 7 , the positional relationship of the two runner characters during the change over is made clear by this image generation during change over command unit  212 , and a command is issued to the character movement control unit  202  to generate a correlation relationship image. Accordingly, an image which shows the correlation relationship of both of them as an image is added and displayed by the character movement control unit  202  in a portion of the image, taking its own runner character as a center, along with an announcement of the timing of this change over.  
         [0067]     By seeing this correlation relationship image, the player who operates the operation terminal  300  is able to recognize the change over timing by visual inspection.  
         [0068]     Furthermore, this character movement control unit  202  has at least one of a function of changing, between runner characters on the same team, the transparency during display of this operated character (a transparency adjustment function), and a morphing function of, between runner characters on the same team, deforming one into the other (a morphing processing function).  
         [0069]     Both this transparency adjustment function and this morphing processing function are well known techniques, and they work by exerting control so that, at the change over timing, the present runner character gradually becomes higher in transparency, while the next runner character gradually drops in transparency, so that it is possible to make the timing of change over actuation clear, by making it appear that the present runner character is deformed gradually into the next runner character as the present runner character approaches the reference point at the change over timing.  
         [0070]     On the other hand, if this game device  10  is the present runner character, then it has a function of sending position information for that present runner character to the other game devices  10  (despite whether they are on the same team or on different teams), and with a function of sending change over information to the other game device  10  of the same team which corresponds to the next runner character.  
         [0071]     In other words, the character movement control unit  202  is connected to a transmission data generation unit  214 , and transmits the position coordinates of its own runner character which is being operated by this game device  10  via the sending and reception unit  214  to the other game devices  10 .  
         [0072]     Furthermore, the character movement control unit  202  is connected to a character position determination unit  216 . The position of the present character is determined by this character position determination unit  216 , and these position coordinates are sent to a change over timing decision unit  218 . A reference point memory  220  is connected to this change over timing decision unit  218 . The coordinates of a reference point, which is the position for change over to the next runner character, are stored in this reference point memory  220 , and it is decided from the reference point coordinates which have been read out from the reference point memory  220 , whether or not the character is within the predetermined range.  
         [0073]     This change over timing decision unit  218  is connected to a change over timing transmission execution unit  222 , and, in the event that the character is within the predetermined range, transmission data is generated by the transmission data generation unit  214 , and change over information is transmitted via the sending and reception unit  214  to the other game devices  10  of the same team. The transmission of this change over information continues until the character arrives at the reference point.  
         [0074]     Furthermore, the change over information transmission execution unit  222  is connected to a character movement permission unit  224 . Movement due to the operation of the operation terminal  300  of its own runner character before it has passed the reference point as a boundary is permitted to the character movement control unit  202  by the character movement permission unit  224 , while, at the time point that the reference point is passed, movement of that runner character due to operation of the actuation terminal  300  becomes not permitted.  
         [0075]     The operation of this second embodiment will be explained in the following.  
         [0076]     The entry of this competitive game, the organization of teams, and the start of the game are the same as in the first embodiment, and are performed according to the communication protocol shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0077]      FIG. 6  shows the operation control routine of a runner character by the game device  10 ; and, in a step  230 , that game device  10  takes a decision as to whether or not it is in charge of the present runner or not, and when the decision is negative, the flow of control shifts to a step  232 , and a decision is taken as to whether or not it is in charge of the next runner.  
         [0078]     If in the step  230  the decision is affirmative, a procedure is performed for operating the movement of the present runner character by operation of the operation terminal  300 . On the other hand, if in the step  232  the decision is affirmative, then a procedure is performed for operating the movement of the next runner character by operation of the operation terminal  300 . Furthermore, if a negative decision has been taken in the step  232 , then it is decided that this is a waiting terminal (a terminal which corresponds to neither the present runner character nor the next runner character), and this routine terminates.  
         [0079]     If in the step  230  an affirmative decision is taken, the flow of control proceeds to a step  234 , and operation of the present runner character by the operation terminal  300  is made effective (i.e. is permitted), and the flow of control proceeds to the next step  236 , in which movement control for the present runner character is performed based on operation of the operation terminal  300 , and then in a next step  238  the position (i.e. the coordinates) of that present runner character are determined.  
         [0080]     In the next step  240 , the position (i.e. the coordinates) of the reference point are read out, and in a step  242 , based on the position of the present character and the reference point, it is decided whether or not it is within the predetermined range with respect to the reference point (either in terms of distance, or in terms of time, is acceptable).  
         [0081]     If in this step  242  a negative decision is taken, it is decided that it is not the time for change over, and the flow of control returns to the step  236 , so that the above described process is repeated.  
         [0082]     Furthermore, if in the step  242  an affirmative decision is taken, it is decided that it is the time for change over, and the flow of control proceeds to a step  244 , in which the change over timing to the next runner character is calculated based on the position of the present character, the distance to the reference point, the movement rate of the present character, and so on.  
         [0083]     In the next step  246 , the change over timing information which has been calculated is transmitted to the other game device  10  which corresponds to the next runner character, and then the flow of control proceeds to a step  248 .  
         [0084]     In this step  248 , the transparency of the present runner character is set according to the result of calculation of the change over timing. In other words, as the present runner character whose transparency is 0% nears the reference point, its transparency is gradually increased, and, when it arrives at the reference point, its transparency is made to be 100% (refer to  FIG. 7 ).  
         [0085]     In the next step  250 , a decision is taken as to whether or not the character has arrived at the reference point, and, if a negative decision has been taken, the flow of control returns to the step  236 . Furthermore, if in the step  250  an affirmative decision is taken, the flow of control shifts to a step  252 , and it is arranged for operation by the operation terminal  300  to be invalid (i.e. not to be permitted), and then this routine terminates.  
         [0086]     Next, if in the step  232  an affirmative decision is taken, the flow of control shifts to a step  254 , and it is decided whether or not the change over timing information has been received, and, in the case of a negative decision, this routine terminates. It should be understood that, at this time, the movement state of the present runner character is displayed on the display monitor  110 .  
         [0087]     When an affirmative decision is taken in the step  254 , the flow of control proceeds to a step  256 , and a notification is displayed to the effect that it is the time of changing over, and the flow of control then proceeds to the next step  258 , in which, in synchrony with the movement of the present runner character, an image in which the next runner character (the character which is to be operated by itself) is taken as the subject is created and is displayed.  
         [0088]     In the next step  260 , the correlation relationship image is displayed as overlapped over a portion of the display monitor  110 , and then the flow of control proceeds to a step  262 .  
         [0089]     In the step  262 , the transparency of the next present runner character is set according to the change over timing information, and then the flow of control proceeds to the step  264 . In other words, directly after receipt of the change over timing, the transparency of the next runner character is made to be almost 100%, and, as the present runner character approaches the reference point, gradually this transparency is reduced, so that the transparency becomes 0% (refer to  FIG. 7 ) at the time of the change over (i.e. when the present runner character arrives at the reference point).  
         [0090]     In the step  264 , a decision is taken as to whether or not the character has arrived at the reference point, and, in the case of a negative decision, the flow of control returns to the step  258 . Furthermore, if in the step  264  an affirmative decision has been taken, this routine terminates, but, when this routine starts its processing the next time, an affirmative decision comes to be taken in the step  230 .  
         [0091]     It should be understood that while, in this second embodiment, it was arranged, along with the present runner character approaching the reference point, to gradually increase its transparency (i.e. to make it gradually fainter), while gradually reducing the transparency of the next runner character (i.e. making it gradually more opaque), it would also be acceptable to deform the present runner character gradually into the next runner character, i.e. to perform so called morphing processing.