Abstract:
A method is disclosed for controlling a character object in a virtual space by means of an information processing program. When a specific event occurs in the execution of the information processing program, a passing rate of time of the character object in the virtual space is changed, for example, by changing the rate at which the object is displaced in the virtual space as compared to a rate of change prior to the specific event. This method can be used, for example, to decrease a rate of displacement of only the object in the virtual space so that the object may be more easily manipulated.

Description:
[0001]     This application is related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-354868 filed on Nov. 21, 2000, and No. 2001-201026 filed on Jul. 2, 2001, based on which this application claims priority under the Paris Convention and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an information processing method and a program execution device, an information processing program to be executed by a computer, and a recording medium on which an information processing program to be executed by a computer is recorded, all of which are suitable for a video game machine which operates, for example, a character in a virtual space.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Conventional video games include a game such as a-called action game or sport game in which a game player (referred to as a player hereinafter) operates a character in a game virtual space displayed on a television monitor screen by using a predetermined operation terminal (referred to as a controller hereinafter). In such a video game, a player operates a plurality of buttons, a joystick, or the like formed on the controller to control the moving direction or the action of the character in the virtual space.  
         [0006]     In a conventional video game in which the character or the like is operated, in order to make it possible that the player operates an event occurring in the virtual space for a very short period of time, for example, the passing of time in the virtual space is made slow, i.e., a so-called slow state, a frame feed state, and a stop motion state (all the states will be referred to as a slow state or the like hereinafter) are set.  
         [0007]     However, in the slow state or the like in a conventional video game, the passing of time in the entire virtual space is slow, which raises a problem in that game properties themselves are deteriorated when the game is a video game such as an action game or a sport game in which a player receives a feeling of speed.  
         [0008]     In addition, in the conventional video game, when the normal progress state of the game is shifted to the slow state or the like, the passing of time in the entire virtual space is sharply changed from the passing of time in the normal progress state of the game to the passing of time in the slow state or the like. For this reason, a player has a sense of incongruity, and hesitates to operate the game.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an information processing method and a program execution device, an information processing program to be executed by a computer, and a recording medium on which an information processing program to be executed by a computer is recorded, all of which not only make them possible to operate an event occurring in a virtual space for a very short period of time but also realize the good game properties, and give a player a fresh feeling of game.  
         [0010]     According to one aspect of the present invention, when a specific event occurs in the execution of a predetermined information processing program, a passing rate of time on a virtual space structured by the predetermined information processing program is partially changed.  
         [0011]     According to another aspect of the present invention, when a specific event occurs in the execution of a predetermined information processing program, a passing rate of time on a virtual space structured by the predetermined information processing program is partially changed to make it possible to operate an event in the virtual space for a very short period of time, better entertainment properties can be realized to give a user a sense of entertainment which is fresh for the user.  
         [0012]     Other and further objects and features of the present invention will become obvious upon understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described in connection with the accompanying drawings or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employing of the invention in practice. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing a configuration of an entertainment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram showing an internal configuration of an entertainment device according to this embodiment.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a diagram used for explaining the data configuration of a game application program according to this embodiment.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a diagram showing a scene in which a ball flies to a game character as one scene of a video game.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a scene in which a game character will catch a ball as one scene of a video game.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing one scene of a video game used for explaining a concrete example in which the game properties are changed by execution of a time passing rate change processing program according to this embodiment.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart showing a flow of rough processes in the execution of the time passing rate change processing program according to this embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]     Various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the same or similar reference numerals are applied to the same or similar parts and elements throughout the drawings, and the description of the same or similar parts and elements will be omitted or simplified.  
         [heading-0021]     General Configuration of System of an Embodiment  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a rough configuration of an entertainment system (for example, a video game system) according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]     An entertainment system  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is a video game system comprising an entertainment device  2  serving as an example of a program execution device according to the present invention, a controller  20  serving as an operation terminal operated by a user (player), and a television monitor device  10  for displaying the contents of a game and outputting sound in the game.  
         [heading-0024]     Outline of Entertainment Device  
         [0025]     The entertainment device  2  is provided with memory card slots  8 A and  8 B allowing a memory card  26  to be inserted therein and ejected therefrom, controller ports  7 A and  7 B allowing a connector  12  of a cable  13  of the controller  20  to be attached thereto or detached therefrom, a disk tray  3  on which an optical disk such as a DVD-ROM or a CD-ROM is loaded, an open/close button  9  for opening/closing the disk tray  3 , an on/standby/reset button  4  for setting an ON, standby, or reset state of a power supply, an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 connection terminal  6 , a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection terminal  5 , and the like. Although not shown, on the rear space side of the entertainment device  2 , a power supply switch, an audio/video output terminal (AV multiple output terminal), a PC card slot, an optical digital output terminal, an AC power supply input terminal, and the like are provided.  
         [0026]     The entertainment device  2  executes a game according to a game application program read from the optical disk such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like, a game application program downloaded through various communication lines such as a telephone line, a LAN, a CATV line, and a communication satellite line, and an instruction input from a player through the controller  20 . The execution of the game is that the game progresses such that a video image (game video image) in a game screen displayed on a screen  11  of the television monitor device  10  connected to the entertainment device  2  or sound (game sound) of an audio device are controlled according to an instruction input by the player through the controller  20 . In the entertainment device  2  shown in  FIG. 1 , two controllers  20  can be connected to the controller ports  7 A and  7 B. Using the two controllers  20  enables two players to perform various games. In the memory card  26  loaded on the memory card slot  8 A or  8 B, various game data generated by execution of, for example, a video game are stored (saved).  
         [0027]     The entertainment device  2  not only executes a video game on the basis of the game application program but also can reproduce (decode) audio data recorded on a CD or video and audio data recorded on the DVD and can be operated on the basis of other various application programs.  
         [heading-0028]     Outline of Controller  
         [0029]     The controller  20  has a left grip section  35  which is gripped by an operator (player) of the controller  20  such that the left grip section  35  is folded in the left palm of the player, a right grip section  36  which is gripped by the player such that the right grip section  36  is folded in the right palm of the player, a left operation section  21  and a right operation section  22  which are operated by the thumbs of the left and right hands while the grip sections  35  and  36  being gripped by left and right hands, a left analog operation section  31  and a right analog operation section  32  which are possible to perform analog operation (joystick operation) as well as by the thumbs of the left and right hands, a first left depression button  23 L and a first right depression button  23 R which are depressed by the left and right first fingers, and a second left depression button and a second right depression button (not shown) which are depressed by the left and right second fingers. On the left operation section  21 , for example, “up”, “down”, “left”, and “right” buttons used when the player performs an operation for moving, for example, a game character up, down, left , right, and the like on a screen are arranged. On the right operation section  22 , four instruction buttons (“.”, “.”, “x”, and “.” buttons) to which different functions such as setting and execution of a function of a game character are allocated by a game application are arranged. In particular, in this embodiment, a menu selection button, a title display button, a cancel or stop button, and a determination button are allocated to the “.” button, the “.” button, the “x” button, and “.” button, respectively.  
         [0030]     In addition, the controller  20  further comprises a mode selection switch  33  for activating or inactivating the functions of the left and right operation sections  21  and  22  and the left and right analog operation sections  31  and  32 , a light display setion  34  for allowing a player to recognize a selected operation mode by displaying an illumination such as an LED (light-emitting diode), a start button  24  for instructing the entertainment device to perform reproduction and temporary stop, a select button  25  for instructing the entertainment device to display a menu and an operation panel on the monitor screen  11 , and the like.  
         [0031]     When the various buttons and operation sections are operated, the controller  20  generates operation signals corresponding to the operations and transmits the operation signals to the entertainment device  2  through the cable  13 .  
         [0032]     In the controller  20 , a vibration generation mechanism for generating vibration by rotating weights which are eccentric to the rotation shafts of motors by the motors is arranged in the left and right grip sections  35  and  36 . The vibration generation mechanism can be operated depending on an instruction from the entertainment device  2 . More specifically, when the vibration generation mechanism is operated, a function for transmitting vibration to the players hands is achieved.  
         [heading-0033]     Internal Configuration of Entertainment Device  
         [0034]     The outline of the internal circuit configuration of the entertainment device  2  according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to  FIG. 2 .  
         [0035]     The entertainment device  2  according to this embodiment comprises, as basic configurations, a main CPU  100  for performing signal processing and control of internal constituent elements on the basis of various programs of a game application program or the like according to this embodiment (to be described later), a graphic processor (GP)  110  for performing image processing, an I/O processor (IOP)  120  for performing interface processing between the outside and the inside of the device, an optical disk control section  130  for performing read control of an optical disk  131  such as the DVD or the CD on which the application program or multimedia data is recorded and for decoding the read data, a main memory  160  including a buffer  161  fotemporarily storing data read from a work area of the main CPU  40  and the optical disk  131 , an IOP memory  170  for storing an instruction or data executed by the I/O processor  120 , an OS-ROM  150  for storing an operating system program mainly executed by the main CPU  100  or the I/O processor  120 , and a sound processor unit (SPU)  140  for performing audio signal processing.  
         [0036]     The main CPU  100  and the graphic processor  110  are connected to a dedicated bus  101 . The main CPU  100  and the I/O processor  120  are connected to each other by an SBUS  102 . The I/O processor  120 , the optical disk control section  130 , the OS-ROM  150 , and the sound processor unit  140  are connected to each other by an SSBUS  103 .  
         [0037]     The main CPU  100  executes various programs or the like including the operating system program stored in the OS-ROM  150  and the game application program according to this embodiment read from the optical disk control section  130  and loaded on the main memory  160  or downloaded through a communication network to control all operations of the entertainment device. The I/O processor  120  controls inputting/outputting data from the memory card  26  for storing the settings or the like of a signal and a game from the controller  20  to which an instruction of the player is input and inputting/outputting data in a USB connection terminal, an IEEE1394 connection terminal, a PC card slot, and the like, and performs conversion or the like of data protocols.  
         [0038]     The graphic processor  110  draws an image according to a drawing instruction from the main CPU  100  to store the drawn image in a frame buffer (not shown). The graphic processor  110  has the same function as that of a geometric transfer engine for performing a process such as coordinate transformation. The geometric transfer engine constitutes a virtual three-dimensional object by groups of triangular polygons when an application program such as a game recorded on the optical disk  131  uses so-called three-dimensional graphics. Various calculations for generating an image obtained by photographing the three-dimensional object by a virtual camera is performed, i.e., transparent transformation when rendering is performed (calculations of coordinate values when the vertexes of respective polygons constituting the three-dimensional object are projected on a virtual camera screen) is performed. The graphic processor  110  performs rendering of the three-dimensional object to the frame buffer according to a drawing instruction from the main CPU  100  while using the geometric transfer engine as needed to form an image. The graphic processor  110  outputs a video signal representing the formed image.  
         [0039]     The sound processor unit  140  comprises an ADPCM decoding function for reproducing audio data subjected to adaptive predictive coding, a reproducing function for reproducing an audio signal such as sound effects by reproducing waveform data stored in a sound buffer  141  to output the audio signal, a modulation function for modulating and reproducing the waveform data stored in the sound buffer  141 . Since the sound processor unit  140  comprises these functions, the sound processor unit  140  is designed to be used as a-salled sampling sound source which generates an audio signal such as music or sound effects from the waveform data stored in the sound buffer  141  on the basis of an instruction from the main CPU  100 .  
         [0040]     In the entertainment device  2  having the above configuration, when a power supply is turned on, the operating system program for the main CPU and the operating system program for the I/O processor are read from the OS-ROM  150 , and the operating system programs are executed by the main CPU  100  and the I/O processor  120 , respectively. In this manner, the main CPU  100  integrally controls the respective sections of the entertainment device  2 . The I/O processor  120  controls inputting/outputting a signal between the I/O processor  120  and the controller  20  or the memory card  26 . When the main CPU  100  executes the operating system program, the main CPU  100  performs an initializing process such as an operation check, controls the optical disk control section  130 , reads the application program such as a game recorded on the optical disk  131 , loads the application program on the main memory  160 , and execute the game application program. When the game application program is executed, the main CPU  100  controls the graphic processor unit  110  and the sound processor unit  140  according to an instruction of a player received from the controller  20  through the I/O processor  120  and controls a display of an image and generation of sound effects and music.  
         [heading-0041]     Rough Configuration of Game Application Program  
         [0042]     In the entertainment device  2  described above, a video game realized by the game application program of this embodiment will be described below. The video game in this embodiment is not limited to the types of games such as a so-called roll playing game (RPG), an adventure game (AVG), and a simulation game (SLG).  
         [0043]     The game application program of this embodiment can be recorded on a recording medium such as the optical disk  131  and can be downloaded through a communication line, and has a data configuration shown in  FIG. 3 , for example. The data configuration shown in  FIG. 3  conceptually represents a program section and other data sections included in the game application program, and does not represent an actual program configuration.  
         [0044]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a game application program  200  according to this embodiment is roughly constituted by a program section  201  executed by the main CPU  100  and various data sections  210  for generating polygons and textures used when a video game image is generated.  
         [0045]     The program section  201  includes at least a display control program  202  for controlling a game virtual space displayed on the screen  11 , an object display in the virtual space, and the like, a sound control program  203  for controlling sound generation or the like in the execution of the game, and a program  204  for realizing a time passing rate change processing (to be described later) according to this embodiment.  
         [0046]     The data sections  210  includes data  211  for generating polygons and textures when a video game image is generated and data  212  for the time passing rate change processing according to this embodiment. Although the details will be described later, the data for the time passing rate change processing is, for example, coefficient data to be multiplied to a variable for determining the position for every unit time of objects in the virtual space, detailed polygon data and texture data for generating detailed polygons and textures used when only a specific portion of the object in, for example, the virtual space can be controlled by magnifying and displaying the specific portion as the time passing rate change process, and the like.  
         [heading-0047]     Outline of Time Passing Rate Change Processing Program  
         [0048]     A time passing rate change processing program according to this embodiment is a program for realizing an operation performed by a player with respect to an even occurring in a virtual space for a very short period of time. For example, when a specific event occurs in the progress of the game (when a specific condition is satisfied), the time passing rate change processing program partially changes (for example, delays) a time passing rate in the virtual space and, at the same time, changes operation methods themselves to a character, so that different game properties and different feelings of game can be given to the player on a continuous screen of the game.  
         [0049]     As the “occurrence of a specific event”, for example, a case in which a certain scene is changed to a predetermined scene on a virtual space of a video game, a case in which another object or the like is close to a predetermined object or the like within a predetermined distance, a case in which a game character is moved to an area on a specific map, a case in which the progress of the game reaches a predetermined state such as a case in which it is predetermined time in the progress of the game, a case in which a predetermined button arranged on the controller is pressed, a case in which a predetermined instruction is made by the controller such as a case in which a predetermined button arranged on the controller is continuously hit, and the like are exemplified.  
         [0050]     As an example of the “occurrence of a specific event”, for example, “another object is close to a predetermined object within a predetermined distance” includes the following cases. That is, as shown in  FIG. 4 , when a scene in which a ball B (another object) is flied toward a game character C (the predetermined object), and, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the character C stretches her/his hand to catch the ball B with a glove G is considered, the ball B comes into the screen, the distance between the ball B and the glove G is smaller than the predetermined distance, and the like.  
         [0051]     The specific events (specific conditions) are set for respective video game applications in advance. In addition, in one video game, specific events can be set as different conditions depending on a certain scene, a progress state of the game, and the like.  
         [0052]     The “the passing rate of time in a virtual space is partially changed” means that the displacement of the predetermined object among frames in a world coordinate system is changed by multiplying a predetermined coefficient to a variable for determining the position for every unit time of a predetermined object in the virtual space while a moving speed of a viewpoint in the virtual space (i.e., moving speed of a camera which virtually photographs the game space) and an input acceptance frequency from the controller  20  are not changed. In other words, only a time passing rate of the predetermined object is changed (for example, decreased or increased) with respect to the time passing rate of the virtual space. The coefficient can also be increased or decreased for each object. In this manner, the game properties can be variably changed.  
         [0053]     As described above, according to the time passing rate change processing program of this embodiment, “the passing rate of time in a virtual space is partially changed”, and, on the other hand, the moving speed of the viewpoint in the virtual space and an input acceptance frequency from the controller are not changed, to thereby, for example, enable the player to control with the controller  20  a motion of the character which is almost impossible in general in a continuous game.  
         [0054]     More specifically, when the passing rate of time of a predetermined object in the virtual space is, for example, decreased, the player can know a motion of a character or the like occurring in the virtual space for a very short period of time. When the moving speed of the view point in the virtual space and the input acceptance frequency from the controller are not changed, the player can operate a motion of the character which is almost impossible in general without a sense of incongruity. In other words, in order to make a player to recognize a motion of the character occurring in the virtual space for a very short period of time, for example, as the slow state and the like in the prior art, when time in the entire virtual space including the viewpoint is delayed, the player is perplexed by a sharp change in time in the virtual space. In addition, in order to make it possible that a motion of the character occurring in a virtual space for a very short period of time is operated by the controller, for example, when an input acceptance frequency from the controller is increased, the player cannot cope with the change of the input acceptance frequency of the controller to be hard to operate the game. However, in this embodiment, these drawbacks do not occur.  
         [0055]     In this embodiment, since a time passing rate in the virtual space is not changed, sound generation is normally performed, and sound at a normal speed is output.  
         [0056]     In this embodiment, for the sake of descriptive convenience, as an example the time passing rate of which is changed, the object is used, however, the present invention is not limited to the object, for example, the time passing rates of all things included in a predetermined range in the virtual space can be changed.  
         [0057]     The “operation methods themselves to the character are changed” is that, when a movement of the entire body of the character is generally operated by the controller  20  (for example, analog operation sections  31  and  32 ), and the specific event occurs (the specific condition is satisfied), the methods are switched to each other such that only a specific part such as a hand of the character is operated by the controller  20  (for example, the analog operation sections  31  and  32 ).  
         [0058]     More specifically, for example, in the case of  FIG. 4  or  5 , the movement or the like of the entire body of a game character C is operated by the controller  20 , however, after a specific event occurs such that the distance between the ball B and the glove is smaller than the predetermined distance, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the methods are switched such that only a hand (motion of the glove G) of the character C is operated by the controller  20 . In this manner, for example, the ball B which is flied at a high speed can be caught by the hand (glove G) of the character C, and the game properties can be changed. In this case, as in the case in  FIG. 6 , when a viewpoint position or a field angle (i.e., the position or the angle of view of a camera which virtually photographs the game space) in the virtual space is changed, for example, when a zoom-in operation is performed, a further direction effect can be obtained in the game properties.  
         [0059]     In a conventional technique, when the zoom-in method is employed, the player is merely confused. In this embodiment, the passing rate of time of only a part in the virtual space is changed (for example, decreased), and time of a viewpoint of the virtual space is not changed. For this reason, the player can cope with the game with a margin without a sense of incongruity.  
         [0060]     As described above, according to the time passing rate change processing program of this embodiment, when “the operation methods themselves to the character are changed”, the player can enjoy an event occurring in the virtual space for the very short period of time, and the game properties can be changed.  
         [heading-0061]     Flow of Processes in Execution of Time Passing Rate Change Processing Program  
         [0062]      FIG. 7  shows the flow of rough processes in the execution of the time passing rate change processing program included in the game application program according to this embodiment described above. The flow of the time passing rate change processes (to be described later) is realized such that the time passing rate change processing pro gram included in the game application program of this embodiment is operated on the main CPU  100  built in the entertainment device  2  shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0063]     In  FIG. 7 , the time passing rate change processing program determines whether the specific event occurs or not (the specific condition is satisfied or not) as the process in step S 1  in the progress of the video game. More specifically, the main CPU  100  monitors that the progress of the video game reaches a predetermined state or that a predetermined instruct ion is performed from the controller  20  on the basis of the time passing rate change processing program  204  of this embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  and loaded on the main memory  160  to determine whether the specific event occurs or not.  
         [0064]     When the specific event occurs in the step S 1 , the time passing rate change processing program determines an object serving as a target to be subjected to the time passing rate change processing as the process in step S 2 . More specifically, the main CPU  100  determines a target object or the like to be subjected to the time passing rate change processing in the virtual space on the basis of a progress state of the video game or an instruction from the controller  20 .  
         [0065]     The time passing rate change processing program performs the time passing rate change processing for the target object as the process in step S 3 . More specifically, the main CPU  100  extracts coefficient data to be multiplied to variables for determining the position for every unit time of the target object from the data  212  for the time passing rate change processing loaded on the main memory  160  and shown in  FIG. 3 . The variables for determining the position for every unit time of the target object are multiplied by the coefficient data to change the time passing rate of the target object in the virtual space. If necessary, an operation input of the controller  20  for the character constituted by the target object is changed to change operation methods for the character.  
         [0066]     As in the example shown in  FIG. 6 , when only a specific part of the character is zoomed in to obtain an enlarged image and to make it possible to control the specific part, the main CPU  100  extracts detailed polygons and texture data for displaying the specific part of the character from the data  212  for the time passing rate change processing in  FIG. 3 . In this manner, in the graphic processor  110 , an enlarged image of the specific part of the character is generated from the detailed polygons and texture data.  
         [0067]     The time passing rate change processing program determines whether the time passing rate change processing for the target object is completed or not as the process in step S 4 . If the time passing rate change processing is not completed, the flow returns to the process in step S 3 . If the time passing rate change processing is completed, the flow returns to the normal game process in the game application program. More specifically, when the control is out of the specific event by the progress of the video game, an operation input from the controller  20 , or the like, the main CPU  100  returns the control to the normal progress of the game.  
       Conclusion of Embodiment  
       [0068]     As has been described above, according to this embodiment, since the time passing rate of the predetermined object in the virtual space can be changed into another rate different from the time passing rate in the virtual space, the predetermined object can be controlled by the different manner as that of another part in the virtual space. In addition, according to this embodiment, since a viewpoint moving speed in the virtual space and an acceptance frequency of a predetermined instruction input are not changed, the continuity of predetermined information processing viewed from a user is not deteriorated.  
         [0069]     More specifically, according to this embodiment, in a video game which operates, for example, a character in the virtual space, when a specific event occurs in the progress of the game, the time passing rate of a target object in the virtual space is changed, and operation methods themselves to the character or the like are changed. For this reason, an event occurring in the virtual space for a very short period of time can be operated by the player, and different game properties on continuous screens in the game is realized, therefore, a fresh feeling of game can be given to the player.  
         [0070]     In particular, when the time passing rate of the object is decreased, complex detailed operation systems and game strategies which cannot be operated (or are difficult to be operated) by a player at a normal game speed can be realized without giving influence to the tempo, basic operation, and basic rule of the game. Therefore the game properties can be considerably improved, and a new-style game can be formed.  
         [0071]     The description of the embodiment is an example of the present invention. For this reason, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various changes can be effected depending on a design or the like without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as a matter of course. For example, the time passing speed change processing program according to the present invention can also be applied not to only a video game machine but also to all information processing devices such as personal computers which can perform processes corresponding to the program. Although the embodiment exemplifies the case in which the time passing rate of the target object is decreased, the time passing rate can be increased, and a temporary stop operation, a frame feed operation, a time reverse operation, and a time jump operation can also be performed.