Game program, game processing method, and game system

Abstract

To provide a game program, a game processing method, and a game system which can properly display the states of other player characters outside a screen.SOLUTION: In response to a player's operation input, a first player object is moved. When a second player object operated by another player exists outside the range of a game image, 2P icon showing the second player object is displayed within a game image and at a position depending on the position of the second player object. When the second player object is in a first state, and when the position of the second player object is within a predetermined distance from the first player object, a state icon showing the first state is displayed in place of or in addition to the 2P icon. When the second player object is positioned at the predetermined distance or more from the first player object, the 2P icon is displayed while the state icon is not displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to display control of information regarding a player character that is off-screen. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique for displaying a position mark indicating the position of a player object that satisfies a predetermined condition when the player object is outside a display range (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-171013 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned games, the constant display of notifications indicating that a certain condition has been met may cause the player to lose focus on playing the game, while the absence of such position marks may cause the player to lose track of the existence and location of other player objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, for example, the following configuration examples are given.

[0006] (Configuration 1) Configuration 1 is a game program executed by a computer of an information processing device. The computer is made to function as an object moving means for moving a first player object in a virtual space in response to an operation input by a player, a virtual camera control means for controlling a virtual camera for generating a game image in relation to the position of the first player object, and an icon generating means for generating a 2P icon indicating a second player object in a game image at a position corresponding to the position of the second player object when a second player object operated by another player is present outside the range of the game image. The icon generating means generates a status icon indicating the first state in place of or in addition to the 2P icon in a game image at a position corresponding to the position of the second player object when the second player object is in a first state and (1) when the second player object is less than a predetermined distance from a reference position related to the first player object, and (2) when the second player object is away from the predetermined distance or more, generates the 2P icon to be displayed in the game image, but does not generate a status icon.

[0007] According to the above configuration, when a second player object outside the screen is in the first state, if the second player object is closer than a predetermined distance from the first player object, the player can know that the second player object is in the first state. Therefore, the player can progress through the game according to the position and state of the second player object. On the other hand, if the second player object is farther away than the predetermined distance, the player is not informed that the second player object is in the first state. Therefore, while the player can know the presence and position of the second player object, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the interest of the game caused by being informed more than necessary that the second player object is in the first state.

[0008] (Configuration 2) Configuration 2 may be a state in which, in configuration 1 above, the first state continues for a predetermined time, and a predetermined in-game effect occurs when the first player object and the second player object come into close proximity while the first state continues.

[0009] According to the above configuration, when a predetermined in-game effect is caused or not caused, the player can know that the second player object is in the first state, which can increase the interest of the game. On the other hand, when the second player object is at a certain distance, whether the second player object is in the first state or not is not displayed, so that the player can concentrate on his / her own game operation.

[0010] (Configuration 3) Configuration 3 in the above configuration 1 may be such that the in-game effect is an effect that allows the second player object to advance the game advantageously.

[0011] According to the above configuration, when a player tries to bring the first player object closer to the second player object in order to cause an in-game effect to occur, but is unable to cause the in-game effect to occur because the distance to the second player object is too far, this can reduce interest, but by not displaying information on whether the first state is present when the second player object is at a distance greater than a predetermined distance, such a decrease in interest can be suppressed. On the other hand, when the first state is displayed, this means that the second player object is relatively close, providing motivation for bringing the first player object closer to the second player object in order to cause the in-game effect to occur.

[0012] (Configuration 4) In configuration 4, in configuration 3 above, the first state may be a state in which, after a predetermined time has elapsed, play is temporarily interrupted and the play must be restarted, or a state in which the game is over, and the in-game effect may be an effect that puts the player in a state in which play can be continued.

[0013] According to the above configuration, it is possible to increase motivation to generate an in-game effect within a predetermined time.

[0014] (Configuration 5) Configuration 5 in any one of configurations 2 to 4 above may be such that the predetermined distance is shorter than a distance traveled by the first player object when the first player object moves continuously for a predetermined period of time.

[0015] According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the interest of the game caused by displaying a status icon even in a situation where a specified in-game effect does not occur or is difficult to cause.

[0016] (Configuration 6) In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fifth aspects, the status icon may include information regarding a remaining time until the predetermined time has elapsed for the second player object.

[0017] According to the above configuration, by displaying the remaining time limit, the player's sense of tension can be heightened, thereby making the game more entertaining.

[0018] (Configuration 7) Configuration 7 is based on any one of configurations 2 to 6 above. The status icon may include distance information to a position of the second player object.

[0019] According to the above configuration, the distance to the second player object can be grasped more specifically, thereby improving convenience for the player.

[0020] (Configuration 8) Configuration 8 is any one of configurations 2 to 7 above, wherein when the first player object enters the first state, the icon generating means may generate distance information to the position of the second player object to be displayed in the game image instead of or in addition to the 2P icon.

[0021] According to the above configuration, it becomes easier for any player to grasp in which direction and how far away the other player objects are.

[0022] (Configuration 9) Configuration 9 may be such that, in any of configurations 2 to 8 above, the 2P icon becomes smaller as the distance between the first player object and the second player object increases up to a predetermined distance, and once the distance exceeds the predetermined distance, the size of the 2P icon is kept constant regardless of the distance between the first player object and the second player object.

[0023] According to the above configuration, when the second player object is in the first state, the distance can be known to some extent from the size of the icon, making it easier to determine whether or not to approach the second player object.

[0024] (Configuration 10) Configuration 10 may be configured in any one of configurations 2 to 8 above, wherein when the distance between the first player object and the second player object exceeds a predetermined distance, the display mode of the 2P icon is changed.

[0025] According to the above configuration, it becomes easier for the player to understand that there is no indication as to whether or not the first state is being held.

[0026] (Configuration 11) Configuration 11 is any of configurations 1 to 10 above, wherein the icon generating means may generate a specific state icon indicating the second state so as to be displayed in the game image instead of or in addition to the 2P icon when the second player object is in the second state, regardless of the distance between the first player object and the second player object.

[0027] According to the above configuration, for example, information of a particular state that is highly important to the player is always displayed regardless of distance, and information of a state that becomes less important depending on distance can be switched in display depending on the distance, thereby enabling comfortable game play.

[0028] (Configuration 12) Configuration 12 in the above configuration 11, the second state may be a state in which the second player object disappears from the virtual space.

[0029] According to the above configuration, for example, when a second player object (another player) disappears from the virtual space, this fact can be communicated more clearly than in the case where the 2P icon is simply removed, which is difficult to convey by simply removing the 2P icon.

[0030] (Configuration 13) In configuration 13, in the above-mentioned configuration 1, the second player object may change to the first state by acquiring a predetermined item placed in the virtual space.

[0031] According to the above configuration, the player can grasp that the second player object has changed to the first state, and thereby can recognize that a predetermined item is present near the first player object.

[0032] (Configuration 14) Configuration 14 is the above-mentioned configuration 1, wherein the virtual space may include an area in which the second player object is movable when the second player object is in the first state.

[0033] According to the above configuration, the display of the 2P icon and the state icon can make the player aware that there are places he cannot go to unless he changes to the first state.

[0034] (Configuration 15) Configuration 15 may be a game in which a first player object is moved in a virtual course including a first virtual space and a second virtual space that are not continuously connected to each other. When the first player object is in the first virtual space and the second player object is in the second virtual space, a 2P icon may be generated so as to be displayed in a game image related to the first virtual space at a position corresponding to the position of the second player object in the second virtual space.

[0035] According to the above configuration, even when player objects are located in different unconnected virtual spaces, it is possible to make the player feel as if they are located in the same virtual space.

[0036] (Configuration 16) Configuration 16 is a game in which the game images are displayed so that the virtual world scrolls horizontally or vertically, and a first predetermined range extending in the left-right direction or the up-down direction in the first virtual space and a second predetermined range extending in the left-right direction or the up-down direction in the second virtual space may be preset as related ranges. When the second player object is in a position included in the second predetermined range in the left-right direction or the up-down direction, the 2P icon may be generated so as to be displayed in a position according to the first predetermined range in the game image related to the first virtual space, which corresponds to the position of the second predetermined range based on the position of the second player object.

[0037] (Configuration 17) Configuration 17 may be such that in the above configuration 15, a relationship for associating a position in the second virtual space with a position in the first virtual space is set in advance. Then, the icon generating means may associate a position of the second player object in the second virtual space with a position in the first virtual space based on the relationship, and generate a 2P icon so as to be displayed at a position in the game image corresponding to the associated position in the first virtual space.

[0038] According to the above configuration, the 2P icon is displayed at a predetermined position in accordance with the movement of the second player object in another virtual space, making it possible to give the player the feeling as if they are in the same world.

[0039] (Configuration 18) Configuration 18 is such that, in the above configuration 15, when the first player object and the second player object are in different spaces, even when the state of the second player is the first state, the icon generating means may generate a 2P icon instead of generating a state icon.

[0040] According to the above configuration, it becomes easy to understand that the second player object is in a virtual space different from that of the first player object. Effect of the Invention

[0041] According to the present disclosure, the first state can be displayed or not displayed depending on the distance to another player object outside the screen. This allows the player to comfortably progress through the game according to the direction and state of the second player object while preventing a decrease in the interest of the game. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall view of a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of game server 1 [Diagram 3] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the game device 3. [Figure 4] An example of a game screen [Diagram 5] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Figure 6] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Figure 7] An example of a game screen [Figure 8] An example of a stage screen [Figure 9] An example of a game screen [Figure 10] Close-up of 2P icon 211 [Figure 11] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Figure 12] An example of a game screen [Figure 13] A diagram to explain the relationship between the size of the 2P icon 211 and the distance of the 1P character 201 [Figure 14] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Figure 15] An example of a game screen [Figure 16] Close-up of status icon 212 [Figure 17] An example of marker display [Figure 18] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Figure 19] An example of a game screen [Figure 20] An example of a game screen [Figure 21] Close-up of 2P icon 211 [Figure 22] A memory map showing an example of various data stored in the storage unit 32 of the game device 3. [Figure 23] A flowchart showing details of the game processing executed by the game device 3. [Figure 24] An example of a course with multiple areas [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a link area. [Figure 26] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Figure 27] An example of a game screen [Figure 28] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Figure 29] An example of a game screen [Diagram 30] An example of a course with multiple areas [Diagram 31] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a link area. [Diagram 32] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the player characters [Diagram 33] An example of a game screen [Diagram 34] An example of a game screen [Diagram 35] An example of a course with multiple areas DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0043] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall image of an information processing system (game system) according to this embodiment. The information processing system 100 of this embodiment includes a game server 1 and a plurality of information processing terminals 3. The game server 1 and the information processing terminal 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network 10 such as the Internet. In this embodiment, information processing is executed with such a configuration, and below, game processing will be described as an example of the information processing. Specifically, a game program is installed on the information processing terminal 3, and the game processing is executed while communicating with the server 1 or other information processing devices 3 as necessary.

[0044] [Game server hardware configuration] First, the hardware configuration of the game server 1 will be described. In this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the game server 1. In the following, the game server 1 may be simply called a server. The server 1 includes at least a processor 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The processor 11 executes various programs for controlling the server 1. The storage unit 12 stores various programs executed by the processor 11 and various data used. The communication unit 13 is connected to a network by wired or wireless communication, and transmits and receives predetermined data between the information processing terminal 3 or another server (not shown).

[0045] [Hardware configuration of information processing terminal] Next, the information processing terminal 3 will be described. The information processing terminal 3 is, for example, a smartphone, a stationary or portable game device, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a personal computer, a wearable terminal, etc. In this embodiment, a stationary game device (hereinafter simply referred to as a game device) will be described as an example of the information processing terminal 3.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the game device 3 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 3, the game device 3 includes a processor 31. The processor 31 is an information processing unit that executes various information processes executed in the game device 3, and may be composed of only a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or may be composed of a SoC (System-on-a-chip) including a plurality of functions such as a CPU function and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) function. The processor 31 executes various information processes by executing an information processing program (e.g., a game program) stored in the storage unit 32. Note that the storage unit 32 may be an internal storage medium such as a flash memory or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or may be configured to use an external storage medium or the like that is inserted into a slot not shown.

[0047] The game device 3 also includes a wireless communication unit 33 for wirelessly communicating with other game devices 3 and the server. As the wireless communication, for example, Internet communication or short-distance wireless communication is used.

[0048] The game device 3 also includes a controller communication unit 34 for allowing the game device 3 to communicate with the controller 4 in a wired or wireless manner.

[0049] Furthermore, a display unit 5 (e.g., a television or the like) is connected to the game device 3 via an image / audio output unit 35. The processor 31 outputs images and sounds generated (for example, by executing the above-mentioned information processing) to the display unit 5 via the image / audio output unit 35.

[0050] Next, the controller 4 will be described. The controller 4 includes at least one analog stick 42, which is an example of a direction input device. The analog stick 42 can be used as a direction input unit capable of inputting a direction. By tilting the analog stick 42, the player can input a direction according to the tilt direction (and input a magnitude according to the tilt angle). The controller 4 also includes a button unit 43 including various operation buttons. For example, the controller 4 may include a plurality of operation buttons on the main surface of the housing.

[0051] The controller 4 also includes an inertial sensor 44. Specifically, the controller 4 includes an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor as the inertial sensor 44. In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor detects the magnitude of acceleration along predetermined three axial directions. Furthermore, the angular velocity sensor detects angular velocity around the predetermined three axes.

[0052] The controller 4 also includes a communication unit 41 for performing wired or wireless communication with the controller communication unit 34. The directional input contents to the analog stick 42, information indicating the pressed state of the button unit 43, and various detection results by the inertial sensor 44 are repeatedly output to the communication unit 41 at appropriate timing and transmitted to the game device 3.

[0053] (First embodiment) Next, an overview of the information processing according to the first embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as an example of information processing, a game processing in which a player operates a player character object (hereinafter referred to as a player character) existing in a virtual space to play will be assumed and described. More specifically, in this embodiment, a side-scrolling action game (hereinafter referred to as this game) that progresses on a 2D screen will be assumed and described. In this game, a virtual space called a "course" that is the main stage of play is prepared. The virtual space is, for example, a two-dimensional virtual space, and various objects are arranged in a horizontally long area. In addition, a start point and a goal point are set in the course. Various enemy characters, obstacles, jump platforms, pitfalls, and other various gimmicks are arranged between the start point and the goal point. In this game, the player character is made to reach the goal point while defeating or avoiding these enemy characters. The course may also be called a "stage" or a "round" depending on the game.

[0054] In addition, this game allows multiplayer play. As an example, by connecting the game device 3 to the server or other game devices 3 via the Internet, online multiplayer play with other players is possible. More specifically, in this game, online multiplayer play is possible using a communication group configuration in a so-called MO (Multiplayer Online) type online game. That is, a communication group (hereinafter referred to as a course room) corresponding to the course and a virtual space corresponding to the course are generated. Then, when a predetermined number of players "enter" the virtual space, online multiplayer play is possible between the players who have entered the room. Note that a maximum number of people who can enter the stage room is set. In this example, it is assumed that a maximum of four people can enter one stage room. In addition, in this game, as an example, a mode in which game devices 3 are connected to each other in the stage room using a P2P (Peer to Peer) communication method is used.

[0055] In the following, an example will be described in which two players are playing this game. FIG. 4 shows an example of a game screen in this game. In FIG. 4, a 1P character 201 operated by a first player and a 2P character 202 operated by a second player are displayed. This game screen is related to the game device 3 of the first player, and the following description will be given from the viewpoints of the first player and the game device 3 of the first player. In the following description, the upward direction will be the y-axis positive direction and the rightward direction will be the x-axis positive direction with respect to the coordinate axes of the game screen.

[0056] In this game, the 2P character 202 moves reflecting the operation of the second player, but does not directly interfere with or affect the game play being executed on the game device 3 of the first player. In other words, the game play of the first player is not hindered by the 2P character 202. Specifically, only the position information of each player's character is shared between the game devices 3. On the other hand, the state and position information of other objects such as enemy characters are not shared. For example, in the game device 3 of the first player, a collision determination process with enemy objects and the like in the course is performed only for the 1P character 201, and a collision determination process is not performed for the 2P character 202. Therefore, even if the 1P character 201 overlaps with the position of the 2P character 202, the 1P character 201 moves through the enemy object without colliding with the enemy object. Also, even if the 2P character 202 overlaps with an enemy character, a collision determination between the 2P character 202 and the enemy character is not performed, and the enemy character moves through the 2P character 202. Also, for example, even if the 1P character 201 defeats the enemy character A, the state of this enemy character A is not reflected on the game device 3 of the second player. If the second player does not defeat the enemy character A on the game device 3 of the second player, the enemy character A is controlled to still exist. In other words, the progress management of the play of the course itself is performed individually on each game device, and at this time, if the 2P character 202 is in the same course room, only the display of that character is performed. Therefore, each player can basically play the course with the same feeling as single play without being influenced by the actions of the other players and without hindering the actions of the other players.

[0057] [About the cooperation elements] As described above, basically, each player can play the game individually without being influenced by other players. However, this game has elements of cooperative play in the following points. Specifically, this game allows players to influence each other with a function called "revival assistance." The "revival assistance" will be described. For example, assume that the 1P character 201 comes into contact with an enemy character, etc., and is treated as a "mistake" when playing single-player. The "mistake" is, for example, a case where the progress of game play is temporarily interrupted, one remaining life is lost, and the play must be restarted (restart, respawn, etc.), or a case where the game is over when there are no remaining lives. In such a case, if the player is playing while connected online, it is not immediately treated as a "mistake." Instead, the appearance of the 1P character 201 is changed. In the following, the character whose appearance has changed is called a "revival waiting character," the state of the player character before changing to the revival waiting character is called the "normal state," and the state of the player character after changing to the revival waiting character is called the "revival waiting state."

[0058] The above-mentioned resurrection-waiting character can be moved by the operation of the first player. Furthermore, during the resurrection-waiting state, collision judgment between the resurrection-waiting character and obstacles such as terrain objects is not performed, and the character can slip through them. Furthermore, during the resurrection-waiting state, the character cannot receive damage from enemy characters and the like. If the position of the 2P character 202 and the position of the resurrection-waiting character come close to each other before a predetermined time has elapsed, the 1P character 201 can be returned to the normal state. As an example, by making the two characters come into contact with each other in appearance, the 1P character 201, who has become a resurrection-waiting character, can be revived without being treated as a "miss". This is also true when the positions of the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 are reversed. In other words, when the 2P character 202 comes into contact with an enemy character, the 2P character 202 becomes a resurrection-waiting character. If the positions of the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 can be overlapped within a predetermined time, the 2P character 202 can be revived. On the other hand, if the positions of the two characters cannot be overlapped within a predetermined time, a "miss" is confirmed at that time, and the player loses his / her remaining lives and restarts, or the game is over. Therefore, for example, if the player characters move while keeping a certain distance from each other, when an event that may be a "miss" occurs, it becomes easier to help the character waiting for revival to be revived. As a result, there is an advantage that the game is less likely to be over, which is made use of in multiplayer play. In addition, when the character (1P character 201) operated by the player changes into a character waiting for revival, a count display indicating the remaining time of the predetermined time for which revival is possible may be displayed at a predetermined position on the screen. For example, a remaining time counter may be displayed near the bottom of the character waiting for revival so as to follow the movement of the character waiting for revival. In addition, in order to revive a character waiting for revival, it is not necessary for the character to come into contact with another character. For example, the character waiting for revival may be revived when at least one of the characters comes close enough to the other character to be displayed on the game screen of the player operating the character.

[0059] However, as described above, since the game can be progressed individually on each game device 3, it is possible that the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 may not be displayed on the same game screen. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a part of the course and the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202, corresponding to the state of FIG. 4. In the following, the upward direction is the y-axis positive direction, and the rightward direction (the direction to the goal point) is the x-axis positive direction with respect to the coordinate axes of the course (virtual space). FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship in a state where only the 2P character 202 has advanced slightly ahead from the state of FIG. 5. In FIG. 6, the position of the 2P character 202 is such that it is not displayed on the game screen of the game device 3 of the first player.

[0060] In the case of the situation shown in FIG. 6, in order to allow the first player to grasp the approximate position (including the concept of direction) of the 2P character 202 with respect to the 1P character 201, in this game, a "marker" corresponding to the 2P character 202 is displayed near the right or left edge of the game screen. In this example, either a "2P icon" or a "status icon" described below is displayed as the marker. Note that this example illustrates a case where only two players are in the course room, but if, for example, four players are in the room, a marker corresponding to each player may be displayed. For example, on the game screen of the first player, up to three markers corresponding to each player character operated by a player other than the first player (referred to as a remote player) may be displayed at the same time.

[0061] FIG. 7 shows an example of the display of the marker on the game screen of the first player. In FIG. 7, the 2P icon 211 is displayed as a marker in the approximate center of the right edge of the screen. In this figure, as shown in FIG. 6 above, the 2P character 202 is located at a distance A away from the right side of the 1P character 201 (the direction toward the goal), so the 2P icon 211 is displayed on the right edge of the screen. If the 2P character 202 is located on the left side of the 1P character 201 and outside the screen, the 2P icon 211 will be displayed on the left edge of the game screen. The display position of the 2P icon 211 on the y axis on the game screen reflects the position of the 2P character 202 on the y axis in the virtual space (hereinafter, y axis position). For example, if the 2P character 202 jumps and moves slightly upward from the state of FIG. 6 as shown in FIG. 8, the display position of the 2P icon 211 on the game screen of the first player also moves vertically slightly upward while remaining at the right edge of the screen as shown in FIG. 9. In this way, by displaying the 2P icon 211, it is made easier for the first player to understand whether the player character related to the second player is ahead of him / her, behind him / her, and above him / her, or below him / her.

[0062] In this example, a horizontally long course is assumed, so the 2P icon 211 is displayed at either the right or left edge of the screen. In this regard, in the case of a course where the movable range extends vertically as well, such as a course that is partially or entirely vertically long, the 2P icon 211 may be displayed at the top or bottom edge of the screen in addition to or instead of the right or left edge, at a position that reflects the position of the 2P character 202 on the x-axis (hereinafter, x-axis position).

[0063] Here, a display example of the 2P icon 211 will be described in more detail. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the 2P icon 211. As shown in Fig. 10, the 2P icon 211 is displayed in such a manner that the facial image of the 2P character 202 is displayed within a circular frame. Note that this is just one example, and other images may be used as long as the image can be identified as the 2P character 202. For example, the letters "2P" or the character's name may be displayed as the 2P icon 211.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the size of the 2P icon 211 on display is changed according to the distance between the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202. Specifically, the size of the 2P icon 211 is made smaller as the distance between them increases. Then, when the distance between them exceeds a certain distance, the 2P icon 211 is fixed to a predetermined minimum size. The distance is measured as a straight-line distance on the x-axis of the virtual space. The distance may be measured as a two-dimensional straight-line distance between the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202. This makes it easier for the first player to visually grasp how far the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 are apart. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, assume that the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 are apart by a distance B. This is a distance even longer than the distance A in the state of FIG. 6. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 12, the 2P icon 211 is displayed at a smaller size than in the case of FIG. 7.

[0065] FIG. 13 shows the relationship between the size of the 2P icon 211 and the distance to the 1P character 201. In FIG. 13, the first distance is the distance from the position of the 1P character 201 to the right edge of the screen, assuming that the 1P character 201 can move within the screen. The second distance is a distance longer than the first distance. Also, as will be described later, it is also a predetermined distance that is determined in advance in consideration of the above-mentioned "revival assistance function." And, when the 2P character 202 is within the first distance, the 2P character 202 is displayed directly, so the 2P icon 211 is not displayed. When the 2P character 202 is between the first distance and the second distance, the size of the 2P icon 211 changes according to the linear distance from the 1P character 201 on the x-axis. Also, when the 2P character 202 is located farther than the second distance, the 2P icon 211 is displayed fixed at the minimum size. It should be noted that the first distance may be a distance slightly beyond the right edge of the screen.

[0066] In addition, when the 2P character 202 is located farther than the second distance, the display mode of the 2P icon 211 may be changed. For example, when the 2P character 202 is between the first distance and the second distance, the display mode is such that the face image of the 2P character 202 is displayed in a circular frame as shown in FIG. 10. On the other hand, when the 2P character 202 is located farther than the second distance, the circular frame may not be displayed and only the face image of the 2P character 202 may be displayed in a minimum size. In other words, even if the display mode of the icon changes depending on whether or not the character is within the second distance, the size of the icon when the character is farther than the second distance is the same as or smaller than the minimum size of the icon when the character is within the second distance (i.e., the size of the icon when the character is at the second distance).

[0067] Next, the display of the marker when the 2P character 202 is in a state of waiting for revival will be described. When the 2P character 202 has changed to a character waiting for revival, a status icon is displayed as a marker. For example, assume that the 2P character 202 has changed to a character waiting for revival in a positional relationship in which the distance between the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 is A, as shown in FIG. 14. In this case, instead of the 2P icon 211, a status icon 212 as shown in FIG. 15 is displayed as a marker. FIG. 16 shows an enlarged view of the status icon 212. As shown in FIG. 16, the status icon 212 is an image including the characters "HELP" and a distance counter indicating the in-game distance from the 1P character 201 to the 2P character 202. By displaying such contents as the status icon 212, the first player can grasp that the 2P character 202, who is off the screen, has become a character waiting for revival and how far away it is. Also, the size of the status icon 212 is changed according to the distance, similar to the 2P icon 211. Therefore, the sense of distance can be easily grasped from the size of the status icon 212. This motivates the first player who recognizes the status icon 212 to use the marker as a landmark to bring the 1P character 201 closer to the 2P character 202 in order to help the 2P character 202, which is to say, to perform rescue operations.

[0068] The status icon 212 may change in response to a predetermined operation performed by the second player. For example, while the 2P character 202 is in a state of waiting for revival, the "HELP" status icon 212 may be displayed only while the second player is performing an operation (e.g., repeatedly tapping the B button) that can temporarily move the 2P character 202 at high speed. On the other hand, when such an operation is not performed, other status icons indicating the state of waiting for revival may be displayed. This allows the first player to guess to some extent whether the second player is actively requesting help or not. That is, when the status icon 212 is displayed, it is considered that the second player is quickly moving the 2P character 202 toward the player, and therefore it can be guessed that the second player is actively requesting help. As a result, the first player can also judge that he or she will actively perform an operation to move the 1P character 201 closer to the 2P character 202. Even if the second player is in a state of waiting for revival, the 2P icon 211 may continue to be displayed unless a predetermined operation is performed.

[0069] The display mode of the distance counter may be, for example, in the form of a meter, instead of a number. Instead of or in addition to the distance counter, a time counter indicating the remaining time until the predetermined time has elapsed may be included in the status icon 212. This may also be displayed in the form of a meter, instead of a number. Alternatively, the remaining time may be indirectly indicated by displaying a time counter indicating the elapsed time since the game entered the waiting-for-revival state, instead of the remaining time. Note that the "time" is not limited to a concept of time such as 1 second or 2 seconds, but may be a time-based count such as 1, 2, etc. In this case, 1 count may correspond to 0.8 seconds or 1.2 seconds, not 1 second. The number of counts that can be kept in the waiting-for-revival state and the number of seconds that correspond to 1 count may change according to the game situation.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which a status icon 212 is displayed instead of a 2P icon 211 as a marker when the 2P character 202 is waiting to be revived. In this regard, in other embodiments, an image in which the status icon 212 is added to the 2P icon 211 may be displayed as a marker, as shown in Fig. 17, for example. The example in Fig. 17 shows an example in which the status icon 212 is added near the bottom of the 2P icon 211. When there are multiple remote players and multiple characters waiting to be revived are also present at the same time, such a marker makes it easier to identify each remote player.

[0071] Incidentally, in the above-mentioned exemplary explanation of the status icon 212, it was assumed that the positional relationship between the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 is relatively close, as in the distance A in FIG. 14. In this regard, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, it is assumed that the distance between the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 is distance B, which is longer than the distance A. This distance B is assumed to be such that the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202, who has become a character waiting for revival, cannot overlap in position within the above-mentioned predetermined time, no matter how quickly they rush. In other words, it is assumed that the distance is such that the 1P character 201 cannot revive the 2P character 202 in time. If the status icon 212 is displayed even in such a positional relationship, the first player who recognizes the status icon 212 will carry out the rescue operation as described above, but will end up not being able to revive the 2P character 202 in time, which may actually reduce the interest of the game. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the distance between the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 is longer than the distance at which the 1P character 201 cannot reach the 2P character 202 within the predetermined time, the status icon 212 is not displayed. In other words, even if the 2P character 202 changes to a character waiting for revival, if the distance between them is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, the status icon 212 is not displayed, and the marker content remains the 2P icon 211, as shown in FIG. 19. By performing such display control, when the 2P character 202 changes to a character waiting for revival, if there is a possibility that the above-mentioned rescue activity can be performed in time, the status icon 212 is displayed to encourage the rescue activity. This allows the player to feel the benefits unique to online play, and also promotes playing online. On the other hand, if the rescue activity is unlikely to be performed in time, the status icon 212 is not displayed, thereby preventing the interest of the game from decreasing.

[0072] Here, the distance (hereinafter referred to as the status icon threshold distance) that is the threshold for whether or not to display the status icon 212 is determined in advance based on the above-mentioned predetermined time from when the character becomes a character waiting for revival until the "miss" is confirmed. Specifically, the status icon threshold distance is a distance that is equal to or shorter than the upper limit of the distance that is assumed to be approachable if the character in the normal state moves for the above-mentioned predetermined time. In other words, it is assumed that the range is within which the 2P character 202 in the waiting-for-revival state can be revived in time as viewed from the position of the 1P character 201. Note that in this embodiment, the second distance shown in FIG. 13 is used as the status icon threshold distance. In other words, the status icon threshold distance and the distance that is the threshold for displaying the 2P icon 211 fixed to the minimum size are treated as the same second distance. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 13, the 2P icon 211 is basically displayed up to the above-mentioned second distance, and when the 2P character 202 becomes a character waiting for revival, the status icon 212 is displayed. Furthermore, up to the second distance, both the 2P icon 211 and the status icon 212 are displayed with their sizes changed according to the distance. On the other hand, if the 2P character 202 is at a position beyond the second distance, the 2P icon 211 will be displayed in its smallest size even if it changes to a character waiting to be revived. Note that in other embodiments, different values ​​may be used for the second distance and the status icon threshold distance. In this case, for example, the status icon threshold distance may be a distance shorter than the second distance.

[0073] Also, as mentioned above, if the circular frame of the 2P icon 211 is not displayed when the 2P character 202 is located farther than the second distance, the first player can easily understand that the change in the state of the 2P character 202 is not displayed as a marker. Therefore, the first player who visually confirms that the circular frame of the 2P icon 211 is not displayed can recognize that, at least at that moment, the 2P character 202 is too far away to revive in time.

[0074] In this example, the reference position for the 1P character in measuring the distance is the position of 1P character 201, but in other embodiments, the distance to 2P character 202 may be determined based on the right or left edge of the game screen of the first player. In other words, a reference position for 1P character 201 is set, and if the distance from that reference position to 2P character 202 is equal to or greater than the status icon threshold distance, then 2P icon 211 is always used as a marker, regardless of the status of 2P character 202, and status icon 212 is not displayed.

[0075] Also, in this embodiment, an example has been given in which the size of the status icon 212 is changed depending on the distance to the 2P character 202. In this regard, in other embodiments, the status icon 212 may be displayed at a fixed size regardless of the distance to the 2P character 202.

[0076] The above explanation was an example of the case where the 2P character 202 becomes a character waiting for revival. Next, an example of a screen when the 1P character 201 becomes a character waiting for revival will be explained. In this case, a marker as shown in FIG. 20 is displayed as a marker for the 2P character 202. FIG. 21 shows an enlarged view of the marker corresponding to the 2P character 202 in this case. When the 1P character 201 becomes a character waiting for revival and the 2P character 202 is within the second distance shown in FIG. 13, a distance counter indicating the distance to the 2P character 202 is added to the bottom of the 2P icon 211 as shown in FIG. 21 and displayed as a marker. The first player can grasp the sense of distance to the 2P character 202 by using the distance counter in combination. In this regard, in other embodiments, only the distance counter may be displayed as a marker instead of the 2P icon 211. Note that when the 2P character 202 is ahead of the second distance, the distance counter is not displayed. This is because the distance is such that revival cannot be made in time, as described above.

[0077] Here, in this embodiment, an example is given in which the status icon 212 is displayed when the 2P character 202 is in a state of waiting for revival. In this regard, the content displayed as the status icon 212 may be different depending on a state other than the state of waiting for revival. For example, each player may be able to perform an emote display by a predetermined operation. An emote display is an image for showing the player's emotions or feelings. For example, an icon of a smiling face or an icon of letters such as "hello" may be used as an emote display. When each player performs an emote display operation, an emote image is displayed near each player's character. Then, for example, when a second player outside the screen performs an emote display operation, the 2P character 202 is considered to be in a "state of displaying an emote", and the content of the marker may be changed to an image of an emote display for a predetermined time.

[0078] As another example of the state of the player character, for example, each player character may acquire a specific item arranged on the course, thereby changing the state of the player character to a special state. In this case, an image indicating the special state may be displayed as the state icon 212. This allows, for example, the first player to recognize that the 2P character 202 has changed to a special state. Also, as described above, when the distance from the 2P character 202 is equal to or greater than a certain value, the state icon 212 is controlled not to be displayed. In other words, the fact that the state icon 212 indicating the special state is displayed means that there is a high possibility that an item that can change the 1P character 201 to the special state is located near the current position of the 1P character 201. Therefore, the first player who recognizes the state icon 212 indicating the special state can also search for an item that can change the 1P character 201 to the special state near the current position, referring to the marker of the 2P character 202. Also, as an example, if the special state of the player character is a state in which a specific area in the virtual space that cannot be reached by a player character in a normal state can be reached, the first player can understand that the state icon 212 is displayed as if the 2P character 202 is in a certain position (direction) because the 2P character 202 is in a special state, and can infer that in order to go to the same position, the first player must also be in a special state. Note that, for the item that can be changed into the special state, only the acquisition status may be shared between online players. For example, only one item may be placed on the course related to each game device 3, and if any player acquires it, it may be erased from the courses related to the other players. In other words, it may be a game element in which only one item exists in the entire course room and can be acquired on a first-come-first-served basis. Even in this case, the first player who recognizes the state icon 212 indicating the special state can recognize that there is an item that can be changed into a special state in its vicinity, and can use it as reference information for acquiring it in the next play, even though it was not acquired in the current play.

[0079] In addition, when the state of the 2P character 202 becomes a specific state, the marker may be changed to a specific state icon indicating the specific state, regardless of the distance from the 1P character 201. As an example, the specific state is a state indicating that the 2P character 202 leaves the course. For example, this is a case where the 2P character 202 reaches the goal before the 1P character 201 and clears the course. The cleared second player (2P character 202) will leave the course room. In this case, for example, a specific state icon indicating that the goal has been reached (left the course room), such as an image of a flag, may be displayed regardless of the distance from the 2P character 202. Note that the specific state icon at this time may be displayed in a constant size regardless of the distance from the 2P character 202. In addition, for example, when the 2P character 202 has run out of lives and the second player has game over and left the course room, the content of the marker may be changed in the same way. For example, an image of a cross mark in a circular frame may be displayed regardless of the distance. When the goal is reached or the game is over and another player leaves (disappears) from the course room, it is considered that it would be difficult to notice that another player has disappeared if the marker was simply erased. Therefore, by explicitly indicating this with a marker, it becomes easier to understand that the other player has disappeared. Note that even if the 2P character 202 makes a mistake despite having remaining lives, that is, when the 2P character 202 temporarily leaves the course to restart the play, a specific state icon may be displayed regardless of the distance from the 2P character 202. Also, as one example, the specific state may be a state in which the 2P character 202 has participated in the course (started playing on the course).

[0080] As described above, when the 2P character 202 is in a specific state, the specific state icon is displayed regardless of distance, so that the display of the marker can be changed depending on the importance of the information to be conveyed to the first player as a marker. For example, information about specific states such as the goal status of other player characters and game over states as described above is relatively important to the first player, and can be always shown by a marker regardless of distance. On the other hand, for information whose importance changes depending on the distance from the 1P character 201, such as a state waiting for revival, display can be switched on or off depending on the distance, allowing for comfortable gameplay.

[0081] Note that the specific status icon indicating that a specific status has been reached may be displayed for a certain period of time and then erased, since it is considered that the status of the 2P character 202 is sufficiently known to the first player.

[0082] Next, details of the game processing according to the first embodiment will be described. Note that, here, the processing in the game device 3 will be mainly described. The game server 1 may mainly perform a process of matching players with each other and a process of managing course rooms, but since it is not directly related to the display control of the markers, a description of the processing in the game server 1 will be omitted.

[0083] [Data used in game device 3] First, the data used in the game device 3 will be described. Fig. 22 is a memory map showing an example of various data stored in the DRAM included in the storage unit 32 of the game device 3. The various data are, for example, part of data read out as necessary from game data stored in a dedicated memory card or the like and stored in the DRAM. Also, the data is generated in the DRAM as temporary data required for game processing. At least a game program 301, player character data 302, remote character data 303, course data 304, operation data 305, and transmission data 306 are stored in the DRAM included in the storage unit 32 of the game device 3.

[0084] The game program 301 is a program for executing the game processing in this embodiment in the game device 3.

[0085] The player character data 302 is data related to the 1P character 201 that is the operation target of the first player. The player character data 302 includes data indicating the position of the 1P character 201 within the course, data indicating the state of the 1P character 201, such as whether or not the character has changed to a character waiting for revival, and the like.

[0086] Remote character data 303 is data related to the 2P character 202 received from another game device. For example, remote character data 303 includes information indicating the position of 2P character 202 within the course and information indicating the status of 2P character 202. Note that while this embodiment illustrates an example in which only two players are in the course room, if, for example, four players are in the room, remote character data 303 for three players may be stored.

[0087] The course data 304 includes data for constructing a course to be played on. Specifically, the course data 304 includes position information for the start point and the finish point, and data indicating the appearance, placement positions, and behavior patterns of various objects to be placed.

[0088] The operation data 305 is data obtained from the controller 4 operated by the player, that is, data indicating the content of the operation performed by the player.

[0089] The transmission data 306 is data used for transmitting information indicating the current position of the 1P character 201 within the course and the current state (normal state, waiting for revival state, etc.) to another game device.

[0090] [Details of Processing Executed by Processor 31 of Game Device 3] Next, the details of the course play process executed by the processor 31 of the game device 3 will be described. FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the details of the course play process. In this embodiment, one or more processors read and execute the above program stored in one or more memories, thereby realizing the flowchart shown below. Note that, here, the process related to the display control of the markers will be mainly described, and detailed descriptions of other game processes will be omitted. In addition, the flowchart shown below is merely an example of the process. Therefore, the processing order of each step may be changed as long as the same result is obtained. In addition, the values ​​of the variables and the threshold values ​​used in the determination steps are merely examples, and other values ​​may be adopted as necessary.

[0091] In the game device 3, an instruction to play a predetermined course is given, and thus the course play process is started. When the course play process is started, first, in step S1, the processor 31 executes a preparation process. In the preparation process, the following processes are performed. First, a request for a matching process is transmitted to the game server 1, and as a result, the first player and the second player are matched. Furthermore, the matching result is received from the server, and based on the contents of the matching result, a process is performed to establish a communication session related to the game devices 3 of the first player and the second player. Next, the processor 31 reads course data 304 related to the specified course, for example, from a dedicated memory card or the like, and stores it in the DRAM. Then, a process is performed to construct the course to be played this time, based on the course data 304. Furthermore, a process is performed to place various objects, such as the 1P character 201 and enemy characters, on the constructed course. Then, an image of the course is captured by a virtual camera, and a game screen immediately after the start of the game is generated and displayed on the display unit 5.

[0092] Next, in step S2, processor 31 controls the movement of 1P character 201 based on operation data 305. In addition, in conjunction with this, processor 31 transmits transmission data 306 including information indicating the current position and current state of 1P character 201 to other game device 3.

[0093] Next, in step S3, processor 31 controls the movement of 2P character 202. Specifically, processor 31 moves 2P character 202 based on remote character data 303 received from the other game devices 3.

[0094] Next, in step S4, processor 31 calculates the straight-line distance between 1P character 201 and 2P character 202 on the x-axis of the course coordinate system.

[0095] Next, in step S5, processor 31 determines whether or not it is necessary to display a marker as described above, based on the calculated distance. Specifically, if the distance is such that 1P character 201 and 2P character 202 are displayed on one screen (less than the first distance), it is determined that marker display is unnecessary. On the other hand, if the distance is such that 2P character 202 is located outside the screen from the perspective of 1P character 201 (more than the first distance), it is determined that marker display is necessary. Note that the above is just one example, and whether or not marker display is necessary may be determined, for example, based on a determination of whether 2P character 202 is within the imaging range of the virtual camera.

[0096] As a result of the above determination, if it is determined that marker display is not necessary (NO in step S5), the process proceeds to step S9 described below. On the other hand, if it is determined that marker display is necessary (YES in step S5), in step S6, processor 31 determines the content to be displayed as the marker based on the calculated linear distance and the states of 1P character 201 and 2P character 202. For example, if the linear distance is less than the second distance shown in FIG. 13 and both 1P character 201 and 2P character 202 are in a normal state, it is determined that 2P icon 211 is displayed as the content of the marker. Similarly, if the linear distance is less than the second distance, 1P character 201 is in a normal state, and 2P character 202 is in a state of waiting for revival or an emote state, it is determined that status icon 212 is displayed as the content of the marker. For example, when the 1P character 201 is in a state of waiting for revival and the 2P character 202 is in a normal state, and the distance between the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 is less than the second distance, the 2P icon 211 with a distance counter added thereto as shown in FIG. 21 is determined as the content of the marker. When the straight-line distance is equal to or greater than the second distance, it is determined to display the 2P icon 211 regardless of the state of the 2P character 202. For example, when the 2P character 202 has reached the goal, a specific state icon indicating that the character has reached the goal is determined as the display content of the marker regardless of whether the straight-line distance is equal to or greater than the second distance. The display mode of the specific state icon may be the same regardless of the distance between the 1P character 201 and the 1P character 202, or may be different depending on the distance. For example, the icon may be displayed with a frame if the distance is less than a certain distance, and displayed without a frame if the distance is equal to or greater than the certain distance.

[0097] Next, in step S7, processor 31 determines the display size of the marker based on the states of 1P character 201 and 2P character 202 and the calculated linear distance. Specifically, if the linear distance is shorter than the second distance, processor 31 determines the display size of 2P icon 211 or status icon 212 according to the linear distance. If the linear distance is longer than the second distance, processor 31 determines 2P icon 211 to be the smallest size. Note that when the specific status icon is displayed as a marker, it may be displayed at a constant size regardless of the distance from 1P character 201.

[0098] Next, in step S8, processor 31 determines the display position of the marker based on the positional relationship between 1P character 201 and 2P character 202. First, processor 31 determines whether to display the marker on the right edge or the left edge of the game screen of the first player. For example, assume that the starting point is the left edge of the course and the goal point is the right edge of the course. In this case, if 2P character 202, which is located outside the screen, is located closer to the starting point than 1P character 201, processor 31 determines the left edge of the game screen as the display position of the marker. Conversely, if 2P character 202 is located closer to the goal point, processor 31 determines the right edge of the game screen as the display position of the marker. Next, processor 31 determines the display position of the marker on the y axis of the screen based on the position of 2P character 202 on the y axis of the course coordinate system. As a result, a position on the right edge or left edge of the screen according to the y-axis position of 2P character 202 is determined as the display position of the marker. Also, depending on the course configuration, the top or bottom edge of the screen, a position corresponding to the x-axis position of the 2P character 202 may be determined as the display position of the marker.

[0099] Next, in step S9, processor 31 moves the virtual camera to a predetermined position determined based on the position of 1P character 201, and captures an image of the course from that position. For example, that position is a position where 1P character 201 appears approximately in the center of the game screen in the x-axis direction.

[0100] Next, in step S10, the processor 31 generates a game image by synthesizing an image of a marker with the captured image at the determined display position. Then, the generated game image is displayed on the display unit 5.

[0101] Next, in step S11, processor 31 determines whether 1P character 201 has reached the goal point and cleared the course. If the goal point has not yet been reached (NO in step S11), the process returns to step S2 and is repeated. If the goal has been reached (YES in step S11), the course has been cleared, and processor 31 displays a predetermined clearing effect or the like and ends the course play process. Accordingly, the communication session with the other game devices 3 is also disconnected, and the course room is exited.

[0102] Thus, in the first embodiment, if the 2P character 202 off the screen is closer than a predetermined distance, the first player knows that the 2P character 202 has entered a state of waiting for revival, for example, and is therefore able to proceed with the game in a manner that suits the position and state of the 2P character 202. On the other hand, if the 2P character 202 is farther away than a predetermined distance, the first player does not know that the 2P character 202 is in a state of waiting for revival, for example. Therefore, while the first player is aware that the 2P character 202 is on the same course and knows its position, a decrease in the interest of the game caused by being notified more than necessary of changes in state, such as a state of waiting for revival, is prevented.

[0103] Second Embodiment Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the course configuration is exemplified as one in which the terrain from the start point to the goal point is constructed in the same virtual space. In other words, a course configured as one area as a whole is exemplified. In the second embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 24, a course is assumed to be configured to include two different areas, a first area and a second area, in one course. The two areas are constructed as separate virtual spaces. In other words, they are not connected by land. And, for example, by moving the player character to the first entrance in the first area of ​​FIG. 24 and performing a predetermined operation, the player character can be moved to the first exit of the second area. Also, by moving the player character to the second entrance of the second area and performing a predetermined operation, the player character can be moved to the second exit in the first area. At this time, the player character may exit from the exit in the direction in which the player character entered the entrance. For example, if the player character enters the entrance by moving downward, the player character may exit from the exit by moving downward. Note that Figure 24 illustrates an example in which the in-game distance from the first entrance to the second exit in the first area is the same as the in-game distance from the first exit to the second entrance in the second area, but the two distances do not necessarily have to be the same.

[0104] In addition, from the viewpoint of game data, the file relating to the first area and the file relating to the second area are created as separate files. Each time a move to another area occurs in each game device 3, the file of the move destination area is reloaded into the DRAM.

[0105] The second area may be, for example, something like a "hidden route." In other words, it is possible to clear the course without going into the second area, but the second area may contain items that give the player an advantage, or may be used as a shortcut to the goal.

[0106] As described above, in the case of a course having two or more areas within one course, a situation may occur where, for example, the 1P character 201 is in the second area and the 2P character 202 is in the first area. In such a situation, since the 2P character 202 is not in the same area (virtual space) as the 1P character 201, the linear distance on the x-axis as described above cannot be calculated, and a marker for a player character in another area cannot be displayed. In this regard, in the second embodiment, even when another player character is in such a different area, a marker like the one described above is displayed, making it appear as if the two areas are connected by land. Specifically, a marker for a player character in another area is displayed using the following method.

[0107] First, the relative positional relationship between the first area and the second area is defined. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25, a range called a "link range" having the same length as the width of the top side of the second area is defined. The link range is assumed to be invisible. Then, the link range is placed at a predetermined position in the first area. Here, an example is described in which the link range is placed at the bottom side of the first area, where the first entrance and the second exit are both ends of the link range. Also, as an example, the positions on the x-axis within the link range are defined so that they match between the first area and the second area. This defines the relative relationship between the positions in the x-axis direction of a part of the bottom side of the first area and the top side of the second area.

[0108] Assuming the relative positional relationship described above, for example, assume that the 1P character 201 is in the second area and the 2P character 202 is in the first area, with the positional relationship as shown in FIG. 26. In the case of FIG. 26, the position of the 2P character 202 on the x-axis is not within the link range. In this case, the game screen as shown in FIG. 27 is displayed as the game screen for the first player. In FIG. 27, a marker is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen. In other words, if the 2P character 202 is outside the link range, the right or left edge of the link area is used as the display position of the marker, depending on whether the 2P character 202 is on the right or left side of the link area.

[0109] Also, from the state shown in Fig. 26 above, assume that the x-axis position of 2P character 202 is moved so as to enter the link range, as shown in Fig. 28. In this case, the x-axis position of 2P character 202 within the link range is reflected and a marker (2P icon 211) is displayed on the game screen of the first player, as shown in Fig. 29. In other words, while 2P character 202 is within the link range, the display position of the marker can move left and right in real time in response to the movement of 2P character 202.

[0110] Here, the marker display content of the 2P character 202 in another area always displays the smallest sized 2P icon 211, in other words, the 2P character 202 in another area is always treated as being at a location that is at least the second distance away in FIG. 13 above. Therefore, even if the 2P character 202 in another area is in the above-mentioned waiting-for-revival state, this will not be reflected in the marker display. This is because even if it were displayed, it would be difficult for the 1P character 201 to carry out rescue operations since the areas are different.

[0111] 30 and 31 show examples of link range settings when the in-game distance from the first entrance to the second exit in the first area does not match the in-game distance from the first exit to the second entrance in the second area. As shown in FIG. 30, assume that the width of the second area is shorter than the in-game distance from the first entrance to the second exit in the first area. As described above, the link range can be set arbitrarily. In this case, for example, assuming that the first area and the second area are placed on the same xy plane, the link range may be arranged so that only one end of the entrance point or the exit point side is aligned with the position on the x-axis. The length of the link range is arbitrary, but for example, the entire width of the area with the shorter width may be set as the link range. For example, as shown in FIG. 31, a link range of the same width as the width of the second area may be arranged in the first area so that the ends on the exit point side are aligned. In this case as well, when the x-axis position of the 2P character 202 is within the link range in the first area, the marker on the first player's screen will be able to move left and right along the top edge of the screen in response to the left and right movement of the 2P character 202, as shown in Figure 29. Also, when the x-axis position of the 2P character 202 is outside the link range, the display position of the marker will be fixed to either the upper left or upper right corner.

[0112] Here, in the example of FIG. 31, consider a case where the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 are both at the first entrance, and the first entrance, the 1P character 201, and the 2P character 202 are displayed in the center of the game screen of the first player. In this case, when the 2P character 202 enters the first entrance, the 2P character 202 will exit from the first exit, but the marker of the 2P character 202 is displayed in the right corner of the game screen of the first player, not in the center of the bottom edge of the screen. Therefore, to the first player, it appears as if the 2P character 202 has moved to the right at high speed. In order to suppress high-speed movement of the marker position when moving between such areas, the length (width) of the link ranges arranged in the first area and the second area may be made different according to the width of each area. However, in that case, for example, when the marker is moved according to the movement of the 2P character 202 within the link range, the moving speed of the marker is faster or slower than the actual moving speed of the 2P character 202.

[0113] Next, Figs. 32 to 34 show an example in which the 1P character 201 is in the first area and the 2P character 202 is in the second area, which is the opposite of the above. First, assume that the positions of the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 are in the positional relationship shown in Fig. 32. In this case, the game screen of the first player is a game screen in which the minimum size 2P icon 211 is fixedly displayed in the lower right corner of the screen, as shown in Fig. 33. Furthermore, after this, if the x-axis position of the 1P character 201 moves from the state of Fig. 32 above to a position within the link range, the game screen of the first player will be in a state in which the minimum size 2P icon 211 can move left and right along the bottom side of the screen, as shown in Fig. 34, for example.

[0114] In the above example, the relative positions of the bottom edge of the first area and the top edge of the second area are associated with each other, but the relative positions of the top edge of the first area and the bottom edge of the second area may be associated with each other. In this case, it is possible to make it appear as if the second area is above the first area.

[0115] In the above example, the relative positions of the horizontal side parts of each area are associated. In another embodiment, for example, the vertical side parts of each area may be associated. For example, assume a course configuration as shown in FIG. 35. FIG. 35 is an example of a course including three areas, a first area to a third area. In FIG. 35, the course is configured such that the player can move from the first entrance of the first area to the first exit of the second area, from the second entrance of the second area to the second exit of the third area, and from the third entrance of the third area to the third exit of the first area. In this course configuration, the right side of the second area and the left side of the third area may be defined as the link range. As a result, for example, if the 1P character 201 is in the second area and the 2P character 202 is in the third area, a marker of the smallest size is displayed at the right end of the screen of the first player. In addition, the marker also moves up and down according to the movement of the 2P character in the y-axis direction within the link range.

[0116] Also, in the example of FIG. 35, for example, if the player does not need to be aware of the positional relationship between the first area and the second area, or the first area and the third area, the link ranges for these areas do not need to be defined. As an example, if the 1P character 201 enters the screen from the first entrance toward the back of the screen and comes out from the first exit toward the front of the screen, the player does not need to be aware of the positional relationship between the areas in the up, down, left, and right directions. In this case, for example, if the 1P character 201 is in the first area and the 2P character 202 is in the second or third area, the marker of the 2P character 202 will not be displayed on the screen of the first player. Conversely, for example, in FIG. 35, if the user wants to be aware of the positional relationship between the second and third areas, the link ranges may be defined as described above. In this way, the definition of the link ranges may be used depending on whether the player wants to be aware of the positional relationship between different areas. In the example of FIG. 35, the start point and the goal point may both be in the first area. In this case, a link range may be defined between areas that do not have both a start point and a finish point, as shown in Fig. 35. Also, for at least some areas, a link range may not be defined for areas that have both a start point and a finish point.

[0117] As described above, in the second embodiment, the relative positional relationship is defined for different areas that are treated as being within the same course. Then, based on the contents of this definition, the display position of the marker of the player character in another area is determined. This allows the player to see the relative positional relationship between different areas as the above-mentioned marker. As a result, it is possible to make a plurality of areas that are not directly connected appear as if they are connected. For example, if the first player notices that the 2P icon 211 is moving left and right along the bottom side of the screen within the above-mentioned link range, it is also possible to notice that there is a mechanism for moving to another area nearby. Note that, when there are a plurality of areas within the same course as shown in the second embodiment, the start point and the goal point may be provided in the same area or in different areas. Therefore, when moving from an area where the start point is located to another area, it is not necessarily necessary to return to the area where the start point is located.

[0118] [Variations] In the above description, online multiplay is assumed in a mode in which a plurality of game devices 3 are connected via the Internet. In other embodiments, the above-described processing may be applied to a local multiplay mode in which a plurality of players play using a single game device 3. For example, a so-called split-screen method may be used to display game images relating to each player on a single display unit, and the above-described display control of markers may be performed.

[0119] In the second embodiment, the display of markers when a single course includes multiple areas has been described. In this regard, depending on the course, control may be performed so that the markers are not displayed for player characters in other areas. In other words, depending on the configuration of the course, markers for player characters in other areas may be displayed or not displayed at all. This makes it possible to provide a course that is more interesting by taking advantage of the element that the current positions of other player characters cannot be guessed.

[0120] In the second embodiment, an example is given in which the relative relationship between the positions of different areas is defined in the form of a link range, but any relationship may be used without being limited to the form of a "link range". For example, a predetermined relationship may be used to convert an x-axis position in one area to an x-axis position in another area. As an example, by adjusting the x-coordinate between the areas in advance, the value of the x-coordinate in one area may be directly associated with the value of the x-coordinate in the other area. For example, the x-axis position of the 2P character 202 in one area may be associated with the x-axis position in the other area, and the display position of the 2P icon 211 may be determined using the associated position and the position of the 1P character 201.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the display position of the 2P icon 211 on the y-axis or x-axis on the game screen of the first player reflects the position of the 2P character 202 on the y-axis or x-axis in the virtual space, but the icon may be displayed at a different position. For example, the 2P icon 211 may be displayed at a position according to the intersection of a line segment connecting the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202 outside the game screen of the first player with an edge of the game screen of the first player, for example near the intersection.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the 2P icon 211 is displayed at the top, bottom, left, and right edges of the first player's game screen, but it may be displayed in a different position. For example, a rectangular or circular area in which the 2P icon 211 can move may be displayed in a corner of the first player's game screen, and the 2P icon 211 may be displayed within that area at a position based on the positions of the 1P character 201 and the 2P character 202.

[0123] In the above embodiment, a game that progresses on a 2D screen is exemplified. However, the above-described processing can be applied to a game in which the game screen is displayed on a 3D screen such as a first-person viewpoint or a third-person viewpoint in another embodiment, and in which online multiplayer is possible.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the above-mentioned "revival assistance" is given as an example of a cooperative play element. This can be said to generate an in-game effect that a player character in a state of waiting for revival revives from a state of waiting for revival by approaching another player character within a predetermined time. In this regard, in other embodiments, it is not limited to the above-mentioned "revival assistance", and other in-game effects may be generated by approaching another player character within a predetermined time. For example, the 2P character 202 changes to a state in which it can be powered up by acquiring a predetermined item. Then, an effect may be generated in which the 2P character 202 is powered up by approaching the 1P character 201 within a predetermined time. In such a case, too, by controlling the display of the marker as described above, it is possible to increase the motivation for approaching each other, to grasp the sense of distance to the other player character, and to improve the interest of the game. Alternatively, the 2P character 202 may change to a state in which it can be powered down by acquiring a predetermined item. Then, an effect may be generated in which the 2P character 202 is powered down by approaching the 1P character 201 within a predetermined time. In this way, even in a situation where an in-game effect that is unfavorable to the 2P character 202 occurs, the 2P character 202 is motivated to move to flee from the 1P character 201, or the 1P character 201 is motivated to move to catch up with the 2P character 202 in order to hinder him, thereby improving the interest of the game.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the predetermined time for revival from the "revival waiting state" is assumed to be a fixed time. In other embodiments, the predetermined time may be variable. For example, the predetermined time may be shortened as the number of times the state changes to the "revival waiting state" increases. In this case, the status icon threshold distance may be the same as or shorter than the movable distance when the predetermined time is the shortest. In other words, the status icon threshold distance may be a distance that allows the 2P character 202 in the revival waiting state to be reached within the predetermined time, regardless of the variable predetermined time. The status icon threshold distance may also change according to the change in the predetermined time.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the series of processes related to the game process are executed by a single game device 3. In another embodiment, the series of processes may be executed in an information processing system consisting of a plurality of information processing devices. For example, in an information processing system including a terminal device and a server device capable of communicating with the terminal device via a network, a part of the series of processes may be executed by the server device. Furthermore, in an information processing system including a terminal device and a server device capable of communicating with the terminal device via a network, a main part of the series of processes may be executed by the server device, and a part of the processes may be executed by the terminal device. In the above information processing system, the server system may be composed of a plurality of information processing devices, and the processes to be executed on the server side may be shared and executed by the plurality of information processing devices. Also, a so-called cloud gaming configuration may be used. For example, the game device 3 may be configured to send operation data indicating the operation of the player to a predetermined server, and various game processes may be executed in the server, and the execution results may be streamed to the game device 3 as video and audio. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1 Game Server 3. Information processing terminal (game device) 4. Controller 31 Processors 32 Storage section 33 Wireless Communication Department 34 Controller communication section

Claims

1. A game program to be executed by a computer of an information processing device, The computer, an object moving means for moving a first player object in a virtual space in response to an operation input by a player; a game image generating unit configured to generate a game image based on a virtual camera controlled in relation to the position of the first player character; the game image includes a first image showing a second player character operated by another player in the virtual space when the second player character is located at a position not imaged by the virtual camera, a display mode of the first image is changed in accordance with a first state associated with the second player character when a distance between a position related to the second player character and a position related to the first player character is less than a first predetermined distance, and a display mode of the first image is not changed in accordance with the first state when the distance is equal to or greater than the first predetermined distance.

2. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the game image does not include the first image showing the second player character when the second player character is located at a position where the second player character is imaged by the virtual camera.

3. 2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the first state is a state in which a play must be restarted or the game is over after a predetermined time has elapsed, and the second player character is transitioned to a second state different from the first state by at least coming into close proximity with the first player character and the second player character before the predetermined time has elapsed.

4. 4. The game program according to claim 3, wherein the first predetermined distance is a distance that allows the first player character and the second player character to approach each other by at least moving the first player character before the predetermined time has elapsed.

5. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the change in the display mode in the first image according to the first state includes a change in the display mode according to a change in a predetermined parameter associated with at least the second player character.

6. The game program according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined parameter indicates the distance between a position related to the second player character and a position related to the first player character.

7. the game image includes a second image that is smaller than the game image; The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the first image is a plurality of images showing each of a plurality of second player characters included in the second image and each of the second player characters is operated by a plurality of other players.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein the first image is generated at a position in the second image according to a position of the second player character in the virtual space.

9. 2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein when the distance between a position relating to the second player character and a position relating to the first player character is less than a second predetermined distance different from the first predetermined distance, the display mode of the first image is changed according to a third state associated with the second player character and different from the first state, and when the distance is equal to or greater than the second predetermined distance, the display mode of the first image is not changed according to the third state.

10. A game program as described in claim 1 or claim 9, wherein the display mode of the first image is changed according to a fourth state different from the first state, regardless of the distance between a position relative to the second player character and a position relative to the first player character.

11. A game processing method executed by a computer of an information processing device, comprising: The computer, an object moving means for moving a first player object in a virtual space in response to an operation input by a player; a game image generating unit configured to generate a game image based on a virtual camera controlled in relation to the position of the first player character; the game image includes a first image showing a second player character operated by another player in the virtual space when the second player character is located at a position not imaged by the virtual camera, a display mode of the first image is changed in accordance with a first state associated with the second player character when a distance between a position related to the second player character and a position related to the first player character is less than a first predetermined distance, and a display mode of the first image is not changed in accordance with the first state when the distance is equal to or greater than the first predetermined distance.

12. A game system including a computer, The computer includes: an object moving means for moving a first player object in a virtual space in response to an operation input by a player; a game image generating means for generating a game image based on a virtual camera controlled in relation to a position of the first player character, the game image includes a first image showing a second player character operated by another player in the virtual space when the second player character is located at a position not imaged by the virtual camera, a display mode of the first image is changed in accordance with a first state associated with the second player character when a distance between a position related to the second player character and a position related to the first player character is less than a first predetermined distance, and a display mode of the first image is not changed in accordance with the first state when the distance is equal to or greater than the first predetermined distance.

Images