Sound processing program, sound processing method, and sound processing device

Abstract

To suppress a difference between advantage and disadvantage according to a setting state of a volume of BGM.SOLUTION: A sound processing program causes a computer to execute processing in which, when an object arranged in a virtual space is located inside a display region of a display screen in which the virtual space is displayed, the computer reproduces an effective sound being sound emitted depending on the object, and, when the object is located outside the display region, the computer does not reproduce the effective sound.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sound processing program, a sound processing method, and a sound processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for providing sound that does not give a user a sense of discomfort in the provision of content.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when a game is executed as the content, the sounds reproduced from the speaker include various sounds such as BGM (Background Music), sound effects, and voices, and there are also games in which the volume of at least one of these sounds can be adjusted.

[0005] In a battle royale game or other competitive game in which the volume of BGM is adjustable, in order to improve the audibility of sound effects such as the footsteps of characters that occur in areas not displayed on the display screen in the virtual space of the game, players may set the volume of BGM low. As a result, the player can more easily grasp the situation in the virtual space outside the displayed area, so the lower the volume of the BGM, the more advantageous the situation becomes, and it is most advantageous to turn off the BGM. In particular, when a plurality of players are playing a competitive game in the same virtual space online, the influence of the difference between the advantages and disadvantages due to the set volume of the BGM is extremely large.

[0006] Thus, in a conventional game in which the volume of BGM can be set, there is a problem that the difference between advantages and disadvantages becomes large depending on the set state of the volume of BGM.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a sound processing program, a sound processing method, and a sound processing apparatus capable of suppressing the difference between advantages and disadvantages depending on the set state of the volume of BGM.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The sound processing program according to the first aspect causes a computer to execute a process of playing a sound effect, which is a sound emitted depending on an object, when the object is located inside a display area of a display screen that displays the virtual space, and not playing the sound effect when the object is located outside the display area.

[0009] The sound processing program according to the second aspect is the sound processing program according to the first aspect, and causes a computer to execute a process of playing a sound effect that does not depend on the object regardless of whether it is inside or outside the display area.

[0010] The sound processing program according to the third aspect is the sound processing program according to the second aspect, and the sound effect that does not depend on the object is at least one of a sound imitating a natural phenomenon and a sound emitted based on a user interface.

[0011] The sound processing program according to the fourth aspect is the sound processing program according to any one of the first to third aspects, and causes a computer to execute a process of playing the sound effect regardless of whether the object is located inside or outside the display area when the object is the player's own character that the player who is looking at the display screen operates.

[0012] The sound processing program according to the fifth aspect is the sound processing program according to any one of the first to third aspects, and for the object located within a predetermined distance from the boundary line between the inside and the outside of the display area, even if it is located outside, the computer is made to execute a process of playing the sound effect without failing to play the sound effect.

[0013] The sound processing program according to the sixth aspect is the sound processing program according to the fifth aspect, and the computer is made to execute a process of playing the sound effect so that the sound effect is played smaller as the distance from the boundary line becomes farther toward the outside.

[0014] The sound processing program according to the seventh aspect is the sound processing program according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and the object is at least one of the character controlled by the player viewing the display screen and the other character controlled by a player different from the player.

[0015] The sound processing program according to the eighth aspect is the sound processing program according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and the display area of the display screen is the shooting area by the virtual camera.

[0016] The sound processing program according to the ninth aspect is the sound processing program according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, and accepts an operation by a player who relatively changes either the volume of the sound effect or the volume of the sound other than the sound effect compared to the other.

[0017] The sound processing method according to the tenth aspect is, for an object arranged in a virtual space, when the object is located inside the display area of the display screen that displays the virtual space, the computer executes a process of playing a sound effect that is a sound emitted depending on the object, and when the object is located outside the display area, the computer does not play the sound effect.

[0018] The sound processing device according to the eleventh aspect plays a sound effect, which is a sound emitted depending on the object, when the object is located inside the display area of the display screen that displays the virtual space, and does not play the sound effect when the object is located outside the display area, and includes a sound processing unit.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] In the sound processing program, sound processing method, and sound processing device according to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress the difference between advantages and disadvantages according to the setting state of the BGM volume.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 10

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, the information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0022] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing apparatus 10 is, for example, a home game machine, a portable game machine, a business game machine, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like. In the present embodiment, as an example, the information processing apparatus 10 is a "smartphone". The information processing apparatus 10 is an example of a "computer" and a "sound processing apparatus".

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, a display 15, a speaker 16, and a communication I / F 18. Each component is connected to be communicable with each other via a bus B.

[0024] The CPU 11 is a central arithmetic processing unit that executes various programs and controls each unit.

[0025] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores a program or data as a work area.

[0026] The storage 14 is composed of a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and stores various programs and various data. The storage 14 stores, as various data, sound data for reproducing individual sounds from the speaker 16 during the execution of a game. The "individual sounds" are BGM (Background Music), sound effects, voices, and the like.

[0027] As used herein, the "game" refers to a collection of activities and rules for playing or competing. A game is played, for example, by a player making use of strategies and techniques to achieve a specific goal. Games are played to achieve various purposes, such as competitive purposes like winning, combat purposes like defeating enemies, educational purposes like learning, and narrative purposes like completing the progression of a scenario. A game may be in a form of competition or non-competition.

[0028] Further, the storage 14 stores a game processing program 14A and a sound processing program 14B. The CPU 11 reads out the game processing program 14A and the sound processing program 14B from the storage 14, and executes the game processing program 14A and the sound processing program 14B using the RAM 13 as a working area.

[0029] The display 15 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various kinds of information. In the present embodiment, the display 15 integrally has a touch panel, and the user can perform various operations via the touch panel. The speaker 16 reproduces the sound indicated by the sound data stored in the storage 14 during the execution of the game. The communication I / F 18 is an interface for connecting the information processing apparatus 10 to a network. For the communication I / F 18, for example, wireless communication standards such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) are used.

[0030] Note that in the present embodiment, the game processing program 14A and the sound processing program 14B are assumed to be downloaded and installed from an external server 30 via the communication I / F 18, but the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, these programs may be in a form pre-stored in the storage 14 of the information processing apparatus 10, or may be in a form of accessing the server 30 and executing each time the game is executed. The sound processing program 14B is an example of the "sound processing program".

[0031] As described above, since the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is a smartphone, various types of information are displayed by the display 15, and various operations related to the game are performed by the touch panel provided on the display 15. However, the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, when an apparatus such as a home game machine that does not have a display unit and an input unit is applied as the information processing apparatus 10, the display unit and the input unit may be externally connected and used. In this form, the display unit and the input unit may be detachable from the apparatus main body.

[0032] Next, the functional configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing apparatus 10.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 has, as functional configurations, a reception unit 11A, a game execution unit 11B, and a sound processing unit 11C. Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 11 reading and executing at least one of the game processing program 14A and the sound processing program 14B stored in the storage 14.

[0034] The reception unit 11A receives an input operation on the game using the touch panel from the user.

[0035] The game execution unit 11B executes a predetermined game by executing the game processing program 14A stored in the storage 14. The volume of the BGM reproduced from the speaker 16 during the game can be set in a plurality of levels (in the present embodiment, there are 11 levels from 0 (zero) to 10 in ascending order of volume, and 0 (zero) is the level at which the BGM is turned off). The user can arbitrarily set the volume of the BGM by performing a predetermined input operation on the game using the touch panel.

[0036] Also, the game according to this embodiment is a battle-type game and includes a first mode in which a player battles alone against the CPU 11, and a second mode in which the player battles online with a plurality of unspecified players via the server 30. And, in any battle mode, the area (hereinafter simply referred to as the "shooting area") photographed by a virtual camera, which is a camera that virtually photographs a virtual space (hereinafter simply referred to as the "virtual space"), which is a virtual space for battle, and the display area (hereinafter simply referred to as the "display area") for displaying the virtual space on the display 15 are made to coincide with each other.

[0037] Further, in the game according to this embodiment, sound effects and voices generated in the virtual space that can be heard at the installation position of the virtual camera are reproduced by the speaker 16. And, in the game according to this embodiment, the BGM is reproduced at the volume set by the player during play. Note that, in the game according to this embodiment, the volumes of the sound effects and the sounds other than the sound effects (in this embodiment, the BGM and voices) can be adjusted separately, but it is not limited to this form. For example, the volume of the sound effects may be fixed and not adjustable. In this case, an operation by the player to relatively change the volume of the sounds other than the sound effects compared to the volume of the sound effects is accepted, but conversely, an operation by the player to relatively change the sound effects compared to the volume of the sounds other than the sound effects may also be accepted.

[0038] Thus, in the game according to this embodiment, the player can arbitrarily set the volume of the BGM. For this reason, the lower the volume of the BGM is set by the player, the easier it is for the player to recognize the sound effects emitted in the virtual space outside the area displayed on the display 15. Therefore, there is a problem that the lower the volume of the BGM, the more advantageous the situation becomes. In particular, when battling with unspecified players in the second mode, this problem is serious because the difference between the advantages and disadvantages among the players can become large.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a diagram for explaining sound processing by a conventional sound processing program. As shown in FIG. 3, in conventional sound processing, for both the sound effects emitted depending on the self-character 60 operated by the self-player and the sound effects emitted depending on the other character 62 operated by the other player, they were reproduced regardless of the position of the character. Therefore, in this case, regardless of whether the character is located inside or outside the shooting area 54 by the virtual camera 52, the sound effects emitted depending on the character are reproduced. For this reason, sound effects are also reproduced for characters that are not displayed in the display area by the display 15. For example, since it is assumed that one can sense the approach of the other character 62 located behind or to the side of the virtual camera 52, by reducing the volume of the BGM, it was possible to make it easier to sense such an approach. Thus, in conventional sound processing, there were advantages and disadvantages depending on the set volume of the BGM.

[0040] Therefore, the sound processing unit 11C according to the present embodiment executes a process of reproducing a sound effect, which is a sound emitted depending on an object arranged in the virtual space, when the object is located inside the display area of the display screen (the shooting area 54 in the example shown in FIG. 3) that displays the virtual space, and not reproducing the sound effect when the object is located outside the display area. Here, the "object" includes characters corresponding to players, monsters, flying objects such as birds and airplanes, etc., which are characters that move in the virtual space during the execution of the game, as well as various traps, weapons, etc., which do not move by themselves.

[0041] Note that the sound effects, which are sounds emitted depending on the object, include sounds generated due to the operation of the object and sounds generated by the object. Sounds generated due to the operation of the object include, for example, the sound of footsteps or flapping sounds when the object moves. Sounds generated by the object include, for example, the breathing or lines of the object. The sound effects, which are sounds emitted depending on the object, may exclude sounds intended to be heard by other players among the sounds generated due to the operation of the object and the sounds generated by the object.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a diagram for explaining the sound processing by the sound processing program 14B according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in the sound processing according to the present embodiment, for example, for any object of the self-character 60 and the other character 62, sound effects are reproduced for the objects located inside the display area by the display 15, but a process of not reproducing the sound effects for the objects located outside the display area is executed. By this process, for the sound effects outside the display area that become difficult to hear according to the volume of the BGM, as a result of not being reproduced regardless of the volume of the BGM, it is possible to suppress the difference between the advantages and disadvantages according to the setting state of the volume of the BGM. Note that in the sound processing according to the present embodiment, since the sound effects are reproduced for the objects displayed in the display area, the ease of hearing the sound effects changes according to the volume of the BGM. However, since the object can be visually recognized by the player, the superiority or inferiority of the ease of hearing the sound effects due to the volume of the BGM is limited.

[0043] Incidentally, in addition to the sounds emitted depending on the object, the sound effects include, as sounds not depending on the object, sounds imitating natural phenomena such as the sound of a flowing river or the singing of birds, and sounds emitted based on the user interface such as cursor sounds or alert sounds for notifying the remaining time. For these sounds, if the reproduction state is changed according to the relationship with the display area, the sense of discomfort felt by the player will increase.

[0044] Therefore, regardless of whether it is inside or outside the display area, the sound processing unit 11C according to the present embodiment plays an object-independent sound effect (hereinafter referred to as a "non-dependent sound effect"). In the present embodiment, only the sound imitating the natural phenomenon described above is applied as the non-dependent sound effect, but the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, a form in which the sound emitted based on the user interface described above is applied as a non-dependent sound effect, or a form in which both of these sounds are applied as non-dependent sound effects may be used.

[0045] Note that depending on the game situation, as shown in FIG. 5 as an example, the own character 60 may go out of the shooting area 54 by the virtual camera 52. For example, when the own character 60 moves nimbly across the boundary line between the inside and the outside of the display area (hereinafter simply referred to as the "boundary line"), or when there are obstacles such as a fence or a wall in the display area and the own character 60 enters the shadow of the obstacle. Even in this case, the sound processing unit 11C according to the present embodiment does not play the sound effect that is emitted depending on the own character 60.

[0046] Next, the flow of the above sound processing will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of sound processing. The sound processing is performed by the CPU 11 reading the sound processing program 14B from the storage 14, expanding it in the RAM 13, and executing it. As an example, the sound processing is executed when the game processing program 14A is being executed by the game execution unit 11B. Here, in order to avoid complication, the case where only the own character 60 and the other character 62 are applied as the objects of the present disclosure and only the BGM and the sound effect are applied as the sounds to be processed by the sound processing will be described. Further, here, the case where the game is played in the second mode described above, that is, the mode of online battle with a plurality of unspecified players via the server 30 will be described.

[0047] In step 100 shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 11 performs a process of starting the reproduction of non-dependent sound effects. In step 102, the CPU 11 identifies the position of any one of the self-character 60 and the other character 62 existing in the virtual space (hereinafter referred to as the "character to be processed"). In the present embodiment, the position of the center of gravity of the character to be processed is applied as the position of the character to be processed, but it is not limited to this form. For example, the position of the head or the position of the feet of the character to be processed may be applied as the position to be specified for the character to be processed.

[0048] In step 104, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the identified position is inside the shooting area 54 including the above-described boundary line. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 106. In step 106, the CPU 11 performs a process of reproducing the sound effects emitted depending on the character to be processed, and then proceeds to step 110.

[0049] On the other hand, if the determination in step 104 is negative, it is considered that the character to be processed is located outside the shooting area 54, and the process proceeds to step 108. In step 108, the CPU 11 performs a process of not reproducing the sound effects emitted depending on the character to be processed, and then proceeds to step 110.

[0050] In step 110, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the processes of steps 102 to 108 have been executed for all the characters of the self-character 60 and the other character 62 existing in the virtual space. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 102, while if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 112. When repeatedly executing the processes of steps 102 to 110, the CPU 11 applies the characters that have not been the processing targets so far as the characters to be processed.

[0051] In step 112, the CPU 11 determines whether the player using the information processing apparatus 10 has input an instruction to end the game, thereby determining whether the timing to end the game has arrived. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 102, while if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step 114.

[0052] In step 114, the CPU 11 performs a process of stopping the reproduction of the non-dependent sound effect started by the process of step 100, and then ends the main sound process.

[0053] Here, for the sake of convenience, it has been described that the position of each of the self-character 60 and the other character 62 is individually specified to determine the necessity of reproducing the sound effect, but it is not limited to this form. For example, it may be a form in which the above determination is made collectively for all characters, or a form in which the self-character 60 and the other character 62 are grouped according to a predetermined criterion, and the above determination is made collectively for each group.

[0054] As described above, in the information processing apparatus 10, when the CPU 11 determines that an object arranged in the virtual space is located inside the display area of the display screen that displays the virtual space, the CPU 11 reproduces a sound effect that is a sound emitted depending on the object, and when the object is located outside the display area, the CPU 11 executes a process of not reproducing the sound effect. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the difference between advantages and disadvantages according to the set state of the volume of the BGM.

[0055] Also, in the information processing apparatus 10, the CPU 11 executes a process of reproducing a sound effect that does not depend on an object regardless of whether it is inside or outside the display area. As a result, it is possible to prevent an unnatural sound effect from sounding, and thereby alleviate the sense of discomfort of the player.

[0056] In addition, in the information processing apparatus 10, the sound effect that does not depend on the object is at least one of the sound imitating a natural phenomenon and the sound played based on the user interface. Thereby, the sense of discomfort of the player with respect to the applied sound can be alleviated.

[0057] In addition, in the information processing apparatus 10, the object is both the player's own character operated by the player looking at the display screen and the other character operated by another player different from the player. Thereby, regarding each character, the difference between the advantages and disadvantages according to the setting state of the BGM volume can be suppressed.

[0058] Furthermore, in the information processing apparatus 10, the display area of the display screen is set as the shooting area by the virtual camera. Thereby, the sense of discomfort of the player caused by the difference between the shooting area and the display area can be suppressed.

[0059] [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment, a form example in which the sound effect is not reproduced for an object located outside the display area has been described. In contrast, in this embodiment, a form example in which the sound effect is reproduced for an object located at a relatively short distance from the boundary line between the inside and the outside of the display area will be described.

[0060] That is, the sound processing unit 11C according to this embodiment reproduces the sound effect for an object located within a predetermined distance from the boundary line between the inside and the outside of the display area, without refraining from reproducing the sound effect even if the object is located outside.

[0061] As an example, as shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, as the predetermined distance, a distance of 50 cm is fixedly applied in the virtual space, but the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, a form in which a distance other than 50 cm is fixedly applied as the predetermined distance may be adopted, or a form in which the user is allowed to input the predetermined distance may be adopted. Further, as an example, as shown in FIG. 8, a form in which the predetermined distance is increased as the distance from the virtual camera 52 becomes farther may be adopted. By adjusting the predetermined distance, it is possible to adjust the balance between the advantages and disadvantages corresponding to the set volume of the BGM and the unnaturalness of the sound effect.

[0062] Here, the sound processing unit 11C according to the present embodiment reproduces the sound effect so that the distance from the boundary line becomes smaller as it goes farther toward the outside. In this embodiment, as the volume of the sound effect corresponding to the position from the position of the boundary line to the position of the predetermined distance, a volume that linearly decreases from the same volume as the sound effect inside the shooting area 54 (hereinafter referred to as "normal volume") to a volume at which the sound effect is not reproduced (volume is 0 (zero)) is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, as the volume of the sound effect corresponding to the position from the position of the boundary line to the position of the predetermined distance, a single volume smaller than the normal volume may be uniformly applied, or the volume may be gradually reduced from the normal volume.

[0063] Note that the configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the function of the sound processing unit 11C, and thus further description thereof is omitted.

[0064] Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the flow of the sound processing according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the sound processing. Note that steps that perform the same processing as in FIG. 6 in FIG. 9 are given the same step numbers as in FIG. 6, and the description thereof is omitted. As shown in FIG. 9, the sound processing according to the present embodiment is different from the sound processing according to the first embodiment only in that the processing of steps 107A and 107B is added.

[0065] That is, when a negative determination is made in step 104, it is considered that the character to be processed is located outside the imaging area 54, and the process proceeds to step 107A. In step 107A, the CPU 11 determines whether the position of the character to be processed specified in step 102 is within the distance from the above-described boundary line to a position within the predetermined distance. If a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 108, while if an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 107B.

[0066] In step 107B, the CPU 11 performs a process of reproducing the sound effect emitted depending on the character to be processed at a volume corresponding to the distance from the above-described boundary line, and then proceeds to step 110.

[0067] As described above, in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, for an object located within a predetermined distance from the boundary line between the inside and the outside of the display area, the CPU 11 does not refrain from reproducing the sound effect even if it is located outside, and executes a process of reproducing the sound effect. Thereby, compared with the information processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, the sense of discomfort caused by the player can be further suppressed.

[0068] Further, in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the CPU 11 executes a process of reproducing the sound effect so that the distance from the boundary line becomes smaller as it goes farther outside. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sound effect from sounding unnaturally, and thus the sense of discomfort caused by the player can be further suppressed.

[0069] [Other exemplary forms] In the above embodiment, the case where the CPU 11 switches between reproduction and non-reproduction of the sound effect inside and outside the boundary line without distinguishing between the self-character 60 and the other character 62, or reproduces the sound effect including up to a position at a predetermined distance from the boundary line has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

[0070] For example, regarding the self-character 60, regardless of its position, it may be in a form where a sound effect is played.

[0071] That is, as an example, as shown in FIG. 10, the sound processing unit 11C according to this form executes a process of playing a sound effect regardless of whether the object is located inside or outside the display area when the self-character 60 is the character operated by the player looking at the display screen. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the unnatural way of playing the sound effect when the self-character 60 goes out of the field of view.

[0072] Also, in the above embodiment, the case where the voice is not included in the sound effect has been described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be in a form where the voice is included in the sound effect. In this case, it may be in a form where the playback and non-playback of the voice are switched inside and outside the boundary line without distinguishing between the self-character 60 and the other character 62, or the voice is played up to a position at a predetermined distance from the boundary line. Also, for example, regarding the self-character 60, regardless of its position, it may be in a form where the voice is played.

[0073] Also, in the above embodiment, the case where both the self-character 60 and the other character 62 are applied as characters has been described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be in a form where only one of the self-character 60 and the other character 62 is applied as a character.

[0074] Note that, in the above embodiment, the sound processing executed by the CPU 11 by reading software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of the processor in this case include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a dedicated electric circuit, which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed specifically for executing specific processing, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Also, the sound processing may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a combination of a plurality of FPGAs, and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). Further, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit combining circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

Explanation of Signs

[0075] 10 Information processing apparatus (an example of a computer and a sound processing apparatus) 11 CPU 11A Reception unit 11B Game execution unit 11C Sound processing unit 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Storage 14A Game processing program 14B Sound processing program (an example of a sound processing program) 15 Display 16 Speaker 18 Communication I / F 30 Server 52 Virtual camera 54 Shooting area 60 Self-character 62 Other character

Claims

1. For an object arranged in a virtual space, when the object is located inside the display area of the display screen that displays the virtual space, a sound effect that is a sound emitted depending on the object is reproduced, and when the object is located outside the display area, the sound effect is not reproduced. A sound processing program that causes a computer to execute the process.

2. Regardless of whether it is inside or outside the display area, a sound effect that does not depend on the object is reproduced. The sound processing program according to claim 1, which causes a computer to execute the process.

3. The sound effect that does not depend on the object is at least one of a sound imitating a natural phenomenon and a sound emitted based on a user interface. The sound processing program according to claim 2.

4. When the object is the player's own character operated by the player looking at the display screen, the sound effect is reproduced regardless of whether it is located inside or outside the display area. The sound processing program according to claim 1, which causes a computer to execute the process.

5. For the object located within a predetermined distance from the boundary line between the inside and outside of the display area, the sound effect is reproduced without refraining from reproducing the sound effect even when it is located outside. The sound processing program according to claim 1, which causes a computer to execute the process.

6. The sound effect is reproduced so that it becomes smaller as the distance from the boundary line becomes farther toward the outside. The sound processing program according to claim 5, which causes a computer to execute the process.

7. The object is at least one of the player's own character operated by the player looking at the display screen and another character operated by a player different from the player. The sound processing program according to claim 1.

8. The display area of the display screen is a shooting area by a virtual camera. The sound processing program according to claim 1.

9. Accepts an operation by a player to relatively change either the volume of the sound effect or the volume of a sound other than the sound effect compared to the other. The sound processing program according to claim 1, which causes a computer to execute the process.

10. For an object placed in a virtual space, when the object is located inside the display area of the display screen that displays the virtual space, a sound effect that is a sound emitted depending on the object is played, and when the object is located outside the display area, the sound effect is not played. A sound processing method in which a computer executes the process.

11. For an object placed in a virtual space, a sound processing unit that plays a sound effect that is a sound emitted depending on the object when the object is located inside the display area of the display screen that displays the virtual space, and does not play the sound effect when the object is located outside the display area. A sound processing apparatus comprising the same.

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