Program, information processing method, and information processing system

Abstract

We provide technology that makes it easier to enhance the enjoyment of games. [Solution] Position acquisition means 64 acquires the position coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the target character in the virtual space where the target character exists. First acquisition means 80 acquires first background information relating to the background of the target character's position acquired by position acquisition means 64. Texture changing means 68 changes the appearance of the target character to an appearance corresponding to the first background information acquired by first acquisition means 80. Second acquisition means 82 acquires second background information relating to the background of the target character's position acquired by position acquisition means 64 when the target character moves. Texture changing means 68 changes the appearance of the target character after movement to an appearance corresponding to the second background information acquired by second acquisition means 82 when the target character moves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a program, an information processing method, and an information processing system.

Background Art

[0002] In content such as games, for example, effects are applied to make a target character less visible, such as making it transparent or blending it into the background. For example, according to Patent Document 1, an idea is disclosed of specifying an optimal combination of texture and parameters corresponding to an object that is the background of a character and changing the appearance of the character by that combination.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the technique described in Patent Document 1 above determines the texture and parameters according to the current position of the character and changes the appearance of the character according to that combination, it is premised on holding in association in the game server the pattern of the combination of the target texture and parameters and the appearance information, which requires complex processing.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a technique that can more simply enhance the attractiveness of games.

[0006] To achieve the above object, a first aspect of this disclosure is an information processing apparatus, a first acquisition means for acquiring the position coordinates of an object in a virtual space, A second acquisition means acquires information regarding the texture corresponding to the position where the aforementioned object is placed, as first background information. A first modification means for changing the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information, To make it function as, The second acquisition means acquires texture information corresponding to the destination of the object when the object moves, as second background information. The first modification means changes the texture applied to the object to a texture corresponding to the second background information. It is a program.

[0007] Furthermore, in the first aspect, the program described above may also function as a second modification means that changes the texture of the object to a predetermined texture according to the type of object when the object dies or the object becomes the target of an attack by another object.

[0008] Furthermore, in the first aspect, the first or second modification means may change the orientation of the object in accordance with the first or second background information.

[0009] Furthermore, in the first aspect, the first or second modifying means may change the angle at which the object is positioned in accordance with the first or second background information which includes information regarding rotation values.

[0010] Furthermore, in the first aspect, the program described above may also function as a management means for associating and managing the coordinates of the virtual space with the texture information within the virtual space.

[0011] Furthermore, the second aspect of this disclosure is, An information processing method performed by an information processing device, The first acquisition step is to obtain the position coordinates of an object in the virtual space, A second acquisition step involves acquiring information about the texture corresponding to the position where the aforementioned object is placed, as first background information. A first modification step involves changing the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information, Includes, The second acquisition step acquires, when the object moves, texture information corresponding to the destination of the object as second background information. The first modification step involves changing the texture applied to the object to a texture corresponding to the second background information. It is an information processing method.

[0012] Furthermore, the third aspect of this disclosure is, A first acquisition means for obtaining the position coordinates of an object in a virtual space, A second acquisition means acquires information regarding the texture corresponding to the position where the aforementioned object is placed, as first background information. A first modification means for changing the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information, Equipped with, The second acquisition means acquires texture information corresponding to the destination of the object when the object moves, as second background information. The first modification means changes the texture applied to the object to a texture corresponding to the second background information. It is an information processing system.

[0013] An information processing method and information processing system according to one aspect of this disclosure are also provided as an information processing method or information processing system corresponding to a program according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] This disclosure provides a technology that can more easily enhance the enjoyment of games. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a game device that constitutes an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a game device and a server that constitute an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing an example of a game image displayed on a game device that constitutes an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing an example of a game image displayed on a game device that constitutes an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram showing an example different from the example of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed by a game device that constitutes an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] [Embodiment] First, prior to describing the embodiments of the present invention, a game to which an information processing system (hereinafter referred to as "this system") according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable will be briefly described. The game to which this system is applicable (hereinafter referred to as "this game") is, for example, a game of a type called RPG (Role Playing Game) or action RPG. In this game, the player can freely operate the character they control within the virtual space, and can strengthen the character by repeating battles with enemy characters to progress the game. Then, the player progresses the game while experiencing events and the like set within the game.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, this system consists of a game device 1 and a server 2. The game device 1 and the server 2 are interconnected via a predetermined network N, such as the Internet. However, the network N is not a mandatory component; for example, NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), LAN (Local Area Network), etc., may be used. Hereafter, when simply referred to as "image," it includes both "moving images" and "still images."

[0018] Game device 1 is used by players who wish to apply the services provided by this system. Game device 1 consists of a general-purpose home game console, PC (Personal Computer), smartphone, tablet, etc. Game device 1 performs various processes necessary for the progress of this game.

[0019] Server 2 is managed by the system administrator, etc. Server 2 is composed of a general-purpose PC or similar device. Server 2 communicates with game device 1, etc., and saves and manages various information necessary for the progress of this game.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a game device that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the game device 1 includes a control unit 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0022] The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a microcomputer including semiconductor memory, etc. The control unit 11 executes various processes according to the program recorded in the ROM 12 or the program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. RAM13 also stores information necessary for the control unit 11 to perform various processes.

[0023] The control unit 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0024] The output unit 16 outputs image information or audio information to a display or speaker. The image information or audio information output by the output unit 16 is output from the display or speaker in a format that can be recognized by a person as an image or sound.

[0025] The input unit 17 is, for example, a game controller, and it inputs various information in response to the player's input operations.

[0026] The memory unit 18 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various types of information. For example, the memory unit 18 stores various game programs necessary for game progression, save data, account information, and so on.

[0027] The communications unit 19 controls communications with other hardware, etc., via the network N, including the Internet.

[0028] A drive 20 is provided as needed. A removable media 31, consisting of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately mounted in the drive 20. Various programs for running the game are stored in the removable media 31. Programs read from the removable media 31 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. Furthermore, the removable media 31 can store various types of information stored in the memory unit 18, just as the memory unit 18 does.

[0029] Here, the hardware configuration of server 2 includes the control unit 100 and communication unit 110 shown in Figure 3, which will be described later, and the other configurations can be basically the same as the hardware configuration of game device 1.

[0030] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of a game device and server constituting an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 11 of the game device 1 functions as a game processing execution means 60, an input operation receiving means 62, a position acquisition means 64, a texture acquisition means 66, a texture modification means 68, a texture deactivation means 70, and an output control means 72 by executing various programs.

[0031] The game processing execution means 60 of the game device 1 performs various processes related to the game. Specifically, the game processing execution means 60 executes the game program and generates 2D or 3D images and sounds related to the game, by reading virtual game space objects and textures included in the game information from a storage unit (not shown) in accordance with various input operations from the player or other users. In other words, the game processing execution means 60 controls the progress of the game by generating and managing game images based on input operations and the position and angle of the virtual camera. Furthermore, the game processing execution means 60 transmits various information related to the game to the server 2 as appropriate.

[0032] The input operation receiving means 62 receives game-related input operations from the player. The information regarding input operations received by the input operation receiving means 62 (hereinafter referred to as "input operation information") includes information regarding the type of button or analog stick used for the input operation, information regarding the time the input operation was performed, and information regarding the number of times the button was pressed.

[0033] The position acquisition means 64 acquires the position coordinates of an object in the virtual space. Specifically, the position acquisition means 64 acquires the position coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the target character in the virtual space where the target character exists. For example, if the target character is moving, the position acquisition means 64 may acquire only the position coordinates of the target character after it has moved. Furthermore, the position coordinates referred to here may include, for example, the position coordinates indicating the center of the target character, or the position coordinates indicating the relative positions of the character's body objects, such as arms and legs, with respect to the position coordinates indicating the center of the target character.

[0034] The texture acquisition means 66 performs various processes related to texture acquisition. Here, the texture acquisition means 66 is provided with a first acquisition means 80 and a second acquisition means 82. The first acquisition means 80 acquires information about the texture corresponding to the position where the object is placed, as first background information. Specifically, the first acquisition means 80 acquires the background texture at the position coordinates of the target character acquired by the position acquisition means 64. Herein, the term "texture" as used herein broadly includes images used to represent the texture of an object in a virtual space (for example, rendering a texture onto the surface of an object to represent its texture), background images such as the color and shape of various background objects, or combinations thereof. Each object in the game (terrain, character, etc.) has a corresponding texture assigned to it. For example, the texture corresponding to the position where an object is placed means the background or texture set on the object corresponding to the target position (coordinates) in the virtual space. In other words, the first acquisition means 80 acquires various information (hereinafter referred to as "first background information") related to the background of the position of the target character acquired by the position acquisition means 64.

[0035] The second acquisition means 82 acquires texture information corresponding to the destination of the object when the object moves, as second background information. Specifically, when the target character moves, the second acquisition means 82 acquires various information (hereinafter referred to as "second background information") related to the background of the target character's position acquired by the position acquisition means 64.

[0036] The texture changing means 68 changes the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information. Specifically, the texture changing means 68 changes the appearance of the target character to an appearance corresponding to the first background information acquired by the first acquisition means 80. Furthermore, if the target character moves, the texture changing means 68 changes the appearance of the target character after the movement to an appearance corresponding to the second background information acquired by the second acquisition means 82.

[0037] The texture removal means 70 changes the texture applied to the object to a predetermined texture according to the type of object when the object dies or the object becomes the target of an attack action. Specifically, the texture removal means 70 changes the appearance of the target character to a predetermined normal appearance according to the character type when the target character dies or is targeted by an attack action of another character (for example, a player character).

[0038] The output control means 72 performs various processes to display various game images, sounds, etc., generated by the game processing execution means 60 on the output unit 16.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 100 of server 2 executes various programs, thereby enabling the game information management means 120 to function.

[0040] The game information management means 120 of server 2 manages various information necessary for the game to progress on game device 1 and executes various processes. Specifically, for example, the game information management means 120 performs authentication for account information transmitted from game device 1, and delivers game information in response to download requests for various game information from game device 1.

[0041] Next, an example of a specific game image will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figures 4 and 5 are both diagrams showing an example of a game image displayed on a game device that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] In the example in Figure 4, three enemy characters, Character P1, Character P2, and Character P3, are displayed in a given virtual space. In the example in Figure 4, the position coordinates of Character P1 are (X1, Y1, Z1), the position coordinates of Character P2 are (X2, Y2, Z2), and the position coordinates of Character P3 are (X3, Y3, Z3). Characters P1, P2, and P3 all have their appearances changed according to the texture of the location where each character is located, making it difficult for the player to immediately perceive the presence of each character. As the player plays the game in such an environment, they can experience gameplay such as being suddenly attacked by enemy characters without noticing them. In contrast, Figure 5 shows the game situation when character P2 moves from the game situation in Figure 4. In the example in Figure 5, the position coordinates of character P2 change to (X4, Y4, Z4) due to the movement. The appearance of character P2 is also changed to match the texture of the new position coordinates (X4, Y4, Z4). This system can change the appearance of the target character in accordance with the character's movement, thereby maintaining a situation where the player cannot immediately grasp the location of enemy characters. It should be noted that attempting to implement such processing using only the technology described in the aforementioned reference 1 would likely become complex and difficult to implement if there are many character movements or many types of backgrounds and textures. This system can perform appearance change processing as shown in Figures 4 and 5 even in such cases.

[0043] Figure 6 shows an example of the processing flow performed by a game device that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] In step S1, the position acquisition means 64 acquires the position coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the target character in the virtual space.

[0045] In step S2, the first acquisition means 80 acquires first background information relating to the background of the position of the target character acquired by the position acquisition means 64.

[0046] In step S3, the texture modification means 68 changes the appearance of the target character to an appearance corresponding to the first background information acquired by the first acquisition means 80.

[0047] In step S4, the second acquisition means 82 determines whether or not the target character is moving. If the target character moves, the second acquisition means 82 determines that step S4 is YES, and the process proceeds to step S5. In contrast, if the target character has not moved, the second acquisition means 82 determines that step S4 is NO, and the process ends there.

[0048] In step S5, the position acquisition means 64 acquires the position coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the target character's destination when the target character moves.

[0049] In step S6, the second acquisition means 82 acquires second background information relating to the background of the position of the target character acquired by the position acquisition means 64 when the target character moves.

[0050] In step S7, if the target character moves, the texture changing means 68 changes the appearance of the target character after movement to an appearance corresponding to the second background information acquired by the second acquisition means 82. This completes the various processes performed by the game device 1.

[0051] Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the purpose of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure.

[0052] [Other embodiments]

[0053] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explained that the system targets enemy characters for appearance modification, it is not limited to them. The system may target allied characters for appearance modification, or it may target any object that is not limited to characters for appearance modification.

[0054] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, this system may change the appearance of the target character in consideration of the character's posture. Specifically, for example, if the target character is in a place where it is easily hidden among rocks or rubble, this system may change the character's posture to a crouching position and place it there. Alternatively, if it is in an open space, this system may change the character's posture to be as low as possible, minimizing unevenness and making it appear as if it is clinging to the ground. Also, if the terrain has similar stone statues, this system may, for example, place the target character in a posture similar to those statues. In summary, this system may change the posture of the target character and position it accordingly, depending on the texture and background of the target character's location.

[0055] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, this system may also acquire rotation information along with the position coordinates of the target character. When changing the appearance of the target character, this system corrects and positions the target character according to the rotation value corresponding to each position coordinate, thereby allowing the target character to be placed in the virtual space in a more natural manner. Such a function is particularly useful not only when the character is simply on the ground, but also when it is clinging to walls, cliffs, etc.

[0056] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explained that the system dynamically acquires first and second background information at the position coordinates of the target character, it is not limited to this. The system may, for example, assign textures to various objects (characters, land, buildings, etc.) and a management server (e.g., Server 2), and associate them with position coordinates in the virtual space by assigning IDs to them.

[0057] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiments, this system has been described as changing the appearance of a target character according to the background at the location where the target character is located, but it is not limited to this. The concept of this system can also be applied in the following ways, for example. This system could be used, for example, in a virtual space with a lot of lava, to create an effect where a dragon breathes fire by utilizing the background information of the terrain. Another possible application is in a virtual space with snow cover or a frozen lake, where the background information of the terrain could be used to create an effect where a dragon breathes ice. In summary, this system can use background information of the location of a target character for various effect processing, including effects performed by the target character.

[0058] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the conditions under which this system cancels a character's appearance change were explained as the death of the target character or the target character becoming the target of an attack action, but this is not limited to these conditions. This system may also cancel a character's appearance change based on any condition within the game.

[0059] Furthermore, although not explained in the embodiments described above, this system may, for example, change the appearance of a character by making the character transparent if it is not appropriate to change the appearance of the target character according to the background information depending on the situation in the virtual space (for example, if the background is complex and it is difficult to handle by dynamically replacing textures).

[0060] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, when changing a texture, this system may change the texture immediately, or it may change the texture gradually over a period of time, such as a few seconds.

[0061] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, the position coordinates of the character from which this system acquires the first or second background information do not necessarily coincide with the position coordinates of the background or terrain object itself. For example, as one process for identifying the background or terrain corresponding to the character's position coordinates, this system may, for instance, perform a raycast in the direction of the target character's feet (for example, vertically if the character is standing, or horizontally if it is stuck to a wall), obtain the texture number (ID) set on the object hit by the raycast (for example, the ground or a wall), and obtain the image information corresponding to that number (ID) as background information.

[0062] Furthermore, although not described in the embodiments described above, this game may be run on any hardware, such as a home game console like PlayStation®, a portable game console like Nintendo Switch®, various game consoles designed for commercial use, or electronic devices such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet.

[0063] Furthermore, although not explained in the embodiments described above, the content of the games covered by this system is not limited. This system may be applied to any game, such as FPS (First Person Shooter), TPS (Third Person Shooter), RPG (Role Playing Game), action games (including so-called open world games), simulation games, sports games, card games, battle royale (symmetrical and asymmetrical), MOBA (Multiplayer online battle arena), music games, fighting games, quiz games, and so on.

[0064] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment assumed that the game is intended for single-player gameplay, it is not limited to this. The game may be a so-called multiplayer game in which multiple players participate, not just a solo game.

[0065] Furthermore, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configurations shown in Figure 3 are merely examples and are not particularly limiting. In other words, it is sufficient for the information processing system to have a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not limited to the examples shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the location of the functional block is not limited to the examples shown in Figure 3, and can be arbitrary. Furthermore, a single functional block may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0066] Specifically, for example, this system may consist of multiple game devices 1 connected by a method such as P2P (Peer to Peer), and various processes executed on the server 2 of the above embodiment may be performed by other game devices 1. In other words, the server 2 is not an essential component of this system and is not limited to it.

[0067] Furthermore, the number and users of the various hardware components that make up this system are arbitrary, and it may also include other hardware components.

[0068] Furthermore, when a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium.

[0069] Furthermore, the computer may be one that is built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, the computer may be one that can perform various functions by installing various programs. In other words, for example, any computer, any mobile device such as a smartphone, any game console, etc., may be freely used as the various hardware in the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, any combination of types and contents of various input and output units may be adopted.

[0070] Furthermore, such a recording medium containing a program may consist not only of a removable medium (not shown) provided separately from the main unit of the device to provide the program to a player or the like, but may also consist of a recording medium that is pre-installed in the main unit of the device and provided to the player.

[0071] Furthermore, in this specification, each step in a program stored on a storage medium does not necessarily have to be processed chronologically in the order described in the embodiments above. It may be processed in a different order, and some processes may be omitted in parallel or individually, or only some processes may be executed.

[0072] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc.

[0073] The effects and advantages of this embodiment will also be achieved when these other embodiments are adopted. Furthermore, it is possible to combine this embodiment with other embodiments, and other embodiments with each other, as appropriate.

[0074] In summary, the information processing system to which this disclosure applies can take various forms having the following configurations. Information processing equipment, A first acquisition means (for example, a position acquisition means 64) for acquiring the position coordinates of an object in a virtual space, A second acquisition means (for example, a first acquisition means 80) acquires information regarding the texture corresponding to the position where the object is placed as first background information, A first modification means (for example, a texture modification means 68) that changes the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information, To make it function as, The second acquisition means acquires texture information corresponding to the destination of the object when the object moves, as second background information. The first modification means changes the texture applied to the object to a texture corresponding to the second background information. A program would suffice.

[0075] In other words, for example, the position acquisition means 64 functions as the first acquisition means. For example, the first acquisition means 80 functions as a second acquisition means. For example, the texture modification means 68 functions as a first modification means.

[0076] This allows players to enjoy the game in a simpler way. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1 Game device 11 Control Unit 60 Game Processing Execution Means 62 Input operation receiving means 64 Location acquisition means 66. Texture Acquisition Methods 80 First acquisition method 82 Second acquisition method 68 Texture modification methods 70 Texture Removal Methods 72 Output control means 2 servers 100 Control Unit 120 Game Information Management Methods

Claims

1. Information processing equipment, A first acquisition means for obtaining the position coordinates of an object in a virtual space, A second acquisition means acquires information regarding the texture corresponding to the position where the object is placed as first background information, A first modification means for changing the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information, To make it function as, The second acquisition means acquires texture information corresponding to the destination of the object when the object moves, as second background information. The first modification means changes the texture applied to the object to a texture corresponding to the second background information. program.

2. If the object dies or becomes the target of an attack by another object, a second modification means is provided to further function as a way to change the texture of the object to a predetermined texture according to the type of object. The program according to claim 1.

3. The first or second modification means changes the orientation of the object in accordance with the first or second background information. The program according to claim 1.

4. The first or second modification means changes the angle at which the object is positioned according to the first or second background information which includes information about rotation values. The program according to claim 2.

5. This further functions as a management means for associating and managing the coordinates of the virtual space with the texture information within the virtual space. The program according to claim 1.

6. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, A first acquisition step to obtain the position coordinates of an object in a virtual space, A second acquisition step involves acquiring information about the texture corresponding to the position where the object is placed, as first background information. A first modification step involves changing the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information, Includes, The second acquisition step acquires, when the object moves, texture information corresponding to the destination of the object as second background information. The first modification step involves changing the texture applied to the object to a texture corresponding to the second background information. Information processing methods.

7. A first acquisition means for obtaining the position coordinates of an object in a virtual space, A second acquisition means acquires information regarding the texture corresponding to the position where the object is placed as first background information, A first modification means for changing the texture of the object to a texture corresponding to the first background information, Equipped with, The second acquisition means acquires texture information corresponding to the destination of the object when the object moves, as second background information. The first modification means changes the texture applied to the object to a texture corresponding to the second background information. Information processing system.

Images