Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a game processing program, a game processing method, and a game processing device that enable cooperative play by multiple players in a virtual reality game played by the multiple players wearing wearable displays.SOLUTION: A game processing program causes a computer for displaying a virtual space Vs in which a game is played on HMD 20A worn by a first player P1 and HMD 20B worn by a second player to execute processes including that a first position in the virtual space Vs is moved according to the position of the first player P1 on the basis of the output of a sensor for specifying the position of the first player P1, a second position in the virtual space Vs is moved according to the position of the second player P2 on the basis of the output of the sensor for specifying the position of the second player P2, and the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, in a condition for producing a special effect in the game.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention deals with a game in which multiple players share a virtual space. Information processing system, information processing method, and program Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a virtual reality game (hereinafter, VR game) that uses a wearable display (hereinafter, HMD: Head Mounted Display) that is worn on the player's head. The HMD is equipped with a tracking sensor such as a gyro sensor, and the movement of the player's head is detected based on the output of the tracking sensor. Then, on the display unit equipped in the HMD, an image of a virtual space is displayed with a viewpoint that changes according to the detected movement of the head. This allows the player to play the game while feeling as if he or she is actually present in the virtual space.

[0003] On the other hand, in the technical field of providing virtual spaces to users, it has also been proposed to have multiple users share a single virtual space. For example, the system described in Patent Document 1 places separate avatars corresponding to each user in a single virtual space, and has each user share the single virtual space through each client terminal connected to the Internet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-154243 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When placing a user's avatar using a user terminal such as a multi-function mobile terminal, individuality is required.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to increase the uniqueness of a virtual space including a user's avatar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A game processing program that solves the above-mentioned problems causes a computer, which displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a wearable display worn by a player, to execute the following steps: an identification process for identifying a position of an avatar associated with the player in the virtual space based on detection information detected by a position detection sensor and indicating the movement of the player in real space; a movement control process for moving the position of the avatar based on the detection information; an area setting process for setting a movement allowable area, which is an area in which movement of the avatar is allowed in association with movement of the player, centered on an initial position of the avatar; and a display process for displaying an area display indicating the outer edge of the movement allowable area when the distance between the position of the avatar and the outer edge of the movement allowable area is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. A game processing method that solves the above-mentioned problems is a game processing method using a computer that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a wearable display worn by a player, in which the computer executes the following steps: an identification process for identifying a position of an avatar associated with the player in the virtual space based on detection information that is information detected by a position detection sensor and indicates the movement of the player in real space; a movement control process for moving the position of the avatar based on the detection information; an area setting process for setting a movement allowable area that is an area in which movement of the avatar in association with movement of the player is allowed, centered on an initial position of the avatar; and a display process for displaying an area display indicating the outer edge of the movement allowable area when the distance between the position of the avatar and the outer edge of the movement allowable area is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. A game processing device that solves the above problem is a game processing device that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a wearable display worn by a player, and executes the following processes: an identification process that identifies a position of an avatar associated with the player in the virtual space based on detection information detected by a position detection sensor and indicating the movement of the player in real space; a movement control process that moves the position of the avatar based on the detection information; an area setting process that sets a movement allowable area that is an area in which movement of the avatar is allowed in association with movement of the player, centered on an initial position of the avatar; and a display process that displays an area display indicating the outer edge of the movement allowable area when the distance between the position of the avatar and the outer edge of the movement allowable area is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. Sharing a virtual space in a VR game using an HMD is achieved, for example, by each player wearing an HMD participating in the same game. In this case, if cooperation between players in the virtual space is reflected in the achievement of each player's objective in the game, the game can be made more unique than a VR game played by a single player. This increases users' interest in the game, and ultimately makes it possible to increase the number of users participating in the game. Another object of the present invention is to enable cooperative play by a plurality of players wearing wearable displays in a virtual reality game played by the plurality of players. A game processing program that solves the above problem causes a computer that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a first wearable display worn by a first player and a second wearable display worn by a second player to execute processing including: moving a first position in the virtual space to match the position of the first player based on output of a sensor for identifying the position of the first player; moving a second position in the virtual space to match the position of the second player based on output of a sensor for identifying the position of the second player; and including as a condition for manifesting a special effect in the game a distance between the first position and the second position being within a predetermined range.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the condition for realizing a special effect in the game includes that the distance between the first position and the second position in the virtual space is within a predetermined range. Then, by cooperating with each other to satisfy that the distance between the first position and the second position is within the predetermined range, the first player and the second player can realize a special effect that can be the goal of each player in the game. Therefore, it is possible to realize cooperative play by multiple players.

[0009] In the above game processing program, the processing may include determining a position of the first player based on information detected by the first wearable display, and determining a position of the second player based on information detected by the second wearable display.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the distance between the first position and the second position in the virtual space changes according to the positions of the heads of the first and second players. Therefore, compared to a case where the first and second positions are moved based on the positions of the players' hands, the first and second players are required to make larger movements including their torsos in order to cooperate with each other. This enhances the feeling that the players are playing together.

[0011] In the above game processing program, the processing may include determining a position of the first player based on information detected by a first operating device operated by the first player, and determining a position of the second player based on information detected by a second operating device operated by the second player.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the distance between the first position and the second position in the virtual space changes according to the positions of the hands of the first and second players. Therefore, the movement required of the first and second players for the above cooperation is smaller than when the first and second positions are moved based on the positions of the heads of the players. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the range of movement of the players, and also possible to reduce the size required for the real space in which the players perform their actions.

[0013] In the above game processing program, the processing may include processing for displaying, on each mounted display, an indication that makes it possible to identify whether or not a distance between the first position and the second position is within the predetermined range.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the player can know from the display whether the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range or not, thereby improving the convenience for the player when performing the cooperation.

[0015] In the above game processing program, the processing may include processing for displaying, as the display, an object surrounding the first position and an object surrounding the second position arranged in the virtual space on each mounted display.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the player can intuitively know whether or not the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range. In the above game processing program, in the processing, the conditions may include that a predetermined operation is detected in at least one of a first operating device operated by the first player and a second operating device operated by the second player when the distance between the first position and the second position is within the predetermined range.

[0017] According to the above configuration, it becomes easier for the player to control the timing at which the special effect appears. Therefore, the player can adjust the timing at which the special effect appears according to the progress of the game, which increases convenience for the player.

[0018] In the above game processing program, in the processing, the condition may include that at least one of the first player and the second player has accomplished a predetermined task in the game.

[0019] According to the above-mentioned configuration, since the effort required to realize the special effect is large, the value of the special effect is increased, and therefore it is possible to increase the player's motivation to play in order to realize the special effect.

[0020] In the above game processing program, the processing includes setting an initial position of the first location and an initial position of the second location to predetermined positions, and the distance between these initial positions may be different from the distance in real space between the first wearable display and the second wearable display at the start of the game.

[0021] According to the above configuration, it is possible to make the distance between the first and second wearable displays in real space, i.e., the distance between the players, different from the distance between the first and second positions in virtual space. Then, by setting the relationship between the magnitudes of these distances according to the actions required of the players in the game, it is possible to prevent unexpected contact between players and players going out of a predetermined area in which they should perform actions in real space.

[0022] In the game processing program, the predetermined range is a range equal to or smaller than a reference distance, A first allowable area is an area in which movement of the first position associated with movement of the first player is allowed around an initial position of the first position, and a second allowable area is an area in which movement of the second position associated with movement of the second player is allowed around an initial position of the second position, and the first allowable area and the second allowable area are set so that they are separated from each other and the distance between these areas is equal to or less than the reference distance, and the processing may include processing for causing the first mounted display to display a first area display indicating the first allowable area and causing the second mounted display to display a second area display indicating the second allowable area.

[0023] According to the above configuration, the player is made aware of the area in which movement is permitted, and the player is guided to keep his / her movement within the predetermined area. Since the first permitted area and the second permitted area are spaced apart from each other, unintentional contact between players can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the distance between the first permitted area and the second permitted area is equal to or less than the reference distance, cooperative play can be performed within such areas to produce special effects.

[0024] In the above game processing program, the processing may include processing for causing the first mounted display to display the first area display when the first position is located within the first allowable area and in an area whose distance to an outer edge of the first allowable area is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

[0025] According to the above configuration, when the first position is located near the outer edge of the first allowable area, that is, when the player is likely to leave the area in which movement is permitted, the first area display is displayed on the first mountable display. Therefore, it is possible to alert the player that the player's position is approaching the outer edge of the area in which movement is permitted. Also, compared to a form in which the first area display is always displayed on the first mountable display, it is possible to prevent the player's view in the virtual space from being continuously blocked by the first area display.

[0026] In the above game processing program, the processing may include processing for displaying, as the first area display, a cylindrical object that surrounds an initial position of the first position and extends in the vertical direction in the virtual space on the first mounted display.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the player can intuitively grasp the first allowable range. In the above game processing program, the game may be a game in which the first player and the second player attack an object located in the virtual space, and the special effect may be an effect of increasing the attack power of the attack.

[0028] According to the above configuration, since the appearance of special effects in a game is highly valued, it is possible to increase the player's motivation to play in order to produce special effects. Furthermore, in VR games that use an HMD, since the player is wearing the HMD, it is easy for the player to move outside the permitted area of ​​movement. Another object of the present invention is to restrict the range of movement of a player wearing a mountable display. A game processing program for solving the above-mentioned problem includes, in a computer that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a first wearable display worn by a first player and a second wearable display worn by a second player, the following steps: specifying a first position of a first avatar associated with the first player in the virtual space based on first detection information detected by a first position detection sensor and indicating a movement of the first player in real space, and specifying a second position of a second avatar associated with the second player in the virtual space based on second detection information detected by a second position detection sensor and indicating a movement of the second player in real space; a movement control process that moves the first position based on the first detection information and moves the second position based on the second detection information; and a movement allowance area in which movement of the first position is allowed. The device executes an area setting process that sets a first movement allowable area and a second movement allowable area which is a movement allowable area in which movement of the second position is allowed, and a display process that displays a first area display which is an area display indicating the outer edge of the first movement allowable area on the first wearable display when the distance between the first position and the outer edge of the first movement allowable area is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and displays a second area display which is an area display indicating the outer edge of the second movement allowable area on the second wearable display when the distance between the second position and the outer edge of the second movement allowable area is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and in the identification process, the first position and the second position are identified so that a virtual distance which is a relative distance between an initial position of the first position and an initial position of the second position is different from a real distance which is a relative distance between an initial position of the first wearable display and an initial position of the second wearable display in real space. Effect of the Invention

[0029] According to the present invention, the movement range of a player wearing a mountable display can be restricted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram functionally showing the configuration of an apparatus constituting a system in which a game processing method is used, in accordance with an embodiment of the game processing method; [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement in real space of devices included in a system in which a game processing method of one embodiment is used. [Diagram 3] 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a virtual space and an image visually recognized by a player in one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image of a virtual space displayed on a public display in one embodiment. [Diagram 5]6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating an example of setting an initial position of a virtual point according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a sequence chart showing a process flow for setting an avatar in an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of setting an allowable movement area according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a region display according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow for switching between displaying and hiding an area display in an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual space when a normal attack is being performed in one embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of data included in game progress data according to an embodiment, the data being composed of information about a player; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual space when simultaneous attacks are being performed in one embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a range display according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] 11 is a flowchart showing a process for launching a combined attack in one embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual space when a combined attack is being performed in one embodiment. [Figure 16] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the virtual space and the actions of the players when a combined attack is being performed according to a modified example of an embodiment. [Figure 17] 11 is a sequence chart showing a flow of processing after a game has ended in one embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a game processing device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] An embodiment of a game processing program, a game processing method, and a game processing device will be described with reference to FIGS. [Overall game system configuration] The overall configuration of a game system using the game processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the game system includes a game processing device 10, a head mounted display (hereinafter, HMD) 20 as a wearable display, an operating device 30, and a tracking auxiliary device 40. Furthermore, the game system includes a public display 50 and an auxiliary terminal 60.

[0032] The game processing device 10 and the HMD 20 communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly. The HMD 20 is worn on the head of a player, and the controller 30 is operated by the player. The game processing device 10 displays a virtual space on the HMD 20 from a viewpoint according to the position and orientation of the HMD 20, and manages the progress of a game played in the virtual space based on information detected by the HMD 20 and the controller 30.

[0033] One HMD 20 is associated with one operating device 30, and the game system includes a plurality of pairs of the HMD 20 and the operating device 30. The HMD 20 and the operating device 30 associated with each other are used by the same player. In this embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the game system includes the HMD 20A and the operating device 30A used by the first player, and the HMD 20B and the operating device 30B used by the second player. The HMD 20A is an example of a first wearable display, and the operating device 30A is an example of a first operating device. The HMD 20B is an example of a second wearable display, and the operating device 30B is an example of a second operating device.

[0034] The HMD 20 includes an information processing unit 21, a tracking information detection unit 22, and a display unit 23. The information processing unit 21 includes a processor, a memory, a communication interface, etc. The information processing unit 21 outputs a signal according to the detection result of the tracking information detection unit 22 to the game processing device 10, and also receives an input of a signal such as image information from the game processing device 10, and causes the display unit 23 to display an image of a virtual space based on the input signal.

[0035] The tracking information detection unit 22 includes a device for calculating the position and orientation of the HMD 20, that is, the position and orientation of the head of the player. For example, the tracking information detection unit 22 includes a sensor that detects information mainly used for calculating the orientation of the HMD 20. Such a sensor includes at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor. Note that these sensors can also be used for calculating the position of the HMD 20. In addition to or instead of the sensors exemplified above, the tracking information detection unit 22 may include a sensor that directly detects the movement of the player's eyeball, such as a gaze detection sensor that irradiates near-infrared light into the iris and detects the reflected light.

[0036] For example, the tracking information detection unit 22 includes a position detection device for detecting information mainly used for calculating the position of the HMD 20. Specifically, the position detection device is capable of detecting information for calculating the position of the HMD 20 in cooperation with a tracking auxiliary device 40 provided separately from the HMD 20 in the real space where the player is located. The position detection device and the tracking auxiliary device 40 may be used for calculating the orientation in addition to the position of the HMD 20. For example, one of the position detection device and the tracking auxiliary device 40 is a light-emitting device such as a laser device or an LED that emits infrared light or visible light, and the other of the position detection device and the tracking auxiliary device 40 is a light-receiving device such as a camera that receives light corresponding to the light-emitting device. Then, information such as which of a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in a predetermined arrangement the light-receiving device has received light from, which of a plurality of light-receiving devices arranged in a predetermined arrangement the light-receiving device has received light from the light-emitting device, the emission direction of the light from the light-emitting device, and the time it took for the light emitted from the light-emitting device to reach the light-receiving device is detected, and the position and orientation of the HMD 20 are calculated based on this information. When the tracking auxiliary device 40 is a light-receiving device, or when the tracking auxiliary device 40 is a light-emitting device whose light emission is controlled by the game processing device 10, the tracking auxiliary device 40 may be configured to be able to communicate with the game processing device 10 directly or via the HMD 20.

[0037] The tracking information detection unit 22 may be configured so that the position and orientation of the HMD 20 can be calculated using only the detection result of the tracking information detection unit 22 included in the HMD 20, without using the tracking auxiliary device 40 installed outside the HMD 20. The position of the HMD 20 calculated from the detection result of the tracking information detection unit 22 may be a relative position with respect to the initial position of the HMD 20, or may be an absolute position in real space, that is, a three-dimensional space of a predetermined size where the player is located when playing the game.

[0038] The display unit 23 displays an image based on a signal from the information processing unit 21. The display unit 23 includes, for example, one or more display panels. The display unit 23 displays an image in which the influence of parallax and the like is taken into account according to the arrangement of the display panels. The display unit 23 may constitute a retinal projection type display system.

[0039] The controller 30 is configured to be capable of communicating with the HMD 20 associated with the controller 30 via wired or wireless communication, and is carried by the player by the player holding the controller 30 in his / her hand or by the player attaching the controller 30 to his / her hand or arm.

[0040] The controller 30 includes an information processing unit 31, a tracking information detection unit 32, and an operation unit 33. The information processing unit 31 may include a processor, a memory, a communication interface, and the like. The information processing unit 31 outputs a signal corresponding to the detection result of the tracking information detection unit 22 and a signal corresponding to an operation on the operation unit 33 to the HMD 20. The HMD 20 outputs a signal corresponding to the signal input from the controller 30 to the game processing device 10.

[0041] The tracking information detection unit 32 includes a device that detects information for calculating the position and orientation of the operating device 30. The position of the operating device 30 corresponds to the position of the player's hand. The tracking information detection unit 32 includes at least one sensor of, for example, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor. The tracking information detection unit 32 may also include a device that can detect information for calculating the position and orientation of the operating device 30 in cooperation with the tracking auxiliary device 40.

[0042] The position of the controller 30 calculated from the detection results of the tracking information detection unit 32 may be a relative position to the initial position of the controller 30, a relative position to the position of the HMD 20 associated with the controller 30, or an absolute position in real space.

[0043] The operation unit 33 is configured, for example, as a button or lever type that is operated by the player by pressing it, and is configured so that the player can operate it without seeing it. The controller 30 may communicate directly with the game processing device 10 without going through the HMD 20, and output a signal corresponding to the detection result of the tracking information detection unit 22 and a signal corresponding to an operation on the operation unit 33 to the game processing device 10. In this case, the association between the HMD 20 and the controller 30 may be managed in the game processing device 10 by storing the association of the respective identification information of the HMD 20 and the controller 30, or the like.

[0044] The public display 50 is a display that is visible to users other than the players participating in the game, such as users waiting their turn to participate in the game and users nearby watching the game, who are not wearing the HMD 20. The public display 50 is, for example, a large display, and is installed near an area in real space where the players participating in the game are located. The public display 50 communicates with the game processing device 10 by wire or wirelessly, receives image information input from the game processing device 10, and displays an image of the virtual space based on the image information.

[0045] The auxiliary terminal 60 is a terminal that has a photographing function and a display function and communicates with the game processing device 10 by wire or wirelessly, and is embodied as, for example, a tablet terminal. The auxiliary terminal 60 is used to provide information to the player before and after the game and for settings required for participation in the game. Specifically, the auxiliary terminal 60 is used to set an avatar for each player.

[0046] The game processing device 10 includes a game control unit 11 and a data storage unit 12 . The game control unit 11 executes a game processing program recorded in a non-volatile storage unit included in the game processing device 10, and functions as a position identification unit 11a, an image generation unit 11b, and a progress management unit 11c.

[0047] The position identification unit 11a identifies the position and orientation of the HMD 20 based on a signal input from the HMD 20, in other words, based on information detected by operation of the tracking information detection unit 22 of the HMD 20. The position identification unit 11a also identifies the position and orientation of the controller 30 based on a signal input from the controller 30 via the HMD 20, in other words, based on information detected by operation of the tracking information detection unit 32 of the controller 30. A known algorithm corresponding to information detected by the HMD 20 or the controller 30 may be used for the calculation for identifying the position and orientation.

[0048] The image generating unit 11b extracts and generates image information of the virtual space. For example, the image generating unit 11b extracts and generates image information of the virtual space from a viewpoint according to the position and orientation of the HMD 20, and outputs it to the HMD 20. The position and orientation are specified by the position specifying unit 11a, and the image information is generated and output by the image generating unit 11b, for each HMD 20. Also, for example, the image generating unit 11b extracts and generates image information of a bird's-eye view of the virtual space from a predetermined bird's-eye view point, and outputs it to the public display 50.

[0049] Furthermore, the image generating unit 11b uses information input from the auxiliary terminal 60 to generate information for constructing an avatar for each player. The progress management unit 11c updates the positions of various objects in the virtual space to control the appearance positions and appearance timing of objects and the movement of objects, and specifies the configuration of the virtual space from which the image generation unit 11b extracts image information. The progress management unit 11c also determines the progress of the game based on the player's actions, i.e., information detected by the HMD 20 and the operating device 30, and information stored in the data storage unit 12, and reflects the results in the configuration of the virtual space and records them in the data storage unit 12.

[0050] The data storage unit 12 stores data for rendering the virtual space and managing the progress of the game. The data storage unit 12 has game space data 12a, player data 12b, and game progress data 12c.

[0051] The game space data 12a is data for depicting the space in which the game is played, and includes data for depicting the background of the game field and data for depicting objects that are placed in the game field and whose display is controlled based on a predetermined condition. Such objects include objects such as enemies that move in the game field and objects that are displayed only when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The game space data 12a also includes position information of such objects in the virtual space.

[0052] The player data 12b is data for rendering objects placed in a virtual space according to the respective positions and orientations of the HMD 20 and the operating device 30. Such objects include an avatar set for each player and weapons possessed by the player. The player data 12b also includes position information of each of the avatars and weapons in the virtual space.

[0053] The game progress data 12c is data used to manage the progress of the game, and is updated according to the progress of the game. The game progress data 12c includes, for example, information about enemies appearing in the game and information about the player. The information about the enemies includes, for example, information indicating the ease of defeating the enemies, such as the enemy's vitality value. The information about the player includes, for example, information indicating the achievement level of the game, such as the points obtained by the player by defeating the enemies, and information indicating the satisfaction status of the conditions necessary for the progress of the game.

[0054] [Preset] 2 to 6, various settings that are performed before the start of a game will be described along with the configuration of real space, virtual space, and images of the virtual space displayed on HMD 20 and public display 50. Note that in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the game realized by the game system is a game in which a player operates controller 30 to snipe a target object, which is an object representing an enemy moving in a virtual space.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of the devices constituting the game system and the players in real space. In real space, a play space Rs in which the player performs actions is set within a range in which the position and orientation of the HMD 20 can be detected by the HMD 20 and the tracking auxiliary device 40. A first player P1 using the HMD 20A and the operation device 30A and a second player P2 using the HMD 20B and the operation device 30B are located in the play space Rs while participating in the game. The horizontal distance between the first player P1 and the second player P2 in the play space Rs, that is, the distance between the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B when projected onto a horizontal plane in real space, is the real distance dr.

[0056] The position of the public display 50 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, in an area adjacent to the play space Rs or within the play space Rs. For example, the public display 50 is disposed in a position in front of the first player P1 and the second player P2. In the play space Rs shown in FIG. 2, the direction toward the public display 50 along the horizontal direction is the forward direction, and the vertical direction is the up-down direction, and three directions are defined: the front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. The first player P1 and the second player P2 are positioned so as to be lined up in the left-right direction and start the game. Users other than the first player P1 and the second player P2 view the public display 50 from behind or beside the first player P1 and the second player P2.

[0057] The position of the HMD 20 at the time when the game processing device 10 starts specifying the position and orientation of the HMD 20 or at the time when the game starts is the reference position of the HMD 20 in the play space Rs, and the position of the HMD 20 changes from the reference position according to the action of the player. The reference position of the HMD 20A is the first reference position, and the reference position of the HMD 20B is the second reference position.

[0058] The tracking auxiliary device 40 is installed, for example, above the play space Rs. The virtual space and the images displayed on the HMD 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The position identification unit 11a of the game processing device 10 identifies the position and orientation of the HMD 20 based on a signal input from the HMD 20. Specifically, the position identification unit 11a calculates the position and orientation of the HMD 20 as a position in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system and angles around each axis. In addition, the position identification unit 11a calculates the position and orientation of the operation device 30 as a position in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system and angles around each axis based on a signal input from the operation device 30 via the HMD 20. For example, the position and orientation of the HMD 20 and the operation device 30 may be calculated by setting the front-back axis as the "roll axis," the up-down axis as the "yaw axis," and the left-right axis as the "pitch axis," and setting the angles around each axis as the roll angle, yaw angle, and pitch angle.

[0059] The position identification unit 11a aligns the axial directions of a coordinate system that defines the position and orientation in the virtual space Vs with the axial directions of a coordinate system that defines the position and orientation in the play space Rs so that the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions in the virtual space Vs match the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions in the play space Rs, and places a virtual point 100 in the virtual space Vs. The virtual point 100 is a point that is moved from the initial position in accordance with the movement of the position of the HMD 20, and the position of the virtual point 100 corresponds to the position of the player in the virtual space Vs. For example, the position of the virtual point 100 is the position where the head of an avatar associated with the player is placed. The virtual point 100 corresponding to the HMD 20A is the first virtual point 100A, and the virtual point 100 corresponding to the HMD 20B is the second virtual point 100B.

[0060] For example, at the initial position, the vertical position of virtual point 100 is determined according to the vertical position of HMD 20 at a reference position in play space Rs, and the front-rear and left-right positions of virtual point 100 may be set to predetermined positions regardless of the front-rear and left-right positions of HMD 20 at the reference position in play space Rs. When HMD 20 moves from the reference position, position identification unit 11a reflects the amount of movement from the reference position in each of the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions in the amount of movement from the initial position in each of the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, and moves virtual point 100 from the initial position.

[0061] The image generating unit 11b generates image information based on the position and orientation of the HMD 20 and outputs it to the HMD 20. For example, the line of sight and the gaze position, which is a point ahead of the line of sight, are calculated in consideration of the position of the player's eyes that is assumed based on the position and orientation of the HMD 20, and image information of a predetermined range determined by the angle of view, etc., with the gaze position as the center is generated. Data stored in the data storage unit 12 is used to generate the image information.

[0062] The progress management unit 11c specifies the configuration of the virtual space Vs by updating the positions of objects in the virtual space Vs. For example, the progress management unit 11c makes a target object 210 representing an enemy appear in a manner specified by the game processing program, and further moves the target object 210. For example, the progress management unit 11c places an avatar associated with the player in the virtual space Vs based on the position and orientation of the HMD 20, and places a weapon 260 simulating a gun or the like in the virtual space Vs based on the position and orientation of the operating device 30.

[0063] In this manner, by repeating the processes by the position identification unit 11a, the image generation unit 11b, and the progress management unit 11c described above, image information of the display range according to the position and orientation of the HMD 20 at each time is output to the HMD 20 for the virtual space Vs at each time defined by the progress management unit 11c. This allows the player to view, through the HMD 20, an image of the virtual space Vs at each time as seen from a viewpoint corresponding to the player's position in the virtual space Vs.

[0064] Identification of the position and orientation of the HMD 20 and generation and output of image information in response thereto are performed for the same virtual space defined by the progress management unit 11c for each HMD 20. The axial direction of the coordinate system in the play space Rs is shared between the processing for HMD 20A and the processing for HMD 20B, and the axial direction of the coordinate system in the virtual space Vs is also shared.

[0065] Therefore, the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B display an image of the same virtual space Vs, which is an image seen from a viewpoint corresponding to the position and orientation of each HMD 20. Furthermore, the relationship of the orientations of the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B in the play space Rs is reflected in the viewpoint of the image displayed on each HMD 20. For example, when the first player P1 and the second player P2 face the same direction in the play space Rs, the first player P1 and the second player P2 see images from different viewpoints facing the same direction in the virtual space Vs through each HMD 20.

[0066] When the position of an avatar corresponding to the second player P2 is included in the display range of the image displayed on the HMD 20A worn by the first player P1, the avatar of the second player P2 is displayed, whereas the avatar of the first player P1 does not have to be displayed even when the position of the avatar corresponding to the first player P1 is included in the display range. In this case, when the position of the weapon 260A corresponding to the operating device 30A is included in the display range according to the position and orientation of the operating device 30A, only the weapon 260A is displayed, for example, in a floating state.

[0067] According to this configuration, the first player P1 does not visually recognize an avatar whose movements are different from the fine movements of the hands and feet of the first player P1 in the play space Rs as an avatar corresponding to the first player P1, so that the first player P1 is prevented from feeling uncomfortable. Since the image displayed on the HMD 20A is an image seen from the position of the avatar of the first player P1 in the virtual space Vs, the first player P1 does not feel uncomfortable even if the avatar of the first player P1 is not displayed. Similarly, the HMD 20B worn by the second player P2 displays an avatar corresponding to the first player P1 according to the position and orientation, but does not need to display an avatar corresponding to the second player P2.

[0068] With reference to FIG. 4, an image displayed on the public display 50 will be described. The image generating unit 11b of the game processing device 10 generates image information of a display range in a line of sight direction looking down on the virtual space Vs from a bird's-eye point 110, which is a fixed point set in the virtual space Vs, and outputs the image information to the public display 50. The bird's-eye point 110 is set, for example, midway between the initial positions of the first virtual point 100A and the second virtual point 100B in the left-right direction, behind the initial positions of these virtual points 100A and 100B in the front-back direction, and above the initial positions of these virtual points 100A and 100B in the up-down direction. At the start of the game, the display range of the image output to the public display 50 may include the upper body or the entire body of the avatar 250A corresponding to the first player and the upper body or the entire body of the avatar 250B corresponding to the second player.

[0069] As a result, an image of the virtual space Vs viewed from a viewpoint above and behind the first and second players in the virtual space Vs is displayed on the public display 50. Therefore, a user viewing the public display 50 can watch the game as if he or she were watching the first and second players play from above and behind the players in the virtual space Vs.

[0070] <Initial position setting> The setting of the above-mentioned virtual point 100 is performed for each of the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B. The positional relationship between the initial position of the first virtual point 100A corresponding to the HMD 20A and the initial position of the second virtual point 100B corresponding to the HMD 20B will be described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0071] As described above, with respect to the forward / backward and left / right directions, i.e., the position projected onto a horizontal plane, the initial position of the first virtual point 100A is determined regardless of the first reference position, which is the reference position of HMD 20A, and the initial position of the second virtual point 100B is determined regardless of the second reference position, which is the reference position of HMD 20B.

[0072] The initial positions of the first virtual point 100A and the second virtual point 100B projected onto a horizontal plane, i.e., the position coordinates on the horizontal plane of the initial position of the virtual point 100, are set when the game system is implemented at a predetermined location in real space and the play space Rs is set, and thereafter, the settings may be maintained, or they may be set for each play before the game is started.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 5, specifically, the initial position SpA of the first virtual point 100A and the initial position SpB of the second virtual point 100B are determined to be aligned along the left-right direction with a predetermined initial interval therebetween when projected onto a horizontal plane. The initial interval is, in other words, an initial value of the virtual distance dv, which is the distance between the first virtual point 100A and the second virtual point 100B in the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction is a direction along a horizontal plane, which is a virtual plane parallel to the left-right direction and the front-back direction. The virtual points 100 are set and the players are arranged so that the order in which the first virtual point 100A and the second virtual point 100B are aligned in the left-right direction corresponds to the order in which the first player and the second player are aligned in the play space Rs at the start of the game, that is, the order in which the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B are aligned.

[0074] For example, in the play space Rs, the positions where the first player and the second player are intended to stand at the start of the game are determined, and the position coordinates in the horizontal plane of the initial position SpA of the first virtual point 100A and the initial position SpB of the second virtual point 100B are determined so that the initial interval between these positions is different.

[0075] As an example, when the initial interval is set smaller than the distance between the planned positions of the first player and the second player at the start of the game, the virtual distance dv is smaller than the real distance dr between the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B at the start of the game. When such a configuration is adopted in a game in which the first player and the second player make an action to approach each other, the first player and the second player recognize the distance between them in the virtual space Vs as being closer than the distance between them in the play space Rs, so that the first player and the second player are prevented from getting closer than necessary in the play space Rs. As a result, even if the first player and the second player cannot see each other in the play space Rs because they are wearing the HMD 20, unintentional contact between the first player and the second player in the play space Rs is prevented.

[0076] As another example, when the initial distance is set to be greater than the distance between the planned positions of the first and second players at the start of the game, the virtual distance dv becomes greater than the real distance dr between the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B at the start of the game. When such a configuration is adopted in a game in which the first and second players move away from each other, the first and second players recognize the distance between them in the virtual space Vs as being greater than the distance between them in the play space Rs, so that the first and second players are prevented from moving away from each other more than necessary in the play space Rs. As a result, the first and second players are prevented from leaving the play space Rs in the real space.

[0077] In this embodiment, the initial position SpA of the first virtual point 100A and the initial position SpB of the second virtual point 100B are set so that the initial distance is smaller than the distance between the planned positions of the first player and the second player at the start of the game. That is, at the start of the game, the virtual distance dv is smaller than the real distance dr. Note that the initial position of the virtual point 100 in the front-rear direction may be set based on the reference position of the HMD, and even with such a configuration, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[0078] <Avatar settings> The process of setting an avatar will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In this embodiment, an avatar is generated for each player based on a face image of the player. The process of setting the avatar is performed before the start of the game.

[0079] 6, first, a facial image of the player is captured by the auxiliary terminal 60 (step S10). A facial image may be captured for each player, or facial images of the first player and the second player may be captured together.

[0080] The facial image information generated by photographing is transmitted from the auxiliary terminal 60 to the game processing device 10 (step S11). The image generating unit 11b of the game processing device 10 extracts features such as the positions of the eyes, nose, and mouth from the facial image information for each player, and expresses the facial part reflecting the extracted features using CG to generate information on the facial part of the avatar. Then, the image generating unit 11b uses costume information stored in advance in the game processing device 10 and the generated facial part information to configure an avatar with the facial part incorporated in the costume, and generates avatar information for drawing this avatar (step S12). The costume includes, for example, clothes, shoes, gloves, hats, various accessories, etc.

[0081] The image generating unit 11b associates the generated avatar information with the identification information for each player, and stores the information in the data storage unit 12 together with the player data 12b (step S13). The costume may be selectable by the player. For example, a plurality of selectable costumes are displayed on the auxiliary terminal 60, and the player selects a costume by operating the auxiliary terminal 60. Information indicating the selected costume is transmitted from the auxiliary terminal 60 to the game processing device 10, and the image generating unit 11b generates avatar information so as to incorporate a face portion generated from the face image information into the selected costume.

[0082] In the virtual space Vs, an avatar corresponding to a first player is placed at a position corresponding to the position of HMD 20A and in a direction corresponding to the orientation of HMD 20A, and an avatar corresponding to a second player is placed at a position corresponding to the position of HMD 20B and in a direction corresponding to the orientation of HMD 20B. For example, the head of the avatar corresponding to the first player is placed at the position of a first virtual point 100A, and the head of the avatar corresponding to the second player is placed at the position of a second virtual point 100B. Then, each avatar is moved with the movement of each HMD 20, i.e., with the movement of each virtual point.

[0083] The position of the avatar's head is set according to the vertical position of the HMD 20. The position of the avatar's hands is set according to the position of a weapon that is placed according to the position and orientation of the controller 30, and the avatar is depicted as if it is holding a weapon. It is preferable that the position of the avatar's head changes with the change in the vertical position of the HMD 20, and the torso and legs of the avatar are depicted as if they are crouching or jumping according to the position of the avatar's head.

[0084] Furthermore, the following process may be performed so that the player can check the avatar. That is, before an image of the field in which the game is played is output, an image of a virtual space Vs, such as a room with a mirror, may be output to the HMD 20, and the image generator 11b may generate image information including an avatar corresponding to the player as reflected in a mirror in the virtual space Vs according to the position and orientation of the HMD 20, and output the image information to the HMD 20.

[0085] In the configuration in which the avatar is set as described above, the face of the avatar is generated based on the face image of the player, so that the avatar is generated similar to the player. Therefore, the similarity between the player and the avatar is enhanced, so that the player, other players, and users viewing the public display 50 feel closer to the avatar as the player's alter ego. In addition, since human-shaped objects such as characters may appear in addition to the avatar in the virtual space Vs, in conventional games, it may be difficult to identify the avatar of another player from among multiple human-shaped objects. In contrast, in this embodiment, the face of the avatar is generated based on the face image of the player, so that the avatar of another player can be easily identified.

[0086] Furthermore, since the position of the avatar's head is set according to the vertical position of the HMD 20, the height relationship between the first player and the second player is reflected in the height relationship between the first player's avatar and the second player's avatar. Also, as described above, when the player sees his / her own avatar reflected in a mirror in the virtual space Vs, the player sees the avatar as having the same height as the player. This further enhances the similarity between the player and the avatar, and the player feels more familiar with the avatar.

[0087] [Game Configuration] Various types of processing performed by the game processing device 10 for the progress of the game will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0088] As described above, in this embodiment, the game realized by the game system is a game in which the player shoots at target objects representing enemies moving in the virtual space Vs by operating the controller 30. Attacks against enemies are broadly divided into three types: normal attacks, simultaneous attacks, and combined attacks. These attacks will be described in order.

[0089] First, before describing attacks, a process for restricting player movement will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9. In this embodiment, two players perform actions in one play space Rs while playing a game. Since each player wears an HMD 20, it is difficult for them to visually confirm the positions of other players in the play space Rs. Therefore, in such a situation, a measure is desired to prevent players from unintentionally coming into contact with each other in the play space Rs. This measure is particularly useful when two players are required to move closer to each other in a game. This measure will be described below.

[0090] In this embodiment, a range in which player movement is permitted is set for each player, in other words, a range in which movement of the HMD 20 is permitted is set for each HMD 20. As a specific configuration, in the game processing device 10, a movement permitted area, which is an area in which movement of the virtual point 100 that moves in conjunction with the movement of the HMD 20 is permitted, is set in the virtual space Vs.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 7, the movement allowable area Ms is an area surrounding the initial position Sp of the virtual point 100. Since contact between players is usually caused by the horizontal movement of the players, the movement allowable area Ms may be an area with a defined range in the horizontal direction, that is, in the forward / backward and left / right directions. For example, in a horizontal plane including the initial position Sp of the virtual point 100, the movement allowable area Ms is a circular area centered on the initial position Sp, and an area whose position in the forward / backward and left / right directions coincides with that of the circular area, that is, a cylindrical area extending in the up / down direction from the circular area, is the movement allowable area Ms in the virtual space Vs. Position information of the initial position Sp of the virtual point 100 and the movement allowable area Ms is included in and stored in the game space data 12a.

[0092] The movement allowable region Ms is set for each HMD 20, i.e., for each virtual point 100. The movement allowable region Ms for the first virtual point 100A is the first allowable region MsA, and the movement allowable region Ms for the second virtual point 100B is the second allowable region MsB. The first allowable region MsA and the second allowable region MsB are set to be spaced apart from each other so that there is no overlapping portion between these regions. For example, the movement allowable regions Ms are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction and at different positions in the left-right direction.

[0093] When a predetermined condition is met, the progress management unit 11c of the game processing device 10 places an area display, which is a display indicating the movement allowance area Ms, in the virtual space Vs, and the image generation unit 11b generates image information including the area display and outputs it to the HMD 20.

[0094] 8 shows the area display 270 together with the avatar 250 located within the movement permitted area Ms. The area display 270 is a cylindrical object whose peripheral wall is made of a mesh, and indicates the position of the movement permitted area Ms by being located at the boundary between the inside and outside of the movement permitted area Ms. In other words, the area display 270 is a cylindrical object that extends in the vertical direction and surrounds the initial position Sp of the virtual point 100.

[0095] For ease of understanding, Fig. 8 shows the area display 270 from a viewpoint outside the movement permitted area Ms. From the player's viewpoint, i.e., from a viewpoint inside the movement permitted area Ms, the mesh-like peripheral wall of the area display 270 is visible from a viewpoint inside the cylinder, and the view outside the movement permitted area Ms can be seen through the mesh.

[0096] A process of switching between displaying and hiding the area display 270 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The flow shown in Fig. 9 is a process performed by the progress management unit 11c of the game processing device 10, which is started after the virtual point 100 is set and is repeated while the game is being played. At the start of the process, the area display 270 is not displayed. The process shown in Fig. 9 is performed for each HMD 20, that is, for each virtual point 100 set corresponding to the HMD 20.

[0097] In step S20, the progress management unit 11c refers to the position information at that time of the virtual point 100 that is moved in conjunction with the movement of the HMD 20, and determines whether or not the boundary distance, which is the distance between the virtual point 100 and the outer edge of the movement allowable area Ms set for the virtual point 100, is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Note that the boundary distance used for the determination is the shortest distance on the horizontal plane between the virtual point 100 and the outer edge of the movement allowable area Ms.

[0098] When the boundary distance is greater than the threshold (step S20: negative determination), the progress management unit 11c repeats the process of step S20. For example, when the movement of the HMD 20 from the reference position is small, such as immediately after the start of a game, the movement of the virtual point 100 from the initial position is also small, so that the determination of step S20 is negative.

[0099] When the boundary distance is equal to or less than the threshold (step S20: positive determination), the progress management unit 11c updates the position information of the object in the virtual space Vs so as to place the area display 270 at a predetermined position in the virtual space Vs, i.e., at the boundary of the movement allowable area Ms, as the process of step S21. Using the updated information, the image generation unit 11b generates and outputs image information, whereby the area display 270 is displayed on the HMD 20.

[0100] After the process of step S21, in the process of step S22, the progress management unit 11c refers to the position information of the virtual point 100 at that time and determines whether or not the boundary distance exceeds the threshold. If the boundary distance is equal to or less than the threshold (step S22: negative determination), the progress management unit 11c repeats the process of step S22. During this time, the HMD 20 continues to display the area display 270 at the boundary of the movement allowable area Ms.

[0101] When the boundary distance is greater than the threshold (step S22: positive determination), the progress management unit 11c updates the position information of the object in the virtual space Vs so as to erase the area display 270 from the virtual space Vs, as the process of step S23. The image generation unit 11b uses the updated information to generate and output image information, and the area display 270 is no longer displayed on the HMD 20.

[0102] Thereafter, the progress management unit 11c repeats the processes of steps S20 to S23, whereby the region display 270 is displayed on the HMD 20 when the boundary distance becomes equal to or smaller than the threshold, and the region display 270 is hidden when the boundary distance exceeds the threshold.

[0103] According to the above configuration, when the virtual point 100 is located in a region where the distance to the outer edge of the movement allowable region Ms is equal to or less than the threshold, that is, when the player approaches the outer edge of the range of movement allowable, the region display 270 is displayed on the HMD 20. In detail, when the virtual point 100A and the outer edge of the first allowed region MsA approach each other to the threshold or less, the region display 270 indicating the first allowed region MsA is displayed on the HMD 20A, and when the virtual point 100B and the outer edge of the second allowed region MsB approach each other to the threshold or less, the region display 270 indicating the second allowed region MsB is displayed on the HMD 20B.

[0104] This allows the player to recognize the movement allowable area Ms, and guides the player to move so that his / her position in the virtual space Vs does not go outside the movement allowable area Ms. Therefore, it is possible to restrict the range of movement of the player in the play space Rs, and since the first allowable area MsA and the second allowable area MsB are spaced apart from each other, contact between the first player and the second player in the play space Rs is also suppressed. The threshold value of the boundary distance may be set to an appropriate distance depending on the size of the movement allowable area Ms, etc.

[0105] The area display 270 may be displayed at all times. This allows the player to recognize the movement allowable area Ms in the same manner as described above, and the range in which the player moves in the play space Rs can be restricted. However, displaying the area display 270 only when the virtual point 100 approaches the outer edge of the movement allowable area Ms, that is, only when the possibility of the player's movement becoming so large that the virtual point 100 moves out of the movement allowable area Ms, prevents the area display 270 from blocking the player's view for a long time. As a result, the area display 270 is prevented from becoming an obstacle to play. In addition, it is possible to alert the player that the player's position is approaching the outer edge of the area in which movement is allowed.

[0106] Moreover, the region display 270 is not limited to a cylindrical object with a mesh-like peripheral wall, and may be any display that indicates the movement allowable region Ms. For example, the region display 270 may be a semi-transparent tubular or columnar object. However, if the region display 270 is cylindrical, it is easy to distinguish the boundary between the inside and outside of the movement allowable region Ms. Furthermore, since the peripheral wall is mesh-like, it is possible to reduce the portion of the player's field of vision that is blocked by the region display 270 compared to when the peripheral wall is plate-like, and as a result, even when the region display 270 is displayed, the player can easily recognize the surrounding situation in the virtual space Vs.

[0107] In addition, the shape of the movement allowance area Ms may be set to a shape other than a cylindrical shape depending on the player movements required by the game, in which case the area display 270 need only be an object whose shape corresponds to the shape of the movement allowance area Ms.

[0108] In addition to the region display 270, the player may be given written or audio guidance via the HMD 20 requesting that the player not move outside the permitted movement region Ms. 9 is a process performed when it is determined that the virtual point 100 is located within the movement allowable area Ms. When it is determined that the virtual point 100 is located outside the movement allowable area Ms, a process similar to that of step S21 is performed, and it is preferable that the area display 270 continues to be displayed while the virtual point 100 is located outside the movement allowable area Ms. This allows the player to recognize the movement allowable area Ms and guides the player to move into the movement allowable area Ms.

[0109] Note that the image information output to the public display 50 may or may not include the area display 270, similar to the image information output to the HMD 20. <Normal attack> A normal attack will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0110] When a player performs an on operation, which is a specified operation such as pressing an operation button, on the operating device 30, a signal indicating the on operation is input from the operating device 30 via the HMD 20 to the game processing device 10, and the game processing device 10 detects the on operation on the operating device 30.

[0111] When an on operation is detected, the progress management unit 11c performs the following process. That is, as shown in Fig. 10, the progress management unit 11c updates the position information of the object in the virtual space Vs so that the effect object 220, which is an object representing an attack such as a ray of light emitted from the weapon 260, is placed in the virtual space Vs based on the position and orientation of the operating device 30, in a direction according to the orientation of the operating device 30. The image generation unit 11b uses the updated information to generate and output image information, whereby the effect object 220 is displayed on the HMD 20 and the public display 50.

[0112] Furthermore, the progress management unit 11c refers to the position information at that time of the target object 210 indicating the enemy, determines whether the target object 210 is located in the direction pointed by the effect object 220, and determines the attack to be effective when the target object 210 is located in the direction pointed by the effect object 220. When it is determined that the attack is effective, the progress management unit 11c performs processes defined as processes when an enemy is defeated, such as a process of setting a display indicating that the enemy has been defeated in the virtual space Vs and a process of recording the score for the player.

[0113] Furthermore, when the target object 210 is located in the direction pointed by the weapon 260, the progress management unit 11c may place a display in the virtual space Vs indicating that the weapon 260 is aimed at the target object 210, based on the position and orientation of the operating device 30 and the position information of the target object 210. Such a display is embodied, for example, as a concentric mark superimposed on the target object 210 and indicating the target.

[0114] Here, items that can be set regarding the target object 210 will be described. Information about each of the target objects 210 is set for the target objects 210. This information includes parameters associated with the target objects 210, such as a vitality value that is a numerical value indicating vitality. The progress management unit 11c may gradually reduce the set vitality value each time it determines that an attack is effective, and perform processing for defeating an enemy when the vitality value becomes 0. That is, when an attack hits the target object 210 a predetermined number of times, or when a state in which an attack hits the target object 210 continues for a predetermined time, the effect of defeating an enemy appears. In such a case, a display such as a gauge indicating the remaining value of the vitality value may be placed near the target object 210 for each target object 210. The information about the target object 210 may include a level, rarity, HP (Hit Point), attack power, recovery power, attributes, and the like, in addition to or instead of the vitality value.

[0115] Furthermore, multiple types of target objects 210 that differ in ease of defeat may appear. For example, there may be target objects 210 that receive more damage from an attack from a first player than from an attack from a second player, target objects 210 that receive more damage from an attack from the second player than from the first player, and target objects 210 that receive equal damage from attacks from the first player and the second player, and these target objects 210 may be distinguishable by their appearance such as color or shape.

[0116] When the above-mentioned multiple types of target objects 210 appear, the progress management unit 11c may change the damage to be given to the target object 210 against which an attack is determined to be effective, i.e., the amount of reduction in the vitality value, based on whether the operating device 30 on which the on-operation has been performed is associated with the HMD 20A or the HMD 20B, and on the type of the target object 210. Note that the amount of reduction in the vitality value is not limited to being changed, and for example, a difference in damage may be made by reducing the vitality value in response to an attack from one player and stopping the movement of the target object 210 without reducing the vitality value in response to an attack from the other player.

[0117] Since there are multiple types of target objects 210 that differ in ease of defeat depending on the player, it is possible for the first player and the second player to cooperate in playing the game by devising a strategy for conquering the game, for example, by each player focusing on defeating enemies that are easy to defeat.

[0118] Also, an attack from the target object 210 against the player may be possible. For example, the progress management unit 11c determines that an attack from the target object 210 is valid when the target object 210 continues to be located within a predetermined range close to the position of the player, i.e., the position of the virtual point 100, for a predetermined period of time. Specifically, the attack is determined to be valid when the target object 210 sticks to an avatar corresponding to the player for a predetermined period of time. Each player is associated with information about the player, and this information includes parameters related to the continuation of the game, such as a vitality value and the number of times the game can be continued even if the player is damaged. When the progress management unit 11c determines that an attack from the target object 210 is valid, it reduces the above-mentioned parameters. A display such as a gauge indicating such a parameter is arranged within a range visible to the player in the virtual space Vs, for example, near the weapon 260. When the parameter is reduced to a value at which the game cannot be continued, the player cannot perform a play such as an attack.

[0119] In this case, if a target object 210 that receives more damage from an attack by one player than from the other player is set to attack the one player, the other player can attack the target object 210 that is attacking the one player, deal more damage to it, and defeat it, thereby helping the one player. This also makes it possible for the first player and the second player to play in cooperation with each other.

[0120] The parameters related to the continuation of the game may be recoverable by defeating the target objects 210. For example, when the progress management unit 11c determines that a predetermined target object 210 has been defeated, or when it determines that a predetermined number of target objects 210 have been defeated, the progress management unit 11c increases the parameters, for example, by increasing the vitality value.

[0121] When the above parameters for both the first player and the second player are reduced to values ​​that make it impossible to continue the game, the game ends. When the above parameters for only one player are reduced to values ​​that make it impossible to continue the game, the one player cannot play, and the game is continued only by the other player. A player who cannot play may be indicated by changing the display state (at least one of hue, saturation, brightness, etc.) of the avatar, for example, by graying out. In addition, the HMD 20 of this player may indicate that the player is in a state where he or she cannot play by changing the display state (at least one of hue, saturation, brightness, etc.) of the virtual space Vs. In such a case, the above parameters of the player who cannot play may recover over time or when the other player accomplishes a predetermined task, and play may be resumed.

[0122] The information relating to the settings of the target objects 210 and the players, i.e., the type and vitality value of each target object 210, and information indicating the parameters of the player, are included in the game progression data 12c and stored in the data storage unit 12, and are updated as the game progresses. As an example, data consisting of information about the players, including information indicating parameters related to the continuation of the game, among the data constituting the game progression data 12c, is shown in FIG.

[0123] <Simultaneous attack> A simultaneous attack will be described with reference to Fig. 12. A simultaneous attack is an attack in which a first player and a second player attack the same target object 210 at the same time.

[0124] The progress management unit 11c determines that a simultaneous attack has been established when an attack by the first player, i.e., an attack based on an on-operation of the operating device 30A, and an attack by the second player, i.e., an attack based on an on-operation of the operating device 30B, are determined to be effective simultaneously, with respect to the same target object 210. When it is determined that a simultaneous attack has been established, the progress management unit 11c performs a process of manifesting a first effect, which is a special effect.

[0125] The special effect is an effect different from the effect that occurs when a normal attack is determined to be effective, and is an effect that allows the player to attack the target object 210 more advantageously than with a normal attack. For example, the first effect may be an effect that increases attack power more than with a normal attack. That is, the progress management unit 11c may reduce a parameter such as a vitality value set in the target object 210 by a larger amount than the total reduction amount when each player separately performs a normal attack, as a process for expressing the first effect. Also, for example, the first effect may be to stop the movement of the target object 210, or to expose and identifiably display a part of the target object 210 that will receive more damage than other parts when an attack hits it as a weak point part.

[0126] In addition, it is preferable that the progress management unit 11c changes the configuration of the virtual space Vs so that the display on the HMD 20 changes with the occurrence of the first effect. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the progress management unit 11c may change the effect object 220 to an object that stands out more than that in the case of a normal attack. This allows the player to visually grasp the occurrence of the first effect. Note that FIG. 12 shows the virtual space Vs as seen from a viewpoint behind the first player and the second player, showing a state in which a simultaneous attack is being performed.

[0127] Furthermore, when an attack hits a specific part of the same target object 210, it may be determined that a simultaneous attack has been established, and the first effect may be expressed. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when an attack by one player hits one of the two hand parts of an enemy indicated by the target object 210, and an attack by the other player hits the other of the two hand parts, it may be determined that a simultaneous attack has been established. In this case, the progress management unit 11c refers to the position information of the two hand parts, and when it is determined that an attack based on the ON operation of the operating device 30A is effective on one of the two hand parts, and at the same time, it is determined that an attack based on the ON operation of the operating device 30B is effective on the other of the two hand parts, it determines that a simultaneous attack has been established. Based on this, the first effect is expressed.

[0128] In addition, when the same target object 210 is located in the direction pointed by weapon 260A and weapon 260B, progress management unit 11c may place a display in virtual space Vs that is different in color, size, or shape from a normal attack, as a display indicating that weapon 260 is aimed at target object 210.

[0129] As described above, the ability to perform simultaneous attacks makes it possible for the first player and the second player to play cooperatively in order to effect a simultaneous attack, i.e., to realize the first effect.

[0130] <Combined attack> A combined attack will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 15. A combined attack is determined to be activated when three conditions are met. The first condition is that the player has accomplished a predetermined task in the game. The second condition is that a virtual distance dv, which is a horizontal distance between a first virtual point 100A that is moved with the movement of the HMD 20A and a second virtual point 100B that is moved with the movement of the HMD 20B, is equal to or less than a reference distance that is a predetermined distance. The third condition is that a predetermined operation has been performed on the operating device 30. These three conditions will be described in order.

[0131] The predetermined task in the first condition is set to a task that can be achieved by repeating normal attacks or combined attacks, such as defeating a predetermined number of predetermined target objects 210 or obtaining a predetermined score by defeating the target objects 210. A task may be set for each player, and the first condition may be satisfied when at least one of the first player and the second player achieves the task, or when both the first player and the second player achieve the task. The task may also be a task shared by the first player and the second player, such as a total number of target objects 210 defeated by the first player and the second player reaching a predetermined number.

[0132] In order to allow the player to know whether the first condition is satisfied or not, a display such as a gauge showing the task completion status is placed within a range visible to the player in the virtual space Vs, such as near the weapon 260. The progress management unit 11c records the task completion status in the data storage unit 12 as included in the game progress data 12c according to the progress of the game play, as exemplified in FIG.

[0133] In the second condition, the reference distance is set to be equal to or greater than the shortest distance in the horizontal direction between a first allowed area MsA, which is the movement allowable area Ms for the first imaginary point 100A, and a second allowed area MsB, which is the movement allowable area Ms for the second imaginary point 100B. In other words, the reference distance is set so that when the first imaginary point 100A is located in the first allowed area MsA and the second imaginary point 100B is located in the second allowed area MsB, the virtual distance dv can become equal to or less than the reference distance.

[0134] 13, a range display 280 that is a display that enables a player to distinguish whether or not the virtual distance dv is equal to or shorter than a reference distance is placed in the virtual space Vs so that the player can grasp whether or not the second condition is satisfied. The range display 280 is composed of, for example, two ring-shaped objects, ring objects 280A and 280B, and the ring objects 280A and 280B are placed at positions surrounding the avatar 250 corresponding to each player. That is, one ring object 280A surrounds the avatar 250A around a point whose coordinates in the horizontal plane coincide with the first virtual point 100A, that is, a point on a straight line that passes through the first virtual point 100A and extends in the vertical direction, and the other ring object 280B surrounds the avatar 250B around a point whose coordinates in the horizontal plane coincide with the second virtual point 100B. The vertical positions at which the ring objects 280A, 280B are arranged may be any positions from the floor surface in the virtual space Vs to the virtual point 100. The radius of each of the ring objects 280A, 280B is half the length of the reference distance, and when the two ring objects 280A, 280B overlap, that is, when the area surrounded by one ring object 280A and the area surrounded by the other ring object 280B include areas whose position coordinates on the horizontal plane match, the virtual distance dv is equal to or less than the reference distance.

[0135] Therefore, the first player and the second player can determine whether the second condition is satisfied based on whether the two ring objects 280A, 280B overlap, and the second condition can be achieved by moving the two ring objects 280A, 280B so that they overlap.

[0136] The range display 280 may be displayed at all times, but is preferably displayed when at least one of the first and third conditions is met, and is particularly preferably displayed when the first condition is met. A mode in which the range display 280 is displayed only when the conditions for a combined attack are being met prevents the range display 280 from entering the player's field of view and obstructing the field of view, and also makes it possible to alert the player that the conditions for a combined attack are being met.

[0137] 13, for ease of understanding, the ring objects 280A, 280B are shown arranged around the avatars 250 corresponding to the first and second players from a viewpoint behind the first and second players. From the viewpoint of each player, the ring objects 280A, 280B surrounding the player are visible around the player, and the ring objects 280A, 280B surrounding the avatar 250 corresponding to the other player are visible around the avatar 250.

[0138] The predetermined operation in the third condition is preferably set to an operation different from an operation for performing a normal attack, such as, for example, pressing and holding an operation button. The third condition may be satisfied by both the first player and the second player performing a predetermined operation, i.e., a predetermined operation is performed on both the operation device 30A and the operation device 30B, or a predetermined operation is performed on at least one of the operation devices 30A and 30B. Alternatively, different operations may be set for the operation device 30A and the operation device 30B as the predetermined operation in the third condition, and the third condition may be satisfied by performing a predetermined operation on each operation device 30.

[0139] The process performed by the progress management unit 11c of the game processing device 10 to execute a combined attack will be described with reference to Fig. 14. The flow shown in Fig. 14 is a process that is repeated while the game continues.

[0140] In the process of step S30, the progress management unit 11c refers to the game progress data 12c and determines whether the first condition is satisfied, that is, whether the task is accomplished. If the first condition is not satisfied (step S30: negative determination), the progress management unit 11c repeats the process of step S30.

[0141] When the first condition is satisfied (Step S30: positive determination), in the process of Step S31, the progress management unit 11c updates the position information of the objects in the virtual space Vs so that the ring objects 280A, 280B, which are the range display 280, are positioned in the virtual space Vs so as to surround each avatar 250. Using the updated information, the image generation unit 11b generates and outputs image information, whereby the range display 280 is displayed on the HMD 20 and the public display 50.

[0142] After the process of step S31, in the process of step S32, the progress management unit 11c refers to the position information at that time of each virtual point 100 and determines whether the second condition is satisfied, that is, whether the virtual distance dv is equal to or less than the reference distance. If the second condition is not satisfied (step S32: negative determination), the progress management unit 11c repeats the process of step S32.

[0143] When the second condition is satisfied (step S32: positive determination), in the process of step S33, the progress management unit 11c refers to a signal indicating an operation on the operating device 30 input from the HMD 20, and determines whether the third condition is satisfied, that is, whether a predetermined operation has been detected on the operating device 30. When the third condition is not satisfied (step S33: negative determination), the progress management unit 11c repeats the processes of steps S32 and S33, that is, the process of determining whether the second condition and the third condition are satisfied.

[0144] When the third condition is satisfied (step S33: positive determination), the progress management unit 11c performs processing in step S34 to activate a combined attack, that is, to manifest the second effect, which is a special effect. Note that the three conditions must be satisfied simultaneously. Through the processing in steps S32 and S33, the progress management unit 11c determines whether the second condition and the third condition are satisfied simultaneously, that is, whether a predetermined operation is performed on the operating device 30 when the virtual distance dv is equal to or shorter than the reference distance.

[0145] The second effect is an effect different from the effect that occurs when it is determined that the normal attack is effective, and is an effect that allows the player to attack the target object 210 more advantageously than the first effect. For example, the second effect may be an effect that increases the attack power more than the normal attack and the simultaneous attack. That is, as a process for realizing the second effect, the progress management unit 11c may reduce a parameter such as the vitality value of the target object 210 for which the combined attack is effective by a larger amount than the reduction amount when the normal attack or the simultaneous attack is performed. The determination of whether the combined attack is effective or not is performed in the same manner as the determination of whether the normal attack is effective or not.

[0146] In addition, it is preferable that the progress management unit 11c changes the configuration of the virtual space Vs so that the display on the HMD 20 changes with the appearance of the second effect. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the progress management unit 11c may change the effect object 220 to an object that stands out more than in the cases of normal attacks and simultaneous attacks. This allows the player to visually grasp the appearance of the second effect. Note that FIG. 15 shows a state in which a combined attack is being performed as a view seen from a viewpoint behind the first player and the second player.

[0147] 15 shows an example in which the effect objects 220 are arranged so as to be projected from each of the weapon 260A held by the avatar 250A of the first player and the weapon 260B held by the avatar 250B of the second player. Alternatively, the effect objects 220 may be arranged so that one effect object 220 is projected from each of the weapons 260A and 260B. In other words, when a condition is met, the combined attack may be performed by each of the first player and the second player against one or different target objects 210, or may be performed by the first player and the second player together against one target object 210.

[0148] The second effect may last only during the period in which the above-mentioned three conditions are satisfied, or may continue to last even if any of the three conditions are no longer satisfied after the second effect is manifested. Specifically, the effect may last only during the period in which the virtual distance dv is equal to or less than the reference distance after the second effect is manifested, or may continue to last even if the virtual distance dv exceeds the reference distance after the second effect is manifested. The second effect, for example, disappears after lasting for a predetermined time. When the second effect disappears, the achievement status of the task of the first condition is returned to the initial state, and the player can perform a combined attack by progressing the game so as to satisfy the three conditions again.

[0149] Also, the continuation of the second effect, i.e., the activation of a combined attack, may be made identifiable by switching the display of the weapon 260. For example, the start of the activation period of the combined attack may be indicated by the transformation of the weapon 260, such as the opening of a light beam or the like projection portion of the weapon 260, and the end of the activation period of the combined attack may be indicated by the return of the transformation of the weapon 260 to its original state, such as the closing of the projection portion of the weapon 260. Alternatively, while the combined attack is being activated, the weapon 260 may be changed to a weapon with an appearance different from that of a normal attack or a simultaneous attack. With this configuration, the player can easily recognize the start and end of the activation period of the combined attack.

[0150] In addition, while the second effect is ongoing, when the target object 210 is located in the direction pointed by the weapon 260, the progress management unit 11c may place a display in the virtual space Vs that has a different color, size, or shape from the normal attack and simultaneous attack to indicate that the weapon 260 is aimed at the target object 210.

[0151] As described above, since the combined attack is possible, the first player and the second player can cooperate to activate the combined attack, that is, to realize the second effect. In particular, since the condition for activating the combined attack includes that the virtual distance dv is equal to or less than the reference distance, the first player and the second player try to cooperate to make the distance between them in the virtual space Vs equal to or less than the reference distance. Therefore, it is possible to deepen the relationship between cooperation in the virtual space Vs and the mutual actions of the two players in the play space Rs during cooperation. Setting the virtual distance dv to equal to or less than the reference distance is a unique condition that can be set in a VR game in which two players participating in the game wear the HMD 20 and the actions of each player in one play space Rs are detected. In other words, since the combined attack is possible, the first player and the second player can cooperate to play by taking advantage of the fact that the actions of the two players can be detected, thereby enhancing the uniqueness of the game. This increases users' interest in the game, and ultimately increases the number of users participating in the game.

[0152] In addition, when the first effect and the second effect are different, the enemy can be defeated efficiently by successively performing the simultaneous attack and the combined attack. In particular, if the first effect is an effect of weakening the resistance of the target object 210 against the player's attack, such as by stopping the movement of the target object 210 or by exposing and identifiably displaying a weak point of the target object 210, and the second effect is an effect of increasing the attacking power of the player's attack, the cooperation between the simultaneous attack and the combined attack will function effectively.

[0153] <Variations of combined attacks> A modified example of the combined attack will be described. In the combined attack described above, the second condition, which is one of the conditions for initiating the combined attack, is that the distance between the virtual points 100 that are moved with the movement of the HMD 20 is equal to or less than the reference distance. Alternatively, the second condition may be that the distance between the points in the virtual space Vs that are moved with the movement of the operating device 30 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. That is, based on the specification of the position and orientation of the operating device 30A, a virtual point that is moved with the movement of the operating device 30A is set in the virtual space Vs. This virtual point corresponds to the positions of the operating device 30A and the hand of the first player in the virtual space Vs, and is a point that is used as a reference for the placement of the weapon 260A. Similarly, based on the specification of the position and orientation of the operating device 30B, a virtual point that is moved with the movement of the operating device 30B is set in the virtual space Vs. Then, the second condition is that the horizontal distance between the virtual point corresponding to the operating device 30A and the virtual point corresponding to the operating device 30B is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

[0154] In this case as well, it is preferable that a range display 280 indicating whether or not the distance between virtual points is equal to or less than a predetermined distance is disposed around the weapon 260 in the virtual space Vs. Whether the distance between virtual points corresponding to the position of the HMD 20 or the distance between virtual points corresponding to the position of the controller 30 is used as a condition for initiating a combined attack, the range display 280 does not have to be an annular object, and may be any display that allows identification of whether or not the distance between virtual points is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. For example, the range display 280 may be a display that indicates the difference between the distance between virtual points and the predetermined distance using a gauge or the like.

[0155] Even with the above configuration, in order to initiate a combined attack, the first and second players try to cooperate to keep the distance between the controllers 30 in the virtual space Vs within a predetermined distance. Therefore, by taking advantage of the fact that the movements of the two players can be detected, the first and second players can play together.

[0156] That is, the condition required for the activation of the combined attack may include, as the second condition, that the distance between the first position moved in the virtual space Vs according to the position of the first player in the play space Rs and the second position moved in the virtual space Vs according to the position of the second player in the play space Rs is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The positions of the first player and the second player may be the positions of any part of each player. For example, when the position of the player is a position specified based on information detected by the HMD 20, the position of the player is the position of the player's head. Also, for example, when the position of the player is a position specified based on information detected by the operation device 30, the position of the player is the position of the player's hands. Also, for example, when the player wears position detection devices on the torso or legs and the position of the player is specified based on information detected by these devices, the position of the player is the position of the part of the body where the device is worn.

[0157] The first position and the second position may be positions that are moved in the virtual space Vs according to the position of the player. Specifically, the first position and the second position may be the position of the virtual point 100 itself that is set based on the position of the HMD 20, or may be a position obtained by projecting the virtual point 100 onto a virtual plane, such as a horizontal plane, that is set in the virtual space Vs. In the embodiment described with reference to Figs. 13 to 15 above, each of the first position and the second position is a position obtained by projecting the virtual point 100 onto a horizontal plane, in other words, a position defined by the position coordinates of the virtual point 100 on the horizontal plane. In addition, the first position and the second position may be the position of the virtual point itself that is set based on the position of the operating device 30, or may be a position obtained by projecting this virtual point onto a virtual plane that is set in the virtual space Vs. In the embodiment described as the modified example of the combined attack described above, each of the first position and the second position is a position obtained by projecting a virtual point that is set based on the position of the operating device 30 onto a horizontal plane.

[0158] In each of the above-mentioned forms of combined attacks, the conditions for the combined attack may include at least the second condition, that is, the distance between the first position and the second position is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. In other words, the conditions for the combined attack may be determined to be met only when the second condition is satisfied, or the conditions for the combined attack may be determined to be met when the second condition and any of the first and third conditions are satisfied. Furthermore, in addition to the second condition, a condition different from the first and third conditions may be required to activate the combined attack. If the conditions for the combined attack include the second condition, a cooperative play between the first and second players can be realized, taking advantage of the fact that the movements of the two players can be detected.

[0159] The second condition may be determined to be satisfied when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range. This range is not limited to a range having only an upper limit as described above, but may be a range having a lower limit and an upper limit, or a range having only a lower limit.

[0160] As another modified example of the combined attack, the second condition may be that the first player and the second player hold hands. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the first player P1 and the second player P2 wear the operation device 30 in a glove-like shape or a shape that can be worn on the wrist, the back of the hand, or a finger. The position of the operation device 30A worn by the first player P1 and the position of the operation device 30B worn by the second player P2 are each specified by the game processing device 10, following the movement of these operation devices 30A and 30B, based on the detection result by the tracking information detection unit 32 of each operation device 30. When the distance between the position of the operation device 30A and the position of the operation device 30B is small enough to be considered that the first player P1 and the second player P2 are holding hands, the progress management unit 11c determines that the second condition is satisfied.

[0161] This also allows the first player and the second player to play together by taking advantage of the fact that the movements of the two players can be detected. In the above configuration, in order to allow the first player P1 and the second player P2 to easily hold hands while watching the image displayed on the HMD 20, it is preferable to adopt the following configuration. That is, it is preferable that the distance between the virtual points 100 changes with the change in the distance between the HMDs 30 so that the ratio of the distance between the players grasped in the image displayed on the HMD 20, that is, the distance between the first virtual point 100A and the second virtual point 100B in the virtual space Vs to the distance between the HMDs 20A and 20B in the play space Rs, is constant.

[0162] [Processing after the game ends] The game ends when the player has accomplished a predetermined task and completed the game, when the parameters set for the player have been reduced to values ​​that make it impossible to continue the game, when a predetermined time has elapsed, etc. The process performed thereafter to provide the player with a record of his or her participation in the game will be described with reference to FIG.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 17, the progress management unit 11c of the game processing device 10 updates the position information of objects in the virtual space Vs so that a photograph is taken of the avatar 250A of the first player and the avatar 250B of the second player in the virtual space Vs (step S40). For example, the progress management unit 11c determines the configuration of the virtual space Vs so that an object imitating an aircraft such as a drone is equipped with a camera, flies in the virtual space Vs, and after a predetermined period of time of about several seconds, releases the shutter in front of the avatar 250 to take a photograph. The image generation unit 11b uses the updated information to generate and output image information, and the HMD 20 and the public display 50 display the scene of the photograph taken in the virtual space Vs. Note that the player may select a camera object or a camera icon arranged in the virtual space Vs to take a photograph.

[0164] When taking a picture in the virtual space Vs, a record of the points and the like that the player has acquired in the game may be displayed near the camera. Also, a mirror may be placed near the camera, so that the player can take a desired pose when taking the picture and check the pose by looking at his or her avatar in the mirror.

[0165] Next, the image generating unit 11b of the game processing device 10 refers to the positions and orientations of the HMD 20A, the operating device 30A, the HMD 20B, and the operating device 30B when the photograph was taken in the virtual space Vs, and generates image information of a recorded image, which is an image of the virtual space Vs according to these positions and orientations (step S41). In detail, the image generating unit 11b arranges the avatar 250A and the weapon 260A according to the positions and orientations of the HMD 20A and the operating device 30A, arranges the avatar 250B and the weapon 260B according to the positions and orientations of the HMD 20B and the operating device 30B, and generates image information of the virtual space Vs in which the direction of these avatars 250 is seen from the camera position. The generated image information of the recorded image is included in the player data 12b and stored in the data storage unit 12 (step S42).

[0166] The image generating unit 11b may change the configuration of the recorded image depending on the player's achievement in the game, such as the points the player has acquired. For example, the image generating unit 11b may configure the recorded image so that the avatar 250 has a happy expression when the achievement is high, and the image generating unit 11b may configure the recorded image so that the avatar 250 has a sad expression when the achievement is low.

[0167] Next, the image generating unit 11b outputs provision information for providing the recorded image to an external terminal to the public display 50 (step S43). The public display 50 displays the provision information based on an input from the game processing device 10 (step S44).

[0168] The provided information is, for example, a URL of a website where image information of the recorded image can be downloaded, and is preferably represented by a two-dimensional code that can be read by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone carried by a player. The image information of the recorded image is stored in a web server that constructs the website. This web server may be a device that is configured by the game processing device 10, or may be a device separate from the game processing device 10. If the web server is a device separate from the game processing device 10, the image information of the recorded image is transmitted from the game processing device 10 to the web server and stored in the web server in a downloadable manner.

[0169] By downloading the image information of the recorded image through the provided information, the player can use the recorded image as a record of his / her participation in the game. This can increase the player's satisfaction with the game and his / her motivation to participate in the game again. For example, if the player posts the recorded image on a social networking site or the like, this can promote the game and lead to an increase in the number of users who wish to participate in the game.

[0170] In addition to the provided information, image information of the recorded image may be output from the game processing device 10 to the public display 50, and the recorded image may be displayed on the public display 50. With this configuration, users located around the play space Rs can also view the recorded image, which can increase the motivation of these users to participate in the game.

[0171] In addition, the device to which the provided information and image information of the recorded images are output from the game processing device 10 is not limited to the public display 50, but may be any terminal that can be used by the player within or near the play space Rs, for example, the auxiliary terminal 60.

[0172] [Hardware configuration] The hardware configuration of the game processing device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0173] Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a game processing device 10. The game processing device 10 is a desktop personal computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a server, other types of computers, etc. Note that the configuration and the connection relationships between the components shown in Fig. 18 are just an example.

[0174] The game processing device 10 has a processor 501 and a memory 502. The game processing device 10 also has a north bridge 503, a south bridge 504, and a storage device 505. The processor 501, the memory 502, and the bridges 503, 504 are connected to each other using various buses 506. The processor 501 controls the progress of the game and outputs images to the HMD 20 or the like connected to the north bridge 503. The game processing device 10 may have multiple processors and may have multiple memories.

[0175] The memory 502 is connected to the north bridge 503 and outputs information related to game processing to the processor 501. For example, the memory 502 is a volatile storage device or a non-volatile storage device. The memory 502 is also a storage medium such as a magnetic or optical disk.

[0176] The storage device 505 is connected to the south bridge 504, and outputs information related to game processing to the processor 501. For example, the storage device 505 is a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a flash memory, or other storage device.

[0177] The north bridge 503 is connected to the HMD 20. The south bridge 504 is connected to an expansion port 507. The expansion port 507 may include various communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Ethernet (registered trademark), wireless Ethernet), and may be connected to input / output devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a network device.

[0178] In the above configuration, the processor 501 , the memory 502 , and the north bridge 503 correspond to the game control unit 11 , and the memory 502 and the storage device 505 correspond to the data storage unit 12 .

[0179] As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The condition for realizing a special effect in the game is that the distance between a first position that is moved in the virtual space Vs according to the position of the first player and a second position that is moved in the virtual space Vs according to the position of the second player is within a predetermined range. Therefore, by cooperating with each other to satisfy that the distance between the first position and the second position is within the predetermined range, the first player and the second player can realize a special effect that can be the goal of each player in the game. Therefore, cooperative play by multiple players can be realized.

[0180] In particular, the action for bringing the distance between the first position and the second position within a predetermined range is the action for changing the distance between the first player and the second player in the real space. Therefore, it is possible to deepen the relationship between cooperation in the virtual space Vs and the mutual action of the two players in the play space Rs during cooperation. Therefore, it is possible to play by taking advantage of the fact that the actions of the two players can be detected, which enhances the originality of the game.

[0181] (2) In a configuration in which the positions of the first player and the second player are specified based on information detected by the HMD 20, the distance between the first position and the second position in the virtual space Vs changes according to the head positions of the first player and the second player. Therefore, compared to a case in which the first position and the second position are moved based on the hand positions of the players, the first player and the second player are required to make large movements including their torsos in order to satisfy the conditions for generating a special effect. This can enhance the feeling that the players are playing together.

[0182] On the other hand, if the positions of the first player and the second player are specified based on information detected by the operating device 30, the distance between the first position and the second position in the virtual space Vs changes according to the positions of the hands of the first player and the second player. Therefore, the movements required of the first player and the second player to satisfy the conditions for generating the special effect are smaller than when the first position and the second position are moved based on the position of the player's head. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the range of movement of the players, and it is also possible to reduce the size required for the play space Rs in which the players perform their actions.

[0183] (3) The range display 280 that enables the player to distinguish whether the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range is displayed on the HMD 20, so that the player can grasp whether the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range. This improves the convenience of the players when they cooperate to fulfill the conditions for realizing a special effect.

[0184] (4) If the range display 280 is configured so that an object surrounding the first position and an object surrounding the second position are displayed on the HMD 20, the player can intuitively understand whether the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range.

[0185] (5) If the conditions for realizing a special effect include detection of a predetermined operation on at least one of operating devices 30A and 30B, the player can easily control the timing at which the special effect appears. Therefore, the player can adjust the timing at which the special effect appears according to the progress of the game, which enhances the convenience for the player.

[0186] (6) If the conditions for realizing the special effect include at least one of the first and second players having accomplished a predetermined task in the game, the player's effort required for the special effect to appear is increased, and the value of the special effect is increased. Therefore, it is possible to increase the player's motivation to play in order to realize the special effect.

[0187] (7) In a game realized in a virtual space Vs, a first player and a second player attack enemies that appear in the virtual space Vs, and if the special effect increases the attack power of the attack, the value of the special effect in the game is high. Therefore, it is possible to increase the player's motivation to play in order to realize the special effect.

[0188] (8) The first position is a position where the virtual point 100A is projected onto a horizontal plane, and the second position is a position where the virtual point 100B is projected onto a horizontal plane. The initial position of the first position and the initial position of the second position are set to predetermined positions, and the distance between these initial positions is different from the distance in the real space between the HMD 20A and the HMD 20B at the start of the game. With this configuration, it is possible to make the distance between the players in the play space Rs different from the distance between the first position and the second position in the virtual space Vs. Then, by setting the relationship between the magnitudes of these distances according to the actions required of the players in the game, it is possible to prevent unexpected contact between the players and players from going out of the play space Rs.

[0189] (9) A first allowed area MsA, which is an area in which the movement of the first position is permitted, and a second allowed area MsB, which is an area in which the movement of the second position is permitted, are set to be separated from each other, and the distance between these areas is set to be equal to or less than a reference distance, which is a condition for generating a special effect. Then, an area display 270 indicating the first allowed area MsA is displayed on the HMD 20A, and an area display 270 indicating the second allowed area MsB is displayed on the HMD 20B. With this configuration, the player can be made aware of the area in which movement is permitted, and the player can be guided to keep the player's movement within a predetermined area. And, since the first allowed area MsA and the second allowed area MsB are separated from each other, unintentional contact between players can be suppressed. Also, since the distance between the first allowed area MsA and the second allowed area MsB is equal to or less than the reference distance, cooperative play for generating a special effect can be performed within such an area.

[0190] (10) When the first position is located within the first allowed area MsA and is located in an area whose distance to the outer edge of the first allowed area MsA is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance, the area display 270 is displayed on the HMD 20A. With this configuration, when the first position is located near the outer edge of the first allowed area MsA, that is, when the player is likely to leave the area in which movement is permitted, the area display 270 is displayed on the HMD 20A. This makes it possible to alert the player that the player's position is approaching the outer edge of the area in which movement is permitted. Furthermore, compared to a form in which the area display 270 is always displayed on the HMD 20A, the state in which the player's field of vision in the virtual space Vs is obstructed by the area display 270 is prevented from continuing.

[0191] (11) If the area display 270 is configured so that a cylindrical object extending in the vertical direction in the virtual space Vs surrounding the initial position of the first position is displayed on the HMD 20A, the player can intuitively grasp the first allowable area MsA.

[0192] [Variations] Each of the above-described embodiments can be modified and implemented as follows. The second effect that appears when the condition including the second condition is satisfied is not limited to an effect that allows an attack on the target object 210 to be advantageously performed, but may be a special effect that appears in the game. In other words, this special effect does not need to be associated with an attack, and may be expressed when the condition including the second condition is satisfied. The special effect may be, for example, an effect that advantageously advances the progress of the game from a viewpoint different from an attack, such as recovery of the player's vitality value, or an effect that enhances the presentation effect in the game by changing the type or color of an object located in the virtual space Vs, the sound coming from the HMD 20, etc., from the normal one. In short, it is sufficient that the game processing device 10 shows a special effect in the game when a condition including that the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range is satisfied.

[0193] Furthermore, the special effect does not have to be visually reflected in the configuration of the virtual space Vs, i.e., it does not have to be reflected in the image displayed on the HMD 20. In such a case, the special effect may be realized, for example, by sound emitted from a sound output unit of the HMD 20, vibration generated based on the rotation of a vibration motor provided in the operation device 30, or changes in various parameters stored in the data storage unit 12 of the game processing device 10.

[0194] If at least one of simultaneous attacks and combined attacks is possible, cooperative play by multiple players can be realized. Various pre-settings described in the above embodiment, settings related to the game content that are not related to simultaneous attacks and combined attacks, and processing after the end of the game may be omitted as appropriate. For example, configurations related to the avatar 250, i.e., generating the face of the avatar 250 using the face image of the player and taking a photograph of the avatar 250, are not essential configurations from the viewpoint of enabling cooperative play by multiple players.

[0195] In the above embodiment, the game realized by the game system is embodied as a game in which the target object 210 is shot. Alternatively, the game realized by the game system may be embodied as other games such as an exploration game, a card game, a racing game, a fighting game, a simulation game, a role-playing game, etc. The special effect that appears when a condition is met, including the distance between the first position and the second position being within a predetermined range, may be determined according to the content of the game, and may be an effect that advantageously advances the progress of the game or an effect that enhances the presentation effect in the game, as described above.

[0196] In the above embodiment, the first player and the second player are actual players, but one of them may be a so-called non-player character (NPC: Non Player Character), which is a character that is not operated by an actual player.

[0197] In the above embodiment, the HMD 20 as the wearable display is configured by incorporating the information processing unit 21, the tracking information detection unit 22, and the display unit 23 in a housing. Alternatively, the wearable display may be configured by detachably housing a multifunction mobile terminal such as a smartphone in a dedicated housing. That is, the functions of the information processing unit 21 and the display unit 23 may be provided in the multifunction mobile terminal. The function of the tracking information detection unit 22 may be provided in the multifunction mobile terminal, or may be provided in various sensors provided in the housing. The multifunction mobile terminal communicates with the game processing device 10 via wired or wireless communication.

[0198] In the above embodiment, the HMD 20 displays an image taking into account the effects of parallax, etc., on the display unit 23. Alternatively, the display unit 23 may be configured from a single display panel, and may display an image not taking into account the effects of parallax.

[0199] In the above embodiment, the game realized by the game system is a game in which the first player wearing the HMD20 and the second player wearing the HMD20 cooperate with each other. Alternatively, the game realized by the game system may be a game in which the first player wearing the HMD20 and the second player using a stationary game machine, a so-called consumer game machine, cooperate with each other. The second player visually recognizes an image of a virtual space displayed on a display connected to the game machine. In this case, the second position is changed based on the second player operating an operation unit (switch, lever, button, etc.) provided on the game machine. The first position is changed based on the first player moving the HMD20A or the operation machine 30A as in the above embodiment. Then, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, it becomes possible to display a special effect, etc. Alternatively, the game realized by the game system may be a game in which a first player wearing the HMD 20 and a second player using a multifunctional mobile terminal such as a smartphone cooperate with each other. The second player visually recognizes an image of the virtual space displayed on the display of the multifunctional mobile terminal. In this case, the second position is changed based on the second player operating a touch panel or the like. The first position is changed based on the first player moving the HMD 20A or the operating device 30A, as in the above embodiment. Then, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, it becomes possible to display a special effect, etc.

[0200] In the above embodiment, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, it is possible to realize an effect that allows an attack to be advantageously performed in the game. Instead of this, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, the first player and the second player may be allowed to communicate with each other. For example, the first player and the second player may be allowed to talk in a virtual space. Alternatively, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, a parameter associated with at least one of the first player and the second player may be changed. For example, the favorability rating for the second player may be increased, the defensive power may be increased, or the like.

[0201] In the above embodiment, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, a special effect can be displayed in the game. Alternatively or in addition to this, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, a predetermined action can be prohibited or restricted from being executed in the game. For example, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, an action that is activated based on an operation of moving the operation device 30 by the player can be made inactivatable. According to this, since the player can be guided not to execute an operation of moving the operation device 30, it is possible to prevent the players from coming into contact when the distance between the players is close to each other. In addition, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a first predetermined range, a special effect can be displayed, and when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a second predetermined range that is smaller than the first predetermined range, a predetermined action can be prohibited. Alternatively, when the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range, a function in the game can be enabled or disabled. The function in the game may be a function associated with the player, or a function associated with a predetermined object in the virtual space Vs.

[0202] In the above embodiment, the game realized by the game system is a game in which a first player wearing an HMD 20 and a second player wearing an HMD 20 cooperate with each other to play the game. Alternatively, the game realized by the game system may be embodied as a game using a multi-function portable terminal in which the game progresses by touching a screen or operating an operation unit such as a button. In this case, the positions of the first player and the second player are specified using a position detection sensor built into the multi-function portable terminal, or a position detection sensor owned or attached by the user. The position detection sensor may be at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor built into the multi-function portable terminal, or a sensor using a global positioning system (GPS) or another satellite positioning system. In addition, if the game is played indoors, a tracking auxiliary device 40 installed indoors may be used. An image of the virtual space Vs is output to a display of the multi-function portable terminal. In addition, an action on an object in the virtual space Vs is executed by operating an operation unit such as a touch panel display or a switch provided on the multi-function portable terminal. The first position in the virtual space Vs is moved according to the position of the multifunctional portable terminal of the first player, and the second position in the virtual space Vs is moved according to the position of the multifunctional portable terminal of the second player. Then, when the distance between the first position and the second position in the virtual space Vs is within a predetermined range, a special effect is generated. In this type of game, there are already multiplayer games in which multiple players cooperate to play, but if the relative positional relationship between the players in the real world can be utilized, the uniqueness of the game can be enhanced compared to conventional multiplayer games. Then, according to the configuration in which the special effect is generated when the distance between the position of the first player and the position of the second player is within a predetermined range, it is possible to provide a game processing program, a game processing method, and a game processing device that enable multiple players to cooperate to play based on the relative positional relationship between the players.

[0203] [Note] The technical ideas derived from the above-described embodiment and modified examples include the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) A computer that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a first terminal used by a first player and a second terminal used by a second player, moving a first position in the virtual space to match the position of the first player based on an output of a sensor for identifying the position of the first player; moving a second position in the virtual space based on an operation of the second player; a condition for causing a special effect to appear in the game to include a distance between the first position and the second position being within a predetermined range.

[0204] (Appendix 2) A computer that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a first terminal used by a first player and a second terminal used by a second player, moving a first position in the virtual space to match the position of the first player based on an output of a sensor for identifying the position of the first player; moving a second position in the virtual space in accordance with the position of the second player based on an output of a sensor for identifying the position of the second player; a condition for causing a special effect to appear in the game to include a distance between the first position and the second position being within a predetermined range. Next, the technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and other examples will be described below together with their effects. [1] A computer that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a first wearable display worn by a first player and a second wearable display worn by a second player, an identification process for identifying a first position of a first avatar associated with the first player in the virtual space based on first detection information detected by a first position detection sensor and indicating an action of the first player in real space, and for identifying a second position of a second avatar associated with the second player in the virtual space based on second detection information detected by a second position detection sensor and indicating an action of the second player in real space; a movement control process for moving the first position based on the first detection information and moving the second position based on the second detection information; an area setting process for setting a first movement allowable area, which is a movement allowable area in which movement of the first position is allowed, and a second movement allowable area, which is a movement allowable area in which movement of the second position is allowed; a display process for displaying, on the first mountable display, a first region display that is a region display showing the outer edge of the first movement allowable region when a distance between the first position and an outer edge of the first movement allowable region is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and displaying, on the second mountable display, a second region display that is a region display showing the outer edge of the second movement allowable region when a distance between the second position and an outer edge of the second movement allowable region is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, A game processing program in which, in the identification process, the first position and the second position are identified so that a virtual distance, which is a relative distance between an initial position of the first position and an initial position of the second position, is different from a real distance, which is a relative distance between the initial position of the first wearable display and the initial position of the second wearable display in real space. [2] The game processing program according to [1], further comprising causing the computer to execute game processing that produces a special effect when the first position and the second position are within a reference distance. [3] The game processing program according to [2], further comprising causing the computer to execute a range display process of displaying a range display around each of the first avatar and the second avatar, the range display making it possible to identify whether the relative distance between the first position and the second position is equal to or less than the reference distance. [4] The game processing program according to [2] or [3], wherein the reference distance is greater than or equal to the shortest distance between the first movement allowable area and the second movement allowable area. [5] The game processing program according to any one of [2] to [4], further comprising causing the computer to manifest the special effect when it is determined that the distance between the first position and the second position is equal to or less than the reference distance and that at least one of the first player and the second player has accomplished a predetermined task in the game. [6] A game processing program according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising a process of hiding the first area display when the distance between the first position and the outer edge of the first movement allowable area is greater than the predetermined threshold, and hiding the second area display when the distance between the second position and the outer edge of the second movement allowable area is greater than the predetermined threshold. [7] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the first movement permitted area and the second movement permitted area are areas with defined ranges in the forward / backward and left / right directions of the position of an avatar corresponding to each of these areas. [8] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the movement permitted area is an area surrounding an initial position of the first position and an initial position of the second position, respectively. [9] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the predetermined threshold is set according to a size of the movement allowance area.

[10] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the area display is displayed in the virtual space as a cylindrical or columnar object.

[11] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the area display is displayed in the virtual space as a cylindrical object having a mesh-like peripheral wall.

[12] The game processing program according to

[11] , wherein the display process displays a scene outside the allowable movement area in the virtual space between the mesh of the object.

[13] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the area display is displayed in the virtual space as a semi-transparent object.

[14] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to

[13] , wherein the area display is an object according to a shape of the movement permitted area.

[15] The game processing program according to any one of claims [1] to

[14] , further causing the computer to execute a process of outputting, together with the display of the area display, text or audio guidance through the first wearable display or the second wearable display requesting the player to take action so as not to leave the movement-allowed area.

[16] The game processing program according to any one of [1] to

[15] , wherein, in the display process, when it is determined that the position of the first avatar or the second avatar is outside the movement allowable area, the area display is continued to be displayed on a wearable display of a player corresponding to an avatar located outside the movement allowable area.

[17] A game processing method using a computer for displaying a virtual space in which a game is played on a first wearable display worn by a first player and a second wearable display worn by a second player, the method comprising: The computer, an identification process for identifying a first position of a first avatar associated with the first player in the virtual space based on first detection information detected by a first position detection sensor and indicating an action of the first player in real space, and for identifying a second position of a second avatar associated with the second player in the virtual space based on second detection information detected by a second position detection sensor and indicating an action of the second player in real space; a movement control process for moving the first position based on the first detection information and moving the second position based on the second detection information; an area setting process for setting a first movement allowable area, which is a movement allowable area in which movement of the first position is allowed, and a second movement allowable area, which is a movement allowable area in which movement of the second position is allowed; a display process for displaying, on the first mountable display, a first region display that is a region display showing the outer edge of the first movement allowable region when a distance between the first position and an outer edge of the first movement allowable region is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and displaying, on the second mountable display, a second region display that is a region display showing the outer edge of the second movement allowable region when a distance between the second position and an outer edge of the second movement allowable region is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, A game processing method in which, in the identification process, the first position and the second position are identified so that a virtual distance, which is a relative distance between an initial position of the first position and an initial position of the second position, is made different from a real distance, which is a relative distance between the initial position of the first wearable display and the initial position of the second wearable display in real space.

[18] A game processing device that displays a virtual space in which a game is played on a first wearable display worn by a first player and a second wearable display worn by a second player, an identification process for identifying a first position of a first avatar associated with the first player in the virtual space based on first detection information detected by a first position detection sensor and indicating an action of the first player in real space, and for identifying a second position of a second avatar associated with the second player in the virtual space based on second detection information detected by a second position detection sensor and indicating an action of the second player in real space; a movement control process for moving the first position based on the first detection information and moving the second position based on the second detection information; an area setting process for setting a first movement allowable area, which is a movement allowable area in which movement of the first position is allowed, and a second movement allowable area, which is a movement allowable area in which movement of the second position is allowed; a display process for displaying, on the first mountable display, a first region display that is a region display showing the outer edge of the first movement allowable region when a distance between the first position and an outer edge of the first movement allowable region is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and displaying, on the second mountable display, a second region display that is a region display showing the outer edge of the second movement allowable region when a distance between the second position and an outer edge of the second movement allowable region is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, In the identification process, the game processing device identifies the first position and the second position so that a virtual distance, which is a relative distance between an initial position of the first position and an initial position of the second position, is different from a real distance, which is a relative distance between the initial position of the first wearable display and the initial position of the second wearable display in real space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0205] Ms, MsA, MsB...movement permitted area, P1...first player, P2...second player, Sp, SpA, SpB...initial position, Ps...play space, Vs...virtual space, 10...game processing device, 11...game control unit, 11a...position identification unit, 11b...image generation unit, 11c...progress management unit, 12...data storage unit, 12a...game space data, 12b...player data, 12c...game progress data, 20, 20A, 20B...HMD, 21...information processing unit, 22...tracking information detection unit, 23...display unit, 31...information processing unit, 32...tracking Information detection unit, 33...operation unit, 40...tracking auxiliary device, 50...public display, 60...auxiliary terminal, 100, 100A, 100B...virtual point, 210...target object, 220...effect object, 250, 250A, 250B...avatar, 260, 260A, 260B...weapon, 270...area display, 280...range display, 280A, 280B...ring object, 501...processor, 502...memory, 503...north bridge, 504...south bridge, 505...storage device, 506...bus, 507...expansion port.

Claims

1. An information processing system having one or more computers, the information processing system displaying a virtual space on a display of a first user terminal used by a first user and a display of a second user terminal used by a second user, the one or more computers, Acquire information on a face image of the first user and information on a face image of the second user captured by an auxiliary terminal; generating information on a face portion of a first avatar associated with the first user using information on a face image of the first user, and generating information on a face portion of a second avatar associated with the second user using information on the face image of the second user; identifying a first position of the first avatar in the virtual space based on first detection information that is detected by a first position detection sensor provided in the first user terminal and indicates a motion of the first user in real space; identifying a second position of the second avatar in the virtual space based on second detection information that is detected by a second position detection sensor provided in the second user terminal and indicates a motion of the second user in the real space; outputting an image of the virtual space in which the first avatar is placed at the first position and the second avatar is placed at the second position to a display of the first user terminal and a display of the second user terminal; when a condition for taking a photograph is satisfied, changing a facial expression of the first avatar in accordance with a level of achievement of the first user in the game, changing a facial expression of the second avatar in accordance with a level of achievement of the second user in the game, and taking a photograph to generate image information of the virtual space looking in the direction of the first avatar at the first position and the second avatar at the second position from a camera position in the virtual space; An information processing system that outputs information for providing the recorded image generated by the photographing to an external terminal.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more computers set a first movement allowance area which is a movement allowance area in which movement of the first position is allowed, and a second movement allowance area which is a movement allowance area in which movement of the second position is allowed.

3. 3 . The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more computers take the photograph when the game in the virtual space is finished, considering that the condition for taking the photograph is satisfied.

4. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more computers take the photograph when an object or icon placed in the virtual space is selected by either the first user or the second user, determining that the conditions for taking the photograph are met.

5. 5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein game play results of the first user and the second user in the virtual space are displayed in the virtual space.

6. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a camera in the virtual space moves in the virtual space.

7. 7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information for providing the recorded image to the external terminal is a code including an identifier of a website from which image information of the recorded image can be downloaded.

8. 8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the recorded image is output to a display device different from the first user terminal and the second user terminal.

9. 9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image information of the recorded image is recorded in a server so as to be downloadable by the external terminal.

10. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the one or more computers cause a special effect to be generated when the one or more computers determine that the distance between the first position and the second position is within a predetermined range and that the first user has performed a predetermined operation on the first user terminal and the second user has performed a predetermined operation on the second user terminal.

11. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the one or more computers display the photographed scene on a display of the first user terminal and a display of the second user terminal.

12. A game processing method using one or more computers, which displays a virtual space on a display of a first user terminal used by a first user and a display of a second user terminal used by a second user, comprising: the one or more computers, Acquire information on a face image of the first user and information on a face image of the second user captured by an auxiliary terminal; generating information on a face portion of a first avatar associated with the first user using information on a face image of the first user, and generating information on a face portion of a second avatar associated with the second user using information on the face image of the second user; identifying a first position of a first avatar associated with the first user in the virtual space based on first detection information that is detected by a first position detection sensor provided in the first user terminal and indicates a motion of the first user in real space; identifying a second position of a second avatar associated with the second user in the virtual space based on second detection information that is detected by a second position detection sensor provided in the second user terminal and indicates a motion of the second user in the real space; outputting an image of the virtual space in which the first avatar is placed at the first position and the second avatar is placed at the second position to a display of the first user terminal and a display of the second user terminal; when a condition for taking a photograph is satisfied, changing a facial expression of the first avatar in accordance with a level of achievement of the first user in the game, changing a facial expression of the second avatar in accordance with a level of achievement of the second user in the game, and taking a photograph to generate image information of the virtual space looking in the direction of the first avatar at the first position and the second avatar at the second position from a camera position in the virtual space; An information processing method, comprising: outputting information for providing the recorded image generated by the photographing to an external terminal.

13. One or more computers that display a virtual space on a display of a first user terminal used by a first user and a display of a second user terminal used by a second user, Acquire information on a face image of the first user and information on a face image of the second user captured by an auxiliary terminal; generating information on a face portion of a first avatar associated with the first user using information on a face image of the first user, and generating information on a face portion of a second avatar associated with the second user using information on the face image of the second user; identifying a first position of the first avatar in the virtual space based on first detection information that is detected by a first position detection sensor provided in the first user terminal and indicates a motion of the first user in real space; determining a second position of the second avatar in the virtual space based on second detection information that is detected by a second position detection sensor provided in the second user terminal and indicates a motion of the second user in the real space; outputting an image of the virtual space in which the first avatar is placed at the first position and the second avatar is placed at the second position on a display of the first user terminal and a display of the second user terminal; when a condition for taking a photograph is satisfied, changing a facial expression of the first avatar in accordance with a level of achievement of the first user in the game, changing a facial expression of the second avatar in accordance with a level of achievement of the second user in the game, and taking a photograph to generate image information of the virtual space viewed from a camera position in the virtual space toward the first avatar at the first position and the second avatar at the second position; A program that outputs information for providing the recorded image generated by the photographing to an external terminal.

Images