GAME PROGRAM, GAME PROCESSING METHOD, AND GAME DEVICE

Abstract

To provide a game program for enabling changeover of an operation target reflecting a user's intention without requiring complicated operation.SOLUTION: A game program makes a computer for executing processing of a game in which a character to be a user's operation target changes over from a plurality of characters execute the steps of: as an operation target, selecting a character of the plurality of characters that has a minimum distance La, Lb from a specific object; detecting the user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target; when the user's operation is detected, determining whether or not to change over the operation target on the basis of the user's operation direction Du and a direction Db from the operation target character to the specific object; and, when it is determined to change over the operation target, performing changeover to another character of the plurality of characters as an operation target.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a game program, a game processing method, and a game device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a game, there are scenes where a user operates a specific character from among multiple characters that can be operated. For example, in a baseball game, when a team operated by the user is on the defensive side to catch a batted ball, there are multiple defensive players (characters) around the position where the batted ball will land. In such a scene, the user operates one of the multiple players to be operated, but may want to switch the player to be operated depending on the position of the batted ball or the player.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which the user himself switches the player to be controlled, while Patent Document 2 discloses a method in which the user determines whether to automatically switch the player to be controlled based on the distance between the hand of the player to be controlled and the ball, the angle between the moving direction of an enemy character associated with the ball and a teammate character, and the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-131310 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5325141 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a user himself performs an operation to switch the operation target as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the operation becomes complicated because both the operation to switch the operation target and the operation on the operation target are required. In addition, although the method disclosed in Patent Document 2 automatically switches the operation target, it does not take into account the user's operation, so that the operation target may not be the operation target intended by the user.

[0006] One objective of some aspects of the present invention is to provide a game program, a game processing method, and a game device that enable switching of an operation target that reflects the user's intention without requiring complicated operations.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention has as an object to provide a game program, a game processing method, and a game device that are capable of achieving the effects described in the embodiments described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a game program for causing a computer that executes processing for a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters to execute the following steps: selecting a character from the plurality of characters that is the shortest distance from a specific object as the operation target; detecting a user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target; if the user's operation is detected, determining whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the operation target character to the specific object; and if it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, switching another character from the plurality of characters to the operation target.

[0009] Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is a game processing method executed by a computer that executes processing of a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters, the game processing method including the steps of: selecting a character from the plurality of characters that is the shortest distance from a specific object as the operation target; detecting a user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target; if the user's operation is detected, determining whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the operation target character to the specific object; and if it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, switching another character from the plurality of characters to the operation target.

[0010] Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is a game device that executes processing for a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters, and the game device includes: a selection unit that selects as the operation target a character from among the plurality of characters that is the shortest distance from a specific object; a detection unit that detects a user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target; a determination unit that, when the user's operation is detected, determines whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the operation target character to the specific object; and a switching unit that, when it is determined that the operation target should be switched, switches another character from the plurality of characters to the operation target. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 5A to 5C are views for explaining an overview of an operation target determination process according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a game system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the game device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a game space in the game processing according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a game process according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram showing an example of parameters of a player character according to the embodiment; [Figure 7] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing example parameters of a ball object according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are conceptual diagrams showing estimation results of the positions of a player character and a ball object according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a direction range used to determine an operation direction according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation target determination process according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a positional relationship of game objects on a game field according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 5 is a timing chart showing a first example of switching of an operation target according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a timing chart showing a second example of switching of an operation target according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Overview of the game device] First, an overview of an example of game processing executed by the game device according to this embodiment will be described. The game device according to this embodiment can be a typical home game machine, but may be one installed in an amusement facility such as a game center. Examples of home game machines include a stationary game machine that outputs game images to a display such as a television (television receiver) and plays the game, and a portable game machine with a built-in display.

[0013] Moreover, the game according to this embodiment is a game played using a plurality of characters. A character is a game character such as a person, an animal, or an object (for example, a vehicle) that appears in the game, and is displayed as an image (character image) on the game screen. A user plays a game with a character selected from the plurality of characters as an operation target. Here, a baseball game in which a match is played between a team operated by the user and an opposing team will be described as an example. When the operation target team is on the offensive side, the user performs a batting operation to cause a player character (batter) selected according to the batting order to hit a ball. On the other hand, when the operation target team is on the defensive side, the user performs a pitching operation to cause a player character (pitcher) selected as a pitcher to pitch a ball, and a defensive operation to cause a player character selected as a fielder to play defense.

[0014] Here, a defensive operation will be described. When a team operated by a user catches a batted ball on the defensive side, there are scenes where a plurality of defensive player characters are present around the position where the batted ball will land. In such a scene, one of the plurality of player characters is selected as an operation target of the user, and the other player characters are controlled by the game device as, for example, NPCs (Non Player Characters). For example, there is a method of automatically selecting the player character closest to the batted ball as the operation target. However, simply automatically selecting the player character closest to the batted ball as the operation target may not necessarily be the player closest to the batted ball, and the operation target may not reflect the user's intention. In addition, since the player closest to the batted ball changes from moment to moment, the player character to be operated may change frequently, making operation difficult. Therefore, in this embodiment, not only is the player character closest to the batted ball selected automatically, but the player character to be operated is determined taking into consideration the user's operation.

[0015] With reference to FIG. 1, an outline of the operation target determination process for determining a player character to be operated will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation target determination process according to this embodiment. The operation target determination process according to this embodiment includes an "operation target selection process" and an "operation target change process". The operation target selection process is a process in which the game device (system) automatically selects a player character to be operated when there is no operation by the user to instruct the movement of the player character. FIG. 1 displays player A and player B who are player characters, and a ball object BO representing a hit ball. As shown in the figure, when the distance Lb between player B and the ball object BO is smaller than the distance La between player A and the ball object BO, player B closest to the ball is selected as the operation target. In addition, a cursor P1 indicating that the player B has been selected as the operation target is displayed in association with player B (for example, at a position pointing to player B). In detail, for a ball flying in a three-dimensional space, a player character whose distance between the coordinates of the ball projected onto a plane (two-dimensional) corresponding to the ground and the coordinates of the player on the same plane is the smallest is selected as the operation target.

[0016] The operation target change process is a process for switching the operation target player character in consideration of the "direction" of movement acquired based on the operation by the user (hereinafter referred to as the "user's operation direction") when there is an operation to instruct the movement of the player character by the user. For example, it is determined whether or not the direction Db from player B selected as the operation target by the operation target selection process to the ball object BO matches the user's operation direction Du, and if it is determined that they do not match, the operation target is changed to player A who is the next closest to the ball. If it is determined that they match, the operation target remains as player B. After the operation target is changed to player A, the direction Da from player A to the ball object BO matches the user's operation direction Du. This user's operation direction Du is due to an operation intended by the user to operate player A, and the operation target is switched to the player character intended by the user.

[0017] This embodiment will be described in detail below. [Game System Configuration] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a game system 1 according to this embodiment. The game system 1 includes a game device 10 and a server device 30, and these devices are connected via a communication network NW. Here, one game device 10 used by a user is illustrated, but it is also possible that multiple game devices 10 used by other users are connected to the server device 30 via the communication network NW, and multiple users play against each other online using their respective game devices 10.

[0018] The server device 30 manages game programs and the like necessary for executing game processing on the game device 10. For example, the server device 30 is a computer device managed by a game operating company, and can also be regarded as a system composed of a plurality of server machines, storage, network switches, routers, firewalls, and the like.

[0019] The game program managed by the server device 30 includes at least a part of the game processing program. The game program includes not only a program downloaded to the game device 10 before the game starts, but also a program downloaded to the game device 10 after the game starts. The game program downloaded to the game device 10 before the game starts is not limited to a program managed by the server device 30, but may be a program managed by a server device that distributes a program that runs on the game device 10. The server device 30 may execute a part of the game processing.

[0020] The game device 10 is a computer device that executes a game process for a user to play. Here, the game device 10 will be described as a stationary game machine. As shown in the figure, the game device 10 includes a communication unit 11, an input / output IF unit 12, a storage unit 13, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 14.

[0021] The communication unit 11 is a device that performs communication in accordance with the communication standards of a communication network NW, such as wireless LAN, wired LAN, and mobile communication (LTE), that allows the game device 10 and the server device 30 to communicate with each other.

[0022] The input / output IF unit 12 is an interface for connecting to an external input device, an external output device, etc. For example, the input / output IF unit 12 is connected to a controller 15, a display device 16, etc.

[0023] The controller 15 is an input device for the user to input game operations. For example, the controller 15 is provided with an operation lever, an operation button, etc. For example, the user can use the operation lever to perform an operation to specify the movement direction of a player character. As an example, the user operates to push down the operation lever in the direction in which the user wants to move the player character. The direction in which the operation lever is pushed down corresponds to the operation direction of the user. Note that the direction in which the user operates the controller 15 (for example, the direction in which the operation lever is pushed down) does not necessarily match the movement direction of the player character. The input / output IF unit 12 detects the operation state of the controller 15, and outputs an operation signal based on the detected operation state to the CPU 14.

[0024] The display device 16 displays game images based on the game processing executed by the game device 10, and outputs sound based on the game processing. The display device 16 includes a display unit 161 and an audio output unit 162. The display unit 161 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display panel, etc. The audio output unit 162 includes, for example, a speaker. The audio output unit 162 may also include, for example, an audio output terminal that outputs sound to earphones or headphones.

[0025] The display device 16 may be a television having a function of receiving television broadcast waves, or may be a monitor having no function of receiving television broadcast waves. The display device 16 may not include the audio output unit 162. The audio output unit 162 may be configured as a device separate from the display device 16.

[0026] The storage unit 13 includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc., and stores various data, programs, etc. used for processing by the game device 10. Note that the storage unit 13 is not limited to one built into the game device 10, and may be an external storage device connected via the input / output IF unit 12, etc.

[0027] The CPU 14 functions as a control center that controls each unit of the game device 10 . For example, the CPU 14 executes a game program stored in the storage unit 13 to perform game processing for a baseball game.

[0028] [Functional configuration of game device 10] Next, the functional configuration of the game device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the game device 10 according to this embodiment. The illustrated game device 10 includes a game processing unit 140 as a functional configuration realized by the CPU 14 executing a game program stored in the storage unit 13. The game processing unit 140 includes an operation detection unit 141 (an example of a detection unit), a drawing processing unit 142, and an operation target control unit 143.

[0029] The operation detection unit 141 detects a user's operation on the controller 15. For example, the operation detection unit 141 acquires an operation signal input via the input / output IF unit 12 in response to the user's operation on the controller 15, and detects the user's operation based on the acquired operation signal. The user's operation is, for example, an operation related to playing a game. The operation related to playing a game includes an operation and an operation direction for moving a player character selected as an object to be operated. The drawing processing unit 142 draws a game image based on game processing, and updates the game image at a predetermined frame rate (for example, 30 fps).

[0030] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a game space in the game processing according to this embodiment. The illustrated game space includes a game field FL simulating the ground of a baseball stadium. The game field FL is expressed as a two-dimensional space using XY coordinates. On this game field FL (two-dimensional coordinate plane), nine player characters on the defensive side, one player character as a batter on the offensive side, up to three player characters on the offensive side as runners, and a ball object are displayed. The ball object flying in the three-dimensional space is expressed by coordinates projected onto the game field FL (two-dimensional coordinate plane).

[0031] In the example shown in FIG. 4, a ball object BO pitched by a player character C1 as a pitcher in response to a user's operation is hit by a player character C2 as a batter on the opposing team, and the hit ball object BO moves in the direction of the arrow Y1. In this state, of the nine player characters on the defensive side, one player character is the player to be operated by the user, and the remaining eight player characters are NPCs. Here, of the nine player characters on the defensive side, the player character C3 indicated by the cursor P1 is closest to the ball object BO and is therefore selected as the player character to be operated. For example, this player character C3 corresponds to player B shown in FIG. 1, and the player character C4, which is the next closest to the ball object BO after player character C3, corresponds to player A shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] If a player character and a ball object BO are considered as one game object, the number of game objects present on the game field FL is 14 at maximum. The game processing unit 140 controls the positions of the 14 game objects at maximum. The game processing unit 140 controls the player character to be operated in response to the user's operation. The game processing unit 140 also controls player characters (NPCs) other than the player character to be operated and the ball object BO in response to the state on the game field FL (such as the positional relationship of various game objects) and the progress of the game, regardless of the user's operation. As shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 14, as a function of the game processing unit 140, executes control by this game processing for each frame at a predetermined frame rate (for example, 30 fps) and updates the game image.

[0033] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of game processing according to this embodiment. The CPU 14 executes input processing based on a user's operation on the controller 15 (step S10). For example, the CPU 14 acquires an operation signal based on the user's operation on the controller 15, and executes processing based on the acquired operation signal. As one example, the CPU 14 determines the acceleration and direction of an operation target player character based on an operation on the player character. As another example, the CPU 14 determines the acceleration and direction of a ball object BO based on an operation on an opponent's player character as a batter or control of an NPC. The CPU 14 also determines the acceleration and direction of other player characters (NPCs) other than the operation target.

[0034] Next, the CPU 14 executes game processing based on the input processing of step S10 (step S20). For example, the CPU 14 updates the positions of up to 14 game objects present on the game field FL based on the acceleration and direction of the game objects determined in step S10.

[0035] Then, CPU 14 draws and updates a game image including the game object based on the position of the game object updated in step S20 (step S30). CPU 14 executes the game processing of steps S10 to S30 once per frame at a predetermined frame rate (e.g., 30 fps). Note that CPU 14 may execute the processing of steps S10 and S20 asynchronously with the processing of S30. For example, CPU 14 may execute the processing of steps S10 and S20 at a variable frame rate, and execute only the processing of step S30 at a predetermined frame rate.

[0036] During the game processing in step S20, the operation target determination processing is performed as described with reference to Fig. 1. The operation target control unit 143 includes, as functional components for performing the operation target determination processing, an operation target selection unit 144 (an example of a selection unit), an operation target change unit 145 (an example of a switching unit), a position estimation unit 146, and a determination unit 147 (an example of a determination unit).

[0037] The operation target selection unit 144 selects a player character to be an operation target, regardless of a user operation. For example, the operation target selection unit 144 selects, as an operation target, a player character that is the shortest distance from the ball object BO among a plurality of player characters.

[0038] The operation target change unit 145 switches the player character to be the operation target based on the user's operation. For example, when the operation of the user is detected, the operation target change unit 145 switches the operation target based on whether or not the operation direction of the user coincides with the direction from the player character to be the operation target to the ball object BO.

[0039] Here, the determination of whether the user's operation direction and the direction from the player character to the ball object BO match is made based on, for example, a positional relationship that takes into consideration not only the positional relationship at the time of the user's operation but also the movement of the player character or the ball object BO up to a predetermined time period ahead (for example, a predetermined frame ahead). This is because, when the user performs an operation to move the player character, the operation is performed in consideration of not only the current positions of the player character and the ball object BO but also the movement to a position a little ahead.

[0040] The position estimation unit 146 estimates the position of the player character of the operation target and the position of the ball object BO from the time when the user's operation is detected until a predetermined time ahead. For example, the position estimation unit 146 estimates the position of the player character of the operation target and the position of the ball object BO from the frame when the user's operation is detected until a predetermined frame ahead. Hereinafter, the estimation of the position of the player character and the position of the ball object BO will be specifically described.

[0041] The position estimation unit 146 estimates the position of the player character up to a predetermined frame ahead (e.g., the 300th frame) assuming that the user's operation will be continued, assuming that the operation will be continued as is, assuming that the position estimation unit 146 will estimate the position of the player character from the first frame up to a predetermined frame ahead (e.g., the 300th frame) based on the acceleration and direction of the player character's movement determined in response to the user's operation. The position estimation unit 146 holds the coordinates (X, Y) of the player character's position in each frame in the storage unit 13.

[0042] The position estimation unit 146 estimates the position of the ball object BO, which moves in response to a hit, up to a predetermined frame ahead (for example, the 300th frame), with the time when the user performs an operation being regarded as the first frame. The position estimation unit 146 estimates the position of the ball object BO from the first frame to a predetermined frame ahead (for example, the 300th frame) based on the acceleration and direction of the movement of the ball object BO. The position estimation unit 146 holds the coordinates (X, Y) of the position of the ball object BO in each frame in the storage unit 13.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of parameters of a player character according to this embodiment. The illustrated player parameters 131 show an example of parameters of a player character stored in the storage unit 13. The player parameters 131 include parameters indicating acceleration, speed, and direction (angle), and XY coordinates (n) of the position of the player character in the Nth frame (N and n are positive integers). The acceleration and direction are determined according to the user's operation on the player character. The speed is calculated based on the acceleration and direction. The XY coordinates (1) of the player character in the first frame are the actual coordinates of the first frame at the time of the user's operation. The XY coordinates (2) of the player character in the second frame to the XY coordinates (300) of the 300th frame are estimated values ​​calculated based on the XY coordinates (1) of the first frame, the acceleration (speed), and the direction.

[0044] When each player character acts as an NPC, the acceleration and direction of the above parameters are determined by the system, and the values ​​of the other parameters are calculated based on the determined acceleration and direction values.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of parameters of a ball object according to this embodiment. The ball parameters 132 shown in the figure show an example of parameters of a ball object BO stored in the storage unit 13. The ball parameters 132 include parameters indicating acceleration, speed, and direction (angle), and the XY coordinates (n) of the position of the ball object BO in the Nth frame. The acceleration and direction are determined by the opponent's operation or the control of an NPC. The speed is calculated based on the acceleration and direction. The XY coordinates (1) of the ball object BO in the first frame are the actual coordinates of the ball object BO in the first frame shown in FIG. 6. The XY coordinates (2) of the ball object BO in the second frame to the XY coordinates (300) of the 300th frame are estimated values ​​calculated based on the XY coordinates (1) of the first frame, the acceleration (speed), and the direction.

[0046] FIG. 8 is an image diagram showing the estimation results of the positions of the player character and the ball object according to this embodiment. In this diagram, player B and ball object BO correspond to player B and ball object BO shown in FIG. 1. Note that the user's operation direction Du is a different direction from that in FIG. 1. This diagram shows the results of estimating the positions of player B and ball object BO from the time point (first frame) when the user operates player B (operation target) up to 300 frames ahead. Based on the positions of player B and ball object BO in each frame, the directions (vectors) Db1, . . ., Dbn, . . ., Db300 from player B to ball object BO in each frame are determined.

[0047] When a user's operation is detected, the determination unit 147 determines whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO. For example, when the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO match, the determination unit 147 determines not to switch the operation target. On the other hand, when the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO do not match, the determination unit 147 determines to switch the operation target.

[0048] Here, the fact that the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO coincide means that the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined direction range. The predetermined direction range is a range based on the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO. The determination unit 147 determines whether or not the user's operation direction Du is included in the predetermined direction range from the frame at which the user's operation is detected to a predetermined frame ahead (for example, 300 frames ahead).

[0049] The predetermined direction range will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a direction range used in determining the operation direction according to this embodiment. In this diagram, the range of the angle θ between the direction (vector) Dbn from player B to the ball object BO in the Nth frame and the direction (vector) Dbn+1 from player B to the ball object BO in the N+1th frame corresponds to the above-mentioned predetermined direction range. In the illustrated example, since the user's operation direction Du is included in the predetermined direction range (range of angle θ), it is determined that the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the player character to be operated to the ball object BO match.

[0050] The determination unit 147 determines whether or not the user's operation direction Du is within a predetermined direction range (range of angle θ) determined by the direction Dbn from the player character to be operated in the Nth frame to the ball object BO and the direction Dbn+1 from the player character to be operated in the N+1th frame to the ball object BO, for up to 300 frames from the frame in which the user's operation is detected.

[0051] Then, when the determination unit 147 determines that the user's operation direction Du is within a predetermined direction range in at least one frame from the 1st frame to the 300th frame, it determines that the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO match, and determines not to switch the operation target. On the other hand, when the determination unit 147 determines that there is no frame from the 1st frame to the 300th frame in which the user's operation direction is within the predetermined direction range, it determines that the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO do not match, and determines to switch the operation target.

[0052] The predetermined direction range for determining the user's operation direction may be a range obtained by adding an angle α to the range of angle θ determined by the direction from player B to the ball object BO in each of the Nth frame and the N+1th frame. As shown in the figure, the range of the angle (θ+2α) between a direction Dbn' obtained by adding an angle α to a direction Dbn from player B to the ball object BO in the Nth frame and a direction Dbn+1' obtained by adding an angle α to a direction Dbn+1 from player B to the ball object BO in the N+1th frame may be the predetermined direction range.

[0053] Furthermore, the determination unit 147 may determine whether or not the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO match, depending on whether or not the number of frames in which the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined direction range among the 1st frame to the 300th frame is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio (e.g., 50% or 100%). For example, the determination unit 147 may determine that the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO match when the number of frames in which the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined direction range among the 1st frame to the 300th frame is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio. On the other hand, the determination unit 147 may determine that the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO do not match when the number of frames in which the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined direction range among the 1st frame to the 300th frame is less than a predetermined ratio.

[0054] Also, instead of the direction Dbn in the Nth frame and the direction Dbn+1 in the N+1th frame, the direction Dbn in the Nth frame and the direction in the N+Mth frame may be used (M is an integer). For example, the determination unit 147 may determine whether or not the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the player character to be operated to the ball object BO match, depending on whether or not the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined direction range determined by the direction Db from the player B to the ball object BO in each of the Nth frame and the N+2th frame.

[0055] The determination unit 147 may also determine whether the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO match, depending on whether the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined direction range determined by the direction Db1 from player B to the ball object BO in the first frame and the direction Db300 from player B to the ball object BO in the 300th frame. The determination unit 147 may also determine whether the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the operation target player character to the ball object BO match, depending on whether the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined direction range determined by the direction Db1 from player B to the ball object BO in the first frame and the direction Dbn (the direction from player B to the ball object BO in the Nth frame) that forms the largest angle with the direction Db1.

[0056] The predetermined direction range may be a range of a predetermined angle based on the direction Db1 from player B to the ball object BO in the first frame. For example, the predetermined direction range may be a range of a predetermined angle from the direction Db1 from player B to the ball object BO in the first frame, or a range of a predetermined angle centered on the direction Db1. In other words, the determination unit 147 may determine whether the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the player character to be operated to the ball object BO match depending on whether the user's operation direction Du is included in a predetermined angle range based on the direction Db1 from player B to the ball object BO in the first frame.

[0057] The predetermined direction range may be a range of a preset angle based on the direction Db1 from the player B to the ball object BO in each frame. For example, the predetermined direction range may be a range of a preset angle from the direction Db1 from the player B to the ball object BO in each frame, or may be a range of a preset angle centered on the direction Db1. That is, the determination unit 147 may determine whether or not the user's operation direction Du and the direction Db from the player character to be operated to the ball object BO match based on whether or not the user's operation direction Du is included in a preset angle range based on the direction Db1 from the player B to the ball object BO in each frame from the 1st frame to the 300th frame. In this case, it may be determined that the user's operation direction Du matches when it is included in a preset angle range in at least one frame, or it may be determined that the user's operation direction Du matches when it is included in a preset angle range in a predetermined percentage of frames. The preset angle may be 0 degrees, that is, a perfect match may be determined.

[0058] In addition, an example has been described in which the judgment is based on up to 300 frames from the frame in which the user operation was detected, but this is not limited to up to 300 frames, and the number of frames to be judged can be determined arbitrarily.

[0059] Although an example has been described in which the position estimation unit 146 estimates the positions of both player B (the player character to be operated) and the ball object BO up to a predetermined number of frames ahead, taking into consideration the movements of both, it may also be possible to estimate the position of only one of them. For example, the position estimation unit 146 may estimate only the position of the ball object BO up to a predetermined number of frames ahead, without moving the position of player B (the player character to be operated) from its position in the first frame. In this case, the direction Db from player B to the ball object BO in each frame is determined by the position of player B in the first frame and the position of the ball object BO in each frame.

[0060] When the determination unit 147 determines that the user's operation direction Du does not match the direction Db from the player character of the operation target to the ball object BO, it determines to switch the operation target. In this case, the operation target change unit 145 switches the operation target to the player character that is next to the player character of the operation target at the shortest distance from the ball object BO.

[0061] In this way, when a user's operation is detected, the operation target changing unit 145 does not simply select the player character with the shortest distance from the ball object BO as the operation target, but performs an "operation target changing process" that switches the operation target player character in consideration of the user's operation. For example, when the direction from the operation target player character with the shortest distance from the ball object BO to the ball object BO does not match the user's operation direction, the operation target changing unit 145 switches the operation target to the player character with the next shortest distance from the ball object BO after the operation target player character.

[0062] On the other hand, when the user's operation is no longer detected and there is a player character whose distance to the ball object BO is shortest than that of the character to be operated, the operation target selection unit 144 performs an "operation target selection process" to select the player character whose distance is shortest as the operation target. That is, when the user's operation is no longer detected and the player character whose distance to the ball object BO is not the operation target, the operation target selection unit 144 switches the player character whose distance to the ball object BO is shortest as the operation target.

[0063] When switching the player character to be operated, some of the player characters present on the game field FL may be excluded from the target of switching the operation target. The some player characters are player characters such as fielders heading for coverage, fielders covering, and infielders in front of the batted ball (toward the home plate), among the player characters currently being operated or player characters not currently being operated. For example, a catcher player character covering the base is excluded from the target of switching the operation target.

[0064] Furthermore, when the operation target is switched by the operation target selection process or the operation target change process, switching of the operation target is prohibited for a predetermined period thereafter. When the operation target selection unit 144 switches the operation target based on the distance to the ball object BO in a state where the user's operation is not detected, the operation target selection unit 144 prohibits switching of the operation target for a predetermined period (second period) after the switching. When the operation target is switched based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the character of the operation target to the ball object BO, the operation target change unit 145 prohibits switching of the operation target for a predetermined period (first period) after the switching.

[0065] Here, the predetermined period for prohibiting switching of the operation target may be set to be different between the case where the operation target selection unit 144 switches the operation target by the operation target selection process not based on the user's operation and the case where the operation target change unit 145 switches the operation target by the operation target change process considering the user's operation. For example, the predetermined period for prohibiting switching of the operation target may be set to be longer when the operation target selection unit 144 switches the operation target by the operation target selection process than when the operation target change unit 145 switches the operation target by the operation target selection process. As an example, the predetermined period (second period) for prohibiting switching of the operation target when the operation target selection unit 144 switches the operation target by the operation target selection process may be set to 500 msec, and the predetermined period (first period) for prohibiting switching of the operation target when the operation target change unit 145 switches the operation target by the operation target change process may be set to 800 msec.

[0066] When the operation target selection unit 144 or the operation target change unit 145 prohibits switching of the operation target, it is not necessary to determine whether or not to switch, or it is possible to make the determination but ignore the determination result and not switch.

[0067] [Processing Operation] Next, the operation of the operation object determination process performed in the game process of step S20 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation target determination process according to the present embodiment.

[0068] First, the CPU 14 determines whether or not a user has performed an operation on the controller 15 (step S201). A user operation is an operation to move a player character that is an operation target. Note that the user may intend to perform an operation to move a player character that is not an operation target, but the CPU 14 receives this as an operation to move the player character that is an operation target regardless of the user's intention. If the CPU 14 determines that a user operation has been performed (step S201: YES), the CPU 14 proceeds to an operation target change process in step S210. On the other hand, if the CPU 14 determines that a user operation has not been performed (step S201: NO), the CPU 14 proceeds to an operation target selection process in step S220.

[0069] First, the operation target change process of step S210 will be described. CPU 14 judges whether or not a predetermined period (e.g., 800 msec) has elapsed since the operation target was switched by the operation target change process (step S211). When CPU 14 judges that the predetermined period (e.g., 800 msec) has not elapsed since the operation target was switched by the operation target change process (step S211: NO), it ends the operation target change process without switching the operation target. Then, it proceeds to the process of step S230.

[0070] On the other hand, when the CPU 14 determines that a predetermined period (e.g., 800 msec) or more has elapsed since the operation target was switched by the operation target change process (step S211: YES), the CPU 14 proceeds to the process of step S213. In step S213, the CPU 14 estimates the positions of the operation target player character and the ball object BO from the frame at which the user's operation is detected to the predetermined frame ahead, and calculates the direction from the operation target player character to the ball object BO (see FIG. 8).

[0071] Next, the CPU 14 judges whether or not the user's operation direction is within a predetermined direction range (step S215). The predetermined direction range is, for example, the range of angle θ between the direction from the player character to be operated to the ball object BO in the Nth frame and the N+1th frame (N=1, 2, . . . , 299) (or the range obtained by adding angle α×2 to the range) (see FIG. 9). For example, the CPU 14 judges whether or not the user's operation direction is within the predetermined direction range based on whether or not the user's operation direction is included in the predetermined direction range in the 1st frame to the 300th frame.

[0072] When it is determined that the operation direction of the user is within the predetermined directional range (step S215: YES), the CPU 14 ends the operation object change process without switching the operation object, and then proceeds to the process of step S230.

[0073] On the other hand, when the CPU 14 determines that the user's operation direction is not within the predetermined direction range (step S215: NO), the CPU 14 switches the operation target to the player character that is next to the operation target player character at the shortest distance from the ball object BO (step S217). Then, the CPU 14 ends the operation target change process and proceeds to the process of step S230.

[0074] Next, the operation target selection process of step S220 will be described. CPU 14 judges whether or not a predetermined period (e.g., 500 msec) has elapsed since the operation target was switched by the operation target selection process (step S221). When CPU 14 judges that the predetermined period (e.g., 500 msec) has not elapsed since the operation target was switched by the operation target selection process (step S221: NO), it ends the operation target selection process without switching the operation target. Then, it proceeds to the process of step S230.

[0075] On the other hand, when the CPU 14 determines that a predetermined period (e.g., 500 msec) or more has elapsed since the operation object was switched by the operation object selection process (step S221: YES), the CPU 14 proceeds to the process of step S223. In step S223, the CPU 14 determines whether or not the player character having the shortest distance from the ball object BO is the player character to be operated (step S223).

[0076] If the CPU 14 determines that the player character with the shortest distance from the ball object BO is the player character to be operated (step S223: YES), the CPU 14 ends the operation target selection process without switching the operation target. Then, the CPU 14 proceeds to the process of step S230. On the other hand, if the CPU 14 determines that the player character with the shortest distance from the ball object BO is not the player character to be operated (step S223: NO), the CPU 14 switches the player character with the shortest distance from the ball object BO to the operation target (step S225). Then, the CPU 14 ends the operation target selection process and proceeds to the process of step S230.

[0077] In step S230, the CPU 14 updates all game objects on the game field FL including the player character that is the operation target determined by the operation target change processing or the operation target selection processing.

[0078] The process of step S230 may be executed before step S201. In other words, the update of the game object may be an update that reflects the processing result of the operation target changing process or the operation target selecting process in the current frame, or an update that reflects the processing result of the operation target changing process or the operation target selecting process in the immediately preceding frame.

[0079] Next, a specific example of switching of an operation target will be described with reference to Fig. 11 to Fig. 13. Note that the content described here is merely for the purpose of describing an example of switching of an operation target, and does not correspond to a situation in an actual baseball game.

[0080] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the positional relationship of game objects on a game field FL. FIG. 11 shows an example of the positional relationship between a player character and a ball object BO, the user's operation direction, and the operation target. The player character Ca is called player A. The player character Cb is called player B. The player character Cc is called player C. The ball object BO is shown in the diagram with respect to its positions at time t1, time t2, time t3, and time t4, and the estimated positions of the ball object BO in the 200th and 300th frames when the position of the ball object BO at time t2 is the position of the first frame. In this diagram, the distance between the player A and the ball object BO at time t1 is L1. The distance between the player A and the ball object BO at time t2 is L2, the distance between the player B and the ball object BO is L3, and the distance between the player C and the ball object BO is L4. The relationship of the distances is L2>L4>L3>L1. Fig. 12 is a timing chart showing a first example of switching of an operation target, and Fig. 13 is a timing chart showing a second example of switching of an operation target.

[0081] First, a first example of switching of the operation target will be described with reference to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. During the period from time t1 to time t2, player A is closest to the ball object BO. Therefore, player A is selected as the operation target by the operation target selection process, and cursor P1 is displayed on player A. At this time, cursors P2 and P3 are not displayed. At time t2, the player closest to the ball object BO changes from player A to player B, and therefore the operation target is switched from player A to player B by the operation target selection process. Cursor P1 is not displayed, and cursor P2 is displayed. Since the operation target has been switched by the operation target selection process, switching of the operation target is prohibited during the period of 500 msec from time t2, regardless of the user's operation in either direction.

[0082] At time t2, when the user performs an operation in the operation direction Du1 intended to operate player B, it is determined that the user's operation direction Du1 matches the direction from player B to the ball object BO. Therefore, even if switching of the operation target becomes possible 500 msec after time t2, switching of the operation target by the operation target change process does not occur.

[0083] After that, at time t4, when the user performs an operation in the operation direction Du2 intended to operate player C, it is determined that the user's operation direction Du2 does not match the direction from player B to the ball object BO, and the operation target is switched to player C who is next closest to the ball object BO by the operation target change process. Cursor P2 is hidden and cursor P3 is displayed. Switching of the operation target is prohibited for a period of 800 msec from time t4.

[0084] Next, a second example of switching of the operation target will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 13. From time t1 to time t2, player A is selected as the operation target as in the first example, and cursor P1 is displayed on player A. At time t2, the player closest to ball object BO changes from player A to player B, so the operation target is switched from player A to player B by the operation target selection process. Cursor P1 is hidden and cursor P2 is displayed.

[0085] In this second example, unlike the first example, at time t2, the user performs an operation in the operation direction Du2, intending to operate player C. Since switching of the operation target is prohibited for a period of 500 msec from time t2, player B remains the operation target, and the user's operation in the operation direction Du is processed as an operation for player B. When switching of the operation target becomes possible 500 msec after time t2, it is determined that the user's operation direction Du2 does not match the direction from player B to ball object BO, and the operation target is switched to player C, who is next closest to ball object BO, by operation target change processing (time t3). Cursor P2 is hidden and cursor P3 is displayed. Switching of the operation target is prohibited for a period of 800 msec from time t3.

[0086] Summary of the embodiment As described above, the game device 10 according to the present embodiment executes the process of a game in which a player character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of player characters (an example of a character). For example, the game device 10 selects, as an operation target, a player character having a minimum distance from a ball object BO (an example of a specific object) from among the plurality of player characters. The game device 10 also detects a user's operation and an operation direction for moving the operation target player character (an example of an operation target character) selected as an operation target. When a user's operation is detected, the game device 10 determines whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the operation target player character to the ball object BO. Then, when it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, the game device 10 switches the operation target to another player character from among the plurality of player characters.

[0087] As a result, the game device 10 determines the operation target taking into consideration not only the distance between the player character and the ball object BO but also the user's operation to move the player character, making it possible to switch to an operation target that reflects the user's intention without the need for complicated operations.

[0088] For example, when it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, the game device 10 switches the operation target to the player character that is next to the player character of the operation target at the shortest distance from the ball object BO.

[0089] As a result, when switching the operation object, the game device 10 sets the player character that is next closest to the ball object BO as the operation object, and therefore it is possible to switch to an operation object that reflects the user's intention.

[0090] For example, when the operation direction of the user is not included in a predetermined directional range based on the direction from the player character of the operation target to the ball object BO, the game device 10 determines to switch the operation target.

[0091] Thereby, the game device 10 can switch the operation target based on the user's operation when the player character to be operated is not the operation target intended by the user.

[0092] For example, when a user performs an operation to move a player character, the user performs the operation while taking into consideration not only the current positions of the player character and the ball object BO but also moving them to a position a little further ahead. Therefore, the game device 10 estimates at least one of the position of the player character to be operated and the position of the ball object BO from the time when the user's operation is detected until a predetermined time ahead. Then, based on the estimation result of at least one of the position of the player character to be operated and the position of the ball object BO, the game device 10 determines whether or not the user's operation direction is included in a predetermined direction range until a predetermined time ahead from the time when the user's operation is detected.

[0093] This allows the game device 10 to appropriately determine whether the player character to be operated is the one intended by the user by determining the user's operation direction over a predetermined period of time, taking into account the movement of the player character or the ball object BO.

[0094] For example, the game device 10 renders game images including a plurality of player characters and a ball object BO at a predetermined frame rate. Then, the game device 10 determines whether or not the user's operation direction is within a predetermined direction range from the frame at which the user's operation is detected to the predetermined frame ahead.

[0095] This allows the game device 10 to determine the user's operation direction taking into account the movement of the player character or the ball object BO over a specified number of frames, thereby appropriately determining whether the player character to be operated is the operation target intended by the user.

[0096] As an example, the game device 10 determines whether or not the user's operation direction in the Nth frame (N is a positive integer) is within a predetermined directional range determined by the direction from the player character to be operated in the Nth frame to the ball object BO and the direction from the player character to be operated in the N+1th frame to the ball object BO, from the frame in which the user's operation is detected to a predetermined frame beyond.

[0097] This allows the game device 10 to determine the user's operation direction taking into account the movement of the player character or the ball object BO over a specified number of frames, thereby appropriately determining whether the player character to be operated is the operation target intended by the user.

[0098] When the user's operation is no longer detected and there is a character that is closer to the ball object BO than the player character of the operation target, the game device 10 sets the character with the shortest distance as the operation target.

[0099] Thereby, when the user does not operate a player character, the game device 10 can set a player character that is likely to be operated by the user as the operation target.

[0100] When the game device 10 switches the operation target based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the player character of the operation target to the ball object BO, the game device 10 prohibits switching of the operation target for a first period (for example, 800 msec) after the switching.

[0101] This allows the game device 10 to prevent the operation target from being switched more than necessary in a short period of time due to a slight change in the positional relationship between the player character and the ball object BO or a slight change in the user's operation direction.

[0102] When the game device 10 switches the operation target based on the distance to the ball object BO in a state where no operation by the user is detected, the game device 10 prohibits switching of the operation target for a second period (for example, 500 msec) after the switching.

[0103] This allows the game device 10 to prevent the operation target from being switched more than necessary in a short period of time due to a slight change in the positional relationship between the player character and the ball object BO or a slight change in the user's operation direction.

[0104] For example, the first period (eg, 800 msec) is set to be longer than the second period (eg, 500 msec).

[0105] As a result, when the game device 10 determines to switch the operation target based on the user's operation, it can place more importance on the determination of switching the operation target by the system that is not based on the user's operation, making it less likely that the operation target will be switched.

[0106] Furthermore, a game processing method in the game device 10 that executes processing of a game in which a player character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of player characters (an example of a character) includes the steps of: selecting, as an operation target, a player character from among the plurality of player characters that is the shortest distance from a ball object BO (an example of a specific object); detecting a user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target player character (an example of an operation target character) selected as the operation target; if the user's operation is detected, determining whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the operation target player character to the ball object BO; and if it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, switching to another player character from the plurality of player characters as the operation target.

[0107] As a result, the game processing method in the game device 10 determines the operation object taking into consideration not only the distance between the player character and the ball object BO but also the user's operation to move the player character, making it possible to switch to an operation object that reflects the user's intention without the need for complicated operations.

[0108] [Variations] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above embodiment, and the present invention also includes designs that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, the configurations described in the above embodiment can be combined in any combination.

[0109] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the operation target changing unit 145 switches, as the operation target, a player character that is next to the operation target player character at the shortest distance from the ball object BO when the operation direction of the user does not match the direction from the operation target player character to the ball object BO. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when switching to the operation target, the operation target changing unit 145 may determine, as the operation target, a player character whose operation direction of the user matches the direction to the ball object.

[0110] In addition, in the above embodiment, a baseball game is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to baseball games. For example, the present invention can be applied to various sports-based games such as soccer, rugby, and American football, as long as the game is a game in which the character to be operated by the user is switched from among a plurality of characters. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to sports-based games, and can be applied to any game, such as a combat game in which a plurality of warrior characters capture or attack a specific enemy object.

[0111] In addition, a program for implementing the above-mentioned functions of the game processing unit 140 may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded in the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to perform processing as the game processing unit 140. Here, "reading a program recorded in a recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into a computer system. The "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The "computer system" may also include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including the Internet, a WAN, a LAN, a dedicated line, and other communication lines. The "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, an optical magnetic disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, and a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transient recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The recording medium also includes a recording medium provided inside or outside the distribution server that can be accessed from the distribution server in order to distribute the program. The code of the program stored in the recording medium of the distribution server may be different from the code of the program in a format executable by the terminal device. In other words, the format in which the program is stored in the distribution server does not matter as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in a format executable by the terminal device. The program may be divided into several parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined on a terminal device, or each divided program may be distributed by a different distribution server. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" includes a storage medium that stores a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted over a network. The program may be a storage medium that realizes part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0112] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the game processing unit 140 described above may be realized as an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each of the above-mentioned functions may be individually implemented as a processor, or some or all of the functions may be integrated into a processor. The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, and may be implemented using a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI appears due to advances in semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit based on that technology may be used.

[0113] In the above embodiment, at least a part of the data stored in the storage unit 13 included in the game device 10 may be stored in an externally connected storage device. The externally connected storage device is a storage device connected to the game device 10 in a wired or wireless manner. For example, the externally connected storage device may be a storage device connected via a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), a wired LAN, or the like, or may be a storage device (data server) connected via the Internet or the like. This storage device (data server) connected via the Internet or the like may be used using cloud computing.

[0114] Furthermore, a configuration corresponding to at least a part of each unit included in the game processing unit 140 may be included in the server device 30 connected via the Internet, etc. For example, the above embodiment can be applied to a so-called cloud game in which game processing is executed by the server device 30.

[0115] [Note] From the above description, the present invention can be understood, for example, as follows: In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are conveniently written in parentheses, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.

[0116] (Supplementary Note 1) A game program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer executing processing for a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters to execute the following steps: selecting as the operation target a character from among the plurality of characters that is the shortest distance from a specific object (BO); detecting a user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target (S10); determining whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction (Du) and the direction (Db) from the operation target character to the specific object (S215) if the user's operation is detected; and switching to another character from the plurality of characters as the operation target if it is determined that the operation target should be switched (S217).

[0117] According to the configuration of Appendix 1, the game program determines the operation target by taking into consideration not only the distance between the character and a specific object but also the user's operation to move the character, making it possible to switch the operation target in a way that reflects the user's intentions without the need for complicated operations.

[0118] (Appendix 2) One aspect of the present invention is the game program described in Appendix 1, wherein, in the switching step (S217), if it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, the operation target is switched to the character that is next to the operation target character at the shortest distance from the specific object.

[0119] According to the configuration of Supplementary Note 2, when switching the operation target, the game program selects the character that is next closest to a specific object as the operation target, making it possible to switch to an operation target that reflects the user's intention.

[0120] (Supplementary Note 3) One aspect of the present invention is a game program as described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein in the determining step (S215), if the user's operation direction is not included in a predetermined directional range based on the direction from the operation target character to the specific object, it is determined that the operation target is to be switched.

[0121] According to the configuration of Supplementary Note 3, the game program can switch the operation target based on the user's operation when the operation target character is not the operation target intended by the user.

[0122] (Appendix 4) One aspect of the present invention is the game program described in Appendix 3, further comprising causing the computer to execute a step (S213) of estimating at least one of the position of the operated character and the position of the specific object from the time when the user's operation is detected until a predetermined time period ahead, and in the determining step (S215), determining whether or not the user's operation direction is included in the predetermined direction range from the time when the user's operation is detected until the predetermined time period ahead, based on the estimation result of at least one of the position of the operated character and the position of the specific object.

[0123] According to the configuration of Appendix 4, the game program can appropriately determine whether the character to be operated is the one intended by the user by determining the user's operation direction taking into account the movement of the character or a specific object over a predetermined period of time.

[0124] (Appendix 5) One aspect of the present invention is the game program described in Appendix 4, further comprising causing the computer to execute a step (S30) of drawing an image of the game including the plurality of characters and the specific object at a predetermined frame rate, and in the determining step (S215), determining whether the user's operation direction is included in the predetermined directional range from the frame at which the user's operation is detected to a predetermined frame ahead (e.g., 300 frames ahead).

[0125] According to the configuration of Appendix 5, the game program can appropriately determine whether the character to be operated is the one intended by the user by determining the user's operation direction taking into account the movement of the character or a specific object over a specified number of frames.

[0126] (Supplementary Note 6) One aspect of the present invention is the game program described in Supplementary Note 5, wherein in the determining step (S215), it is determined whether or not the user's operation direction in the Nth frame (N is a positive integer) is within the predetermined directional range defined by the direction from the operated character to the specific object in the Nth frame and the direction from the operated character to the specific object in the N+1th frame, from the frame in which the user's operation was detected to the predetermined frame beyond.

[0127] According to the configuration of Appendix 6, the game program can appropriately determine whether the character being operated is the one intended by the user by determining the user's operation direction taking into account the movement of the character or a specific object over a specified number of frames.

[0128] (Appendix 7) One aspect of the present invention is a game program as described in any one of Appendices 1 to 6, wherein, in the selecting step (S220), if the user's operation is no longer detected and if there is a character that is closer to the specific object than the character to be operated, the character with the shortest distance is set as the character to be operated.

[0129] According to the configuration of Supplementary Note 7, when the user is not operating a character, the game program can set a character that is likely to be operated by the user as the operation target.

[0130] (Appendix 8) One aspect of the present invention is a game program according to any one of Appendices 1 to 7, wherein, in the switching step (S217), if the operation target is switched based on the user's operation direction and the direction from the operation target character to the specific object, switching of the operation target is prohibited for a first period (e.g., 800 msec) after the switching.

[0131] According to the configuration of Supplementary Note 8, the game program can prevent the operation target from being switched more than necessary in a short period of time due to slight changes in the positional relationship between a character and a specific object or the user's operation direction.

[0132] (Appendix 9) One aspect of the present invention is the game program described in Appendix 8, wherein, in the switching step (S217), if the operation target is switched based on the distance to the specific object without detecting the user's operation, switching of the operation target is prohibited for a second period (e.g., 500 msec) after the switching.

[0133] According to the configuration of Supplementary Note 9, the game program can prevent the operation target from being switched more than necessary in a short period of time due to slight changes in the positional relationship between a character and a specific object or the user's operation direction.

[0134] (Supplementary Note 10) One aspect of the present invention is the game program according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the first period (e.g., 800 msec) is set to be longer than the second period (e.g., 500 msec).

[0135] According to the configuration of Appendix 10, when the game program determines to switch the operation target based on the user's operation, the game program can give more importance to the user's operation than a system decision to switch the operation target that is not based on the user's operation, making it less likely that the operation target will be switched.

[0136] (Appendix 11) A game processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a game processing method executed by a computer that executes processing of a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters, and includes the steps of: selecting a character from the plurality of characters that is the shortest distance from a specific object (BO) as the operation target (S220); detecting a user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target (S10); if the user's operation is detected, determining whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction (Du) and the direction (Db) from the operation target character to the specific object (S215); and if it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, switching another character from the plurality of characters to the operation target (S217).

[0137] According to the configuration of Appendix 11, the game processing method determines the operation target by taking into consideration not only the distance between the character and a specific object but also the user's operation to move the character, so that it is possible to switch the operation target in a way that reflects the user's intention without requiring complicated operations.

[0138] (Appendix 12) A game device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention is a game device that executes processing for a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters, and includes a selection unit (144, S220) that selects a character from the plurality of characters that is the shortest distance from a specific object (BO) as the operation target, a detection unit (141, S10) that detects a user's operation and operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target, a determination unit (147, S215) that, when the user's operation is detected, determines whether or not to switch the operation target based on the user's operation direction (Du) and the direction (Db) from the operation target character to the specific object, and a switching unit (145, S217) that switches another character from the plurality of characters to the operation target when it is determined that the operation target should be switched.

[0139] According to the configuration of Appendix 12, the game device determines the operation target by taking into consideration not only the distance between the character and a specific object but also the user's operation to move the character, so that it is possible to switch the operation target in a way that reflects the user's intention without the need for complicated operations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1 Game system, 10 Game device, 11 Communication unit, 12 Input / output IF unit, 13 Memory unit, 14 CPU, 15 Controller, 16 Display device, 140 Game processing unit, 141 Operation detection unit, 142 Drawing processing unit, 143 Operation object control unit, 144 Operation object selection unit, 145 Operation object change unit, 146 Position estimation unit, 147 Determination unit, 161 Display unit, 162 Audio output unit

Claims

1. A computer that executes a process for a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched among a plurality of characters, selecting, as the operation target, a character having a smallest distance from a specific object among the plurality of characters; detecting a user's operation and an operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target; When the operation of the user is detected, determining whether or not to switch the operation target based on the operation direction of the user and the direction from the operation target character to the specific object; when it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, switching another character of the plurality of characters to the operation target; A game program for executing the above.

2. In the switching step, when it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, the operation target is switched to a character that is next to the operation target character at the shortest distance from the specific object; The game program according to claim 1 .

3. In the step of determining, When the operation direction of the user is not included in a predetermined direction range based on the direction from the operation target character to the specific object, it is determined that the operation target is to be switched.

3. The game program according to claim 1.

4. The computer includes: A step of estimating at least one of a position of the operation target character and a position of the specific object from a time point when the user's operation is detected until a predetermined time point; Then, In the step of determining, determining whether or not the operation direction of the user is included in the predetermined direction range from the time point when the operation of the user is detected until the predetermined time period based on an estimation result of at least one of the position of the operation target character and the position of the specific object; The game program according to claim 3.

5. The computer includes: drawing an image of the game including the plurality of characters and the specific object at a predetermined frame rate; Then, In the step of determining, determining whether or not the operation direction of the user is included in the predetermined direction range from the frame at which the operation of the user is detected to a predetermined frame ahead; The game program according to claim 4.

6. In the step of determining, determining whether or not the operation direction of the user in the Nth frame (N is a positive integer) is included in the predetermined directional range determined by the direction from the operation target character in the Nth frame to the specific object and the direction from the operation target character in the N+1th frame to the specific object, from the frame in which the operation of the user is detected to the predetermined frame ahead; The game program according to claim 5.

7. In the selecting step, when the operation of the user is no longer detected and when there is a character that is closer to the specific object than the operation target character, the character that is closer to the specific object is set as the operation target; The game program according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. In the switching step, When the operation target is switched based on the operation direction of the user and the direction from the operation target character to the specific object, switching of the operation target is prohibited during a first period after the switching. The game program according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. In the switching step, When the operation target is switched based on a distance to the specific object while no operation of the user is detected, switching of the operation target is prohibited during a second period after the switching. The game program according to claim 8.

10. The first period is set to be longer than the second period. The game program according to claim 9.

11. A game processing method executed by a computer that executes processing for a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters, comprising: selecting, as the operation target, a character having a smallest distance from a specific object among the plurality of characters; detecting a user's operation and an operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target; When the operation of the user is detected, determining whether or not to switch the operation target based on the operation direction of the user and the direction from the operation target character to the specific object; when it is determined that the operation target is to be switched, switching another character of the plurality of characters to the operation target; A game processing method comprising:

12. A game device that executes a process for a game in which a character to be operated by a user is switched from among a plurality of characters, a selection unit that selects, from among the plurality of characters, a character that is the shortest distance from a specific object as the operation target; a detection unit that detects a user's operation and an operation direction for moving the operation target character selected as the operation target; a determination unit that, when an operation by the user is detected, determines whether or not to switch the operation target based on a direction of the operation by the user and a direction from the operation target character to the specific object; a switching unit that switches another character among the plurality of characters to the operation target when it is determined that the operation target is to be switched; A game device comprising:

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