Game program, information processing device, information processing system, and game processing method

Abstract

To make it easy to hit an action against an object.SOLUTION: An information processing system controls actions by a player character object in a virtual space according to an action instruction based on operation input. When the player character object performs an action, the information processing system sets a winning determination area for determining whether or not the action has hit an object other than the player character object at a position set on the basis of a position in a virtual space of the player character object and the direction, and expands the winning determination area in a depth direction of a virtual camera. The information processing system performs processing based on the action with respect to another object when the expanded winning determination area is in contact with the another object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a game program, an information processing device, an information processing system, and a game processing method for performing collision detection for objects in a virtual space. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a technique for determining whether an object placed in a virtual space collides with another object. As a method for performing such a collision determination, for example, there is a method for setting a collision determination area for the object (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5289031 specification Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a three-dimensional virtual space, it is sometimes difficult for a user to accurately grasp the position of an object in the depth direction when the virtual space is displayed on a screen. Therefore, when a user operates an object and tries to apply an action of the object to another object, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether the positions of the two objects are misaligned in the depth direction, making it difficult to apply the action to the other object.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game program, an information processing device, an information processing system, and a game processing method that make it easier to hit an object with an action even if the objects are misaligned in the depth direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configurations (1) to (10).

[0007] (1) An example of the present invention is a game program that causes a computer of an information processing device to perform the following processes. Control a virtual camera in a virtual space. The movement of the player character object in the virtual space is controlled in accordance with movement instructions based on operation input by the user. Controlling the actions of the player character object in the virtual space in response to action instructions based on operational input. When a player character object performs an action, a collision detection area is set at a position that is set based on the position and direction of the player character object in virtual space, for determining whether or not the action has hit an object other than the player character object, and the collision detection area is extended in the depth direction of the virtual camera. If the expanded collision detection area comes into contact with another object, processing will be performed based on the action taken against that other object.

[0008] According to the above configuration (1), the collision detection area is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera, making it easier to hit an object with an action even if the positions of the objects are misaligned in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

[0009] (2) The hit detection region may be a plurality of regions of a predetermined shape arranged in a predetermined positional relationship. The game program may cause the computer to expand the hit detection region by adding a region of the same shape as at least one of the plurality of regions at a position shifted a predetermined amount in the depth direction of the virtual camera relative to the relevant region.

[0010] According to the above configuration (2), the additional area can be easily set by changing the position of the reference area, so that the collision determination area can be easily expanded.

[0011] (3) The game program may cause the computer to expand the collision detection area by adding areas to both the front and back sides in the depth direction of the virtual camera for at least one of the plurality of areas.

[0012] According to the above configuration (3), it becomes easier to hit an object with an action more reliably.

[0013] (4) The collision detection region may be a plurality of regions of a predetermined shape arranged in a predetermined positional relationship. The game program may cause the computer to expand the collision detection region by moving at least one of the plurality of regions in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

[0014] According to the above configuration (4), the hit determination area can be easily expanded by moving the reference area.

[0015] (5) The game program may cause the computer to deform the collision detection area so as to expand the collision detection area in the depth direction of the virtual camera, thereby expanding the collision detection area.

[0016] According to the above configuration (5), the hit determination area can be expanded by deforming the hit determination area.

[0017] (6) The hit detection area may be spherical.

[0018] According to the above configuration (6), it is possible to easily manage the hit determination area and perform the determination using the hit determination area.

[0019] (7) The hit determination area may have a shape including a first unit area and a second unit area that are arranged in a predetermined positional relationship, and a connection area that connects the first unit area and the second unit area according to a predetermined rule.

[0020] According to the above configuration (7), it is possible to use a collision detection area with a non-simple shape.

[0021] (8) The game program may cause the computer to start controlling an action by the player character object in response to an action instruction, and to set a hit detection region based on the position and direction of the player character object in virtual space. The game program may also cause the computer to continue controlling the action by the player character object for a predetermined period of time after the start of the action, and to update the hit detection region over time. The updating of the hit detection region over time may be performed by updating the hit detection region over time based on a pattern associated with the action, and by expanding the updated hit detection region in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

[0022] According to the above configuration (8), even if the hit determination area from which the expansion is to be performed changes dynamically, the hit determination area can be expanded with high precision in accordance with the changes.

[0023] (9) The other object may be an enemy character object, the predetermined action may be an attack action, and the action-based process may be a process of inflicting damage on the enemy character object.

[0024] According to the above configuration (9), it is possible to make it easier to hit an attack action by an enemy character, thereby improving the operability of the attack action.

[0025] (10) The game program may further cause the computer to perform the following processes. Controlling enemy character objects in virtual space. When an enemy attack action is performed in which the enemy character object attacks the player character object based on control over the enemy character object, the enemy hit determination area for determining whether or not the enemy attack action has hit the player character object is set based on the position and direction of the enemy character object in the virtual space, without extending the virtual camera in the depth direction. If the enemy collision detection area comes into contact with the player character object, processing is performed to inflict damage on the player character object.

[0026] According to the above configuration (10), it is possible to reduce the amount of processing required for expanding the hit determination region and for performing hit determination.

[0027] Another example of the present invention may be an information processing device or an information processing system that executes the processes in (1) to (10) above. Also, another example of the present invention may be a game processing method that executes the processes in (1) to (10) above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the above game program, information processing device, information processing system, and game processing method, it is possible to make it easier to hit an object with an action. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the left and right controllers attached to the main unit. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the state when the left controller and right controller are detached from the main unit. [Figure 3] Six-sided views showing an example of the main unit [Figure 4] Six-sided diagram showing an example of the left controller [Figure 5] Six-sided diagram showing an example of the right controller [Figure 6] A block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a main unit. [Figure 7] A block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main unit, left controller, and right controller. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a player character performing a sword action and a hit detection area set at that time. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a player character performing a sword action and a hit detection area set at that time. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the player character and the hit detection area shown in FIG. 8 as viewed from above the game space. [Figure 11] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the player character and the hit detection area shown in FIG. 8 as viewed from above the game space. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a player character performing a hammer action and a hit detection area set at that time. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the player character and the hit detection area shown in FIG. 12 as viewed from above the game space. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a method for setting the additional area shown in FIG. 13; [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a player character performing a cutting action and a hit detection area set at that time. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the cutter and the hit detection area shown in FIG. 15 as viewed from above the game space. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of various data used in information processing in the game system 1. [Figure 18] A flowchart showing an example of the flow of game processing executed by the game system 1. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a hit determination region in a modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] [1. Game system configuration] A game system according to an example of this embodiment will be described below. An example of the game system 1 according to this embodiment includes a main unit (information processing device; in this embodiment, it functions as a game device main unit) 2, a left controller 3, and a right controller 4. The left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are each detachable from the main unit 2. In other words, the game system 1 can be used as an integrated device by attaching the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 to the main unit 2. The game system 1 can also be used by separating the main unit 2 from the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 (see FIG. 2). Below, the hardware configuration of the game system 1 according to this embodiment will be described, followed by a description of the control of the game system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a left controller 3 and a right controller 4 are attached to a main unit 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are each attached to and integrated with the main unit 2. The main unit 2 is a device that executes various processes (e.g., game processes) in the game system 1. The main unit 2 is equipped with a display 12. The left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are devices that have operation units that allow the user to perform inputs.

[0032] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are detached from the main unit 2. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are detachable from the main unit 2. Note that, below, the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 may be collectively referred to as "controllers."

[0033] Fig. 3 is a six-sided view showing an example of the main unit 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the main unit 2 includes a substantially plate-shaped housing 11. In this embodiment, the main surface of the housing 11 (in other words, the front surface, i.e., the surface on which the display 12 is provided) is generally rectangular.

[0034] The shape and size of the housing 11 are arbitrary. As an example, the housing 11 may be of a portable size. Furthermore, the main unit 2 alone or an integrated device in which the left controller 3 and right controller 4 are attached to the main unit 2 may be a portable device. Furthermore, the main unit 2 or the integrated device may be a handheld device. Furthermore, the main unit 2 or the integrated device may be a portable device.

[0035] 3, the main unit 2 includes a display 12 provided on the main surface of the housing 11. The display 12 displays images generated by the main unit 2. In this embodiment, the display 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD). However, the display 12 may be any type of display device.

[0036] The main device 2 also includes a touch panel 13 on the screen of the display 12. In this embodiment, the touch panel 13 is of a type that allows multi-touch input (for example, a capacitance type). However, the touch panel 13 may be of any type, and may be of a type that allows single-touch input (for example, a resistive type).

[0037] The main unit 2 is provided with a speaker (i.e., speaker 88 shown in FIG. 6) inside the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 3, speaker holes 11a and 11b are formed on the main surface of the housing 11. The output sound of the speaker 88 is output from these speaker holes 11a and 11b, respectively.

[0038] The main unit 2 also has a left terminal 17, which is a terminal for the main unit 2 to communicate with the left controller 3 via a wired connection, and a right terminal 21, which is a terminal for the main unit 2 to communicate with the right controller 4 via a wired connection.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the main unit 2 includes a slot 23. The slot 23 is provided on the upper side of the housing 11. The slot 23 has a shape that allows a predetermined type of storage medium to be inserted therein. The predetermined type of storage medium is, for example, a storage medium (e.g., a dedicated memory card) dedicated to the game system 1 and the same type of information processing device. The predetermined type of storage medium is used, for example, to store data used by the main unit 2 (e.g., application save data, etc.) and / or programs executed by the main unit 2 (e.g., application programs, etc.). The main unit 2 also includes a power button 28.

[0040] The main unit 2 has a lower terminal 27. The lower terminal 27 is a terminal through which the main unit 2 communicates with the cradle. In this embodiment, the lower terminal 27 is a USB connector (more specifically, a female connector). When the all-in-one device or the main unit 2 alone is placed on the cradle, the game system 1 can display images generated and output by the main unit 2 on a stationary monitor. In this embodiment, the cradle also has the function of charging the all-in-one device or the main unit 2 alone that is placed on it. The cradle also has the function of a hub device (specifically, a USB hub).

[0041] FIG. 4 is a six-sided view showing an example of the left controller 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the left controller 3 includes a housing 31. In this embodiment, the housing 31 has a vertically long shape, that is, a shape that is long in the up-down direction (i.e., the y-axis direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 4). The left controller 3 can also be held in a vertically long orientation when detached from the main unit 2. The housing 31 has a shape and size that allows it to be held in one hand, particularly the left hand, when held in a vertically long orientation. The left controller 3 can also be held in a horizontally long orientation. When the left controller 3 is held in a horizontally long orientation, it may be held with both hands.

[0042] The left controller 3 includes an analog stick 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the analog stick 32 is provided on the main surface of the housing 31. The analog stick 32 can be used as a direction input unit that can input directions. By tilting the analog stick 32, the user can input a direction corresponding to the tilt direction (and input a magnitude corresponding to the tilt angle). Note that instead of an analog stick, the left controller 3 may be equipped with a cross key or a slide stick that can perform slide inputs as a direction input unit. In this embodiment, input can be made by pressing the analog stick 32.

[0043] The left controller 3 is equipped with various operation buttons. The left controller 3 is equipped with four operation buttons 33 to 36 (specifically, a right button 33, a down button 34, an up button 35, and a left button 36) on the main surface of the housing 31. The left controller 3 also is equipped with a record button 37 and a - (minus) button 47. The left controller 3 is equipped with a first L button 38 and a ZL button 39 on the upper left of the side of the housing 31. The left controller 3 is also equipped with a second L button 43 and a second R button 44 on the side of the housing 31 that is attached to the main unit 2. These operation buttons are used to issue instructions according to various programs (for example, OS programs and application programs) executed on the main unit 2.

[0044] The left controller 3 also includes a terminal 42 for wired communication between the left controller 3 and the main unit 2.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a six-sided view showing an example of the right controller 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the right controller 4 includes a housing 51. In this embodiment, the housing 51 has a vertically long shape, that is, a shape that is long in the up-down direction. The right controller 4 can also be held in a vertically long orientation when detached from the main unit 2. The housing 51 has a shape and size that allows it to be held in one hand, particularly the right hand, when held in a vertically long orientation. The right controller 4 can also be held in a horizontally long orientation. When the right controller 4 is held in a horizontally long orientation, it may be held with both hands.

[0046] Like the left controller 3, the right controller 4 is equipped with an analog stick 52 as a directional input unit. In this embodiment, the analog stick 52 has the same configuration as the analog stick 32 of the left controller 3. The right controller 4 may also be equipped with a cross key or a slide stick that allows slide input, instead of an analog stick. Like the left controller 3, the right controller 4 is equipped with four operation buttons 53 to 56 (specifically, an A button 53, a B button 54, an X button 55, and a Y button 56) on the main surface of the housing 51. The right controller 4 is also equipped with a + (plus) button 57 and a home button 58. The right controller 4 is also equipped with a first R button 60 and a ZR button 61 on the upper right side of the housing 51. Like the left controller 3, the right controller 4 is also equipped with a second L button 65 and a second R button 66.

[0047] The right controller 4 also includes a terminal 64 for wired communication between the right controller 4 and the main unit 2.

[0048] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of main unit 2. In addition to the configuration shown in Fig. 3, main unit 2 includes components 81-85, 87, 88, 91, 97, and 98 shown in Fig. 6. Some of these components 81-85, 87, 88, 91, 97, and 98 may be mounted on an electronic circuit board as electronic components and housed in housing 11.

[0049] The main unit 2 includes a processor 81. The processor 81 is an information processing unit that executes various types of information processing executed in the main unit 2, and may be composed of, for example, only a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or may be composed of an SoC (System-on-a-chip) that includes multiple functions such as a CPU function and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) function. The processor 81 executes various types of information processing by executing an information processing program (for example, a game program) stored in a storage unit (specifically, an internal storage medium such as flash memory 84, or an external storage medium inserted into slot 23, etc.).

[0050] The main device 2 includes a flash memory 84 and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 85 as examples of internal storage media built into the main device 2. The flash memory 84 and the DRAM 85 are connected to the processor 81. The flash memory 84 is a memory used primarily to store various types of data (which may be programs) saved in the main device 2. The DRAM 85 is a memory used to temporarily store various types of data used in information processing.

[0051] The main device 2 includes a slot interface (hereinafter abbreviated as "I / F") 91. The slot I / F 91 is connected to the processor 81. The slot I / F 91 is connected to the slot 23, and reads and writes data from and to a predetermined type of storage medium (e.g., a dedicated memory card) inserted into the slot 23 in accordance with instructions from the processor 81.

[0052] The processor 81 reads and writes data from and to the flash memory 84, DRAM 85, and the above-mentioned storage media as appropriate, to execute the above-mentioned information processing.

[0053] The main unit 2 includes a network communication unit 82. The network communication unit 82 is connected to the processor 81. The network communication unit 82 communicates with external devices via a network (specifically, wireless communication). In this embodiment, the network communication unit 82 connects to a wireless LAN and communicates with external devices using a method conforming to the Wi-Fi standard as a first communication mode. The network communication unit 82 also performs wireless communication with other main units 2 of the same type using a predetermined communication method (e.g., communication using a proprietary protocol or infrared communication) as a second communication mode. Note that wireless communication using the second communication mode enables wireless communication with other main units 2 located within a closed local network area, and realizes a function that enables so-called "local communication," in which data is transmitted and received by direct communication between multiple main units 2.

[0054] The main unit 2 is equipped with a controller communication unit 83. The controller communication unit 83 is connected to the processor 81. The controller communication unit 83 performs wireless communication with the left controller 3 and / or right controller 4. Any communication method may be used between the main unit 2 and the left controller 3 and right controller 4, but in this embodiment, the controller communication unit 83 performs communication with the left controller 3 and right controller 4 in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard.

[0055] The processor 81 is connected to the left terminal 17, right terminal 21, and lower terminal 27. When performing wired communication with the left controller 3, the processor 81 transmits data to the left controller 3 via the left terminal 17 and receives operation data from the left controller 3 via the left terminal 17. When performing wired communication with the right controller 4, the processor 81 transmits data to the right controller 4 via the right terminal 21 and receives operation data from the right controller 4 via the right terminal 21. When performing wired communication with the right controller 4, the processor 81 transmits data to the cradle via the lower terminal 27. As described above, in this embodiment, the main unit 2 can perform both wired and wireless communication with the left controller 3 and the right controller 4. When an integrated device in which the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are attached to the main unit 2 or the main unit 2 alone is attached to the cradle, the main unit 2 can output data (e.g., image data and audio data) to a stationary monitor or the like via the cradle.

[0056] Here, the main unit 2 can communicate simultaneously (in other words, in parallel) with multiple left controllers 3. The main unit 2 can also communicate simultaneously (in other words, in parallel) with multiple right controllers 4. Therefore, multiple users can simultaneously input to the main unit 2 using their own sets of left controllers 3 and right controllers 4. For example, a first user can input to the main unit 2 using a first set of left controllers 3 and right controllers 4, while a second user can simultaneously input to the main unit 2 using a second set of left controllers 3 and right controllers 4.

[0057] The display 12 is also connected to the processor 81. The processor 81 displays on the display 12 an image generated (for example, by executing the above-described information processing) and / or an image acquired from the outside.

[0058] The main unit 2 includes a codec circuit 87 and speakers (specifically, a left speaker and a right speaker) 88. The codec circuit 87 is connected to the speakers 88 and the audio input / output terminal 25, and is also connected to the processor 81. The codec circuit 87 is a circuit that controls the input and output of audio data to and from the speakers 88 and the audio input / output terminal 25.

[0059] The main device 2 includes a power control unit 97 and a battery 98. The power control unit 97 is connected to the battery 98 and the processor 81. Although not shown, the power control unit 97 is also connected to each part of the main device 2 (specifically, each part that receives power from the battery 98, the left terminal 17, and the right terminal 21). The power control unit 97 controls the power supply from the battery 98 to each of the above parts based on instructions from the processor 81.

[0060] Furthermore, battery 98 is connected to lower terminal 27. When an external charging device (e.g., a cradle) is connected to lower terminal 27 and power is supplied to main device 2 via lower terminal 27, battery 98 is charged with the supplied power.

[0061] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main unit 2, left controller 3, and right controller 4. Note that details of the internal configuration of the main unit 2 are omitted in Figure 7 because they are shown in Figure 6.

[0062] The left controller 3 is equipped with a communication control unit 101 that communicates with the main unit 2. As shown in FIG. 7 , the communication control unit 101 is connected to each component, including the terminal 42. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 101 can communicate with the main unit 2 both via wired communication via the terminal 42 and via wireless communication without using the terminal 42. The communication control unit 101 controls the method of communication between the left controller 3 and the main unit 2. That is, when the left controller 3 is attached to the main unit 2, the communication control unit 101 communicates with the main unit 2 via the terminal 42. When the left controller 3 is detached from the main unit 2, the communication control unit 101 communicates wirelessly with the main unit 2 (specifically, with the controller communication unit 83). Wireless communication between the controller communication unit 83 and the communication control unit 101 is performed in accordance with, for example, the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard.

[0063] The left controller 3 also includes a memory 102, such as a flash memory. The communication control unit 101 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer (also called a microprocessor), and executes firmware stored in the memory 102 to perform various processes.

[0064] The left controller 3 includes buttons 103 (specifically, buttons 33 to 39, 43, 44, and 47). The left controller 3 also includes an analog stick (referred to as "stick" in FIG. 7) 32. Each button 103 and analog stick 32 repeatedly outputs information related to operations performed on the button 103 and analog stick 32 to the communication control unit 101 at appropriate timing.

[0065] The communication control unit 101 acquires information related to the input (specifically, information related to the operation or the detection results from the sensor) from each input unit (specifically, each button 103 and analog stick 32). The communication control unit 101 transmits operation data including the acquired information (or information obtained by performing a predetermined process on the acquired information) to the main unit 2. The operation data is repeatedly transmitted once every predetermined time. The interval at which the information related to the input is transmitted to the main unit 2 may or may not be the same for each input unit.

[0066] By transmitting the above operation data to the main unit 2, the main unit 2 can obtain the input made to the left controller 3. In other words, the main unit 2 can determine the operation of each button 103 and analog stick 32 based on the operation data.

[0067] The left controller 3 is equipped with a power supply unit 108. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 108 has a battery and a power control circuit. Although not shown, the power control circuit is connected to the battery and to each part of the left controller 3 (specifically, each part that receives power from the battery).

[0068] As shown in FIG. 7, the right controller 4 is equipped with a communication control unit 111 that communicates with the main unit 2. The right controller 4 also has a memory 112 that is connected to the communication control unit 111. The communication control unit 111 is connected to each component, including the terminal 64. The communication control unit 111 and memory 112 have the same functions as the communication control unit 101 and memory 102 of the left controller 3. Therefore, the communication control unit 111 can communicate with the main unit 2 both via wired communication via the terminal 64 and via wireless communication that does not use the terminal 64 (specifically, communication in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard), and controls the method of communication between the right controller 4 and the main unit 2.

[0069] The right controller 4 has input units similar to those of the left controller 3. Specifically, it has buttons 113 and an analog stick 52. These input units have the same functions as those of the left controller 3 and operate in the same manner.

[0070] The right controller 4 is equipped with a power supply unit 118. The power supply unit 118 has the same functions as the power supply unit 108 of the left controller 3 and operates in the same manner.

[0071] [2. Overview of processing in the game system] Next, an overview of the processing executed in the game system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 16. In this embodiment, the game system 1 controls the movement of a player character object (hereinafter simply referred to as a "player character"), which is an object operated by a user (also referred to as a player) of the game system 1 in a virtual space (also referred to as a game space). Furthermore, the game system 1 performs a hit determination for an action taken by the player character. Specifically, in this embodiment, the action is an attack action against an enemy character object (hereinafter simply referred to as an "enemy character"), and the game system 1 determines whether the attack action hits the enemy character. Note that in other embodiments, the action is not limited to an attack action and may be any action (see "[4. Actions and Effects of This Embodiment and Modification Examples]" below).

[0072] A hit detection area is used for the above determination. That is, the game system 1 sets a hit detection area in the game space for an attack action, and if at least a part of the enemy character is included in the hit detection area, the game system 1 determines that the attack action has hit the enemy character. On the other hand, if the enemy character is not included in the hit detection area, the game system 1 determines that the attack action has not hit the enemy character.

[0073] In this embodiment, the player character can perform multiple types of attack actions. The content of the attack actions is arbitrary, but below, as examples, a method of setting the hit detection area will be described for three types of attack actions: an attack action of swinging a sword (hereinafter referred to as a "sword action"), an attack action of swinging a hammer (hereinafter referred to as a "hammer action"), and an attack action of throwing a cutter (hereinafter referred to as a "cutter action").

[0074] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a player character performing a sword action and the hit detection areas set at that time. When an attack action is performed, the game system 1 sets hit detection areas 202 (four hit detection areas 202 in FIG. 8) based on the position and orientation of the player character 201 performing the attack action. Specifically, when the player character 201 performs a sword action, the game system 1 sets the hit detection areas 202 at positions that include the trajectory of the sword object 203, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0075] In this embodiment, the game system 1 expands the hit detection area, as will be described in detail later. Hereinafter, the hit detection area from which the expansion is performed is referred to as the "reference area." In the example shown in FIG. 8, four spherical areas 202 are set as the reference area. The shape and number of the reference area (which can also be called the hit detection area) set for one attack action are arbitrary. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, areas 209 may be set for each part of the sword, such as the base, center, and tip, so that the long shape of the sword object 203 is covered by multiple areas 209 (three in the example shown in FIG. 9). In the example shown in FIG. 9, three areas 209 are set to cover an area corresponding to the shape of the sword object 203 as the hit detection area, and four sets of the three areas 209 (i.e., a total of 12 hit detection areas) are set as the reference area to cover an area through which the sword object 203 passes when swung. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the game system 1 sets reference areas whose number and shape correspond to the type of attack action so that they are arranged in a positional relationship (also called an arrangement pattern) according to the type of attack action.

[0076] As described above, by making the expansion source hit detection region spherical, the game system 1 can manage the region using two parameters, the center position and the radius, and can easily perform hit detection.

[0077] In this embodiment, for a sword action, the game system 1 sets the four reference areas 202 simultaneously (i.e., within one frame). Furthermore, while the sword action is being performed, the game system 1 continuously sets the four reference areas 202. Note that the four reference areas 202 do not move during the sword action.

[0078] When multiple reference areas are set simultaneously, the game system 1 may set each reference area so that a part of the reference area overlaps a part of another reference area (see FIG. 8). This reduces the possibility that other objects positioned on the trajectory of the attack action (for example, the trajectory of a sword) will not be included in the hit detection area, resulting in an erroneous determination that the attack action did not hit the other object.

[0079] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the player character and hit detection areas shown in Fig. 8 as viewed from above the game space. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the virtual camera 204 for generating game images is positioned to the side of the player character 201. Note that, for the purpose of making the drawing easier to see, Fig. 10 shows only one of the four set reference areas 202, and also shows only the additional areas that are set based on the illustrated reference area, as for additional areas described below.

[0080] In this embodiment, the game system 1 expands the hit determination area. Specifically, the game system 1 expands the hit determination area by setting additional areas 205 and 206 at positions shifted from the reference area 202 in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204 (the direction of the dashed line shown in FIG. 10 ). The size and shape of each of the additional areas 205 and 206 are the same as those of the reference area 202. This expansion method can also be said to be a method of expanding the hit determination area by moving the reference area 202 in the depth direction. The expanded hit determination area is an area included in at least one of the reference area 202 and the additional areas 205 and 206.

[0081] As described above, by expanding the hit detection area in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204, it becomes easier to determine that an attack action has hit an enemy character even if the position where the attack action is performed and the position of the enemy character are slightly offset in the depth direction. This makes it easier for the user to hit the enemy character with an attack action even if it is difficult for the user to accurately grasp the position of the enemy character in the depth direction. Therefore, the operability of attack actions can be improved.

[0082] In this embodiment, the game system 1 expands the collision detection area by adding additional areas 205 and 206 having the same shape as the reference area 202 at positions shifted in the depth direction of the virtual camera (it can also be said that the collision detection area is expanded by moving the reference area 202 in the depth direction of the virtual camera). This allows the game system 1 to easily set the additional areas 205 and 206 by processing to change the position of the reference area 202, and therefore makes it easy to perform the expansion process.

[0083] Although not shown in FIG. 10 , the game system 1 expands each of the four reference areas 202 by setting an additional area for each of the four reference areas 202. However, in other embodiments, when multiple reference areas are set, the game system 1 does not need to expand all of the reference areas, and may expand at least one of the multiple reference areas. For example, consider a case where multiple reference areas are arranged in a ring shape, and an additional reference area is arranged at the center of the multiple circularly arranged reference areas. In this case, it is conceivable that the overall collision detection area after expansion will not change significantly whether or not the reference area arranged in the center is expanded. Therefore, for example, in the above case, the reference area arranged in the center does not need to be expanded.

[0084] 10, in this embodiment, additional regions 205 and 206 are set so that their centers are located on a line passing through the position of virtual camera 204 and the center of reference region 202. As a result, when viewed from the position of virtual camera 204, there is almost no change (in appearance) in the range of the collision detection region even when expansion is performed. Therefore, the game system 1 can expand the collision detection region without causing a sense of incongruity to the user.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the game system 1 sets an additional area 205 on the near side in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204 and an additional area 206 on the far side, using the reference area 202 as a reference. In this way, the game system 1 expands the hit detection area by adding additional areas on both the near side and the far side in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. This makes it easier to determine that an attack action has hit an enemy character, whether the position where the attack action is performed is shifted toward the near side or the far side relative to the position of the enemy character. Therefore, in either case, the user is more likely to hit the enemy character with an attack action, and is more likely to hit the enemy character with an attack action more reliably.

[0086] In another embodiment, the game system 1 may use the reference area as a reference and expand the area toward either the front or the back in the depth direction of the virtual camera. For example, in a game in which the player character mainly moves toward the back in the depth direction of the virtual camera, it is considered that enemy characters often exist on the back side of the player character 201. Therefore, in such a game, the game system 1 may set additional areas only on the back side in the depth direction of the reference area. This allows the game system 1 to reduce the number of additional areas and reduce the processing load of collision detection.

[0087] In this embodiment, the additional regions 205 and 206 are set at positions shifted a predetermined set distance from the reference region 202 (more specifically, the center of the reference region 202) in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. This set distance may be set based on the size of the player character 201. For example, the set distance is set to half the size of the player character 201 (for example, the width of the player character 201). Note that in this embodiment, the set distance is set to the same length on the front side and the back side in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204, but in other embodiments, the set distance may be set to different lengths on the front side and the back side.

[0088] In this embodiment, the additional area is set so that it partially overlaps with the reference area corresponding to the additional area (see FIG. 10). This prevents a gap from occurring between the reference area and the additional area set based on it, reducing the possibility that an attack action will be erroneously determined to have missed the enemy character if an enemy character is present in this gap.

[0089] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the player character and hit detection area shown in Fig. 8 as viewed from above the game space, similar to Fig. 10. Unlike Fig. 10, Fig. 11 shows an example in which the virtual camera 204 is placed behind the player character 201.

[0090] 11, as in the case shown in Fig. 10, the game system 1 sets additional regions 205 and 206 at positions that are shifted by the set distance in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204 from the reference region 202. Therefore, in the case shown in Fig. 11, the hit detection region is expanded in the same way as in the case shown in Fig. 10, and the same effect as in the case shown in Fig. 10 is achieved. In this way, in this embodiment, the hit detection region is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204 regardless of the position and orientation of the player character 201 with respect to the virtual camera 204. Therefore, an effect can be achieved that it becomes easier to hit an enemy character with an attack action regardless of the position and orientation of the player character 201.

[0091] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a player character performing a hammer action and a hit determination area set at that time. State (a) shown in Fig. 12 is the state at the time when the player character 201 starts swinging the hammer, and state (b) shown in Fig. 12 is the state at a time when some time has passed since state (a).

[0092] As with the sword action, in the hammer action, the game system 1 sets a hit detection area based on the position and orientation of the player character 201 performing the attack action. When a hammer action is performed, the game system 1 sets a reference area 211 near the position of the head of the hammer object 210, as shown in FIG. 12. Note that, unlike the sword action, in the case of a hammer action, the reference area 211 is set so that it moves in accordance with the movement of the hammer object 210 during the attack action. In other words, the reference area 211 moves during the hammer action (see FIG. 12).

[0093] In this embodiment, for a hammer action, only one reference area is set at a time (specifically, set in one frame). However, similar to a sword action, multiple reference areas may be set at the same time for a hammer action.

[0094] In this embodiment, the reference area 211 for the hammer action is capsule-shaped (or cylindrical), unlike the reference area 211 for the sword action. The game system 1 sets the reference area 211 having such a shape based on a spherical first unit area 212 and a spherical second unit area 213. Specifically, the game system 1 sets the first unit area 212, the second unit area 213, and a connection area 214 connecting the two unit areas 212 and 213 as the reference area 211 (see FIG. 12 ). In this embodiment, the connection area 214 is an area through which the first unit area 212 passes when the first unit area 212 is assumed to move straight toward the second unit area 213. As described above, in this embodiment, the game system 1 can easily set a non-spherical reference area 211 based on the spherical unit areas 212 and 213.

[0095] As described above, in this embodiment, the size and shape of the reference area may differ depending on the type of attack action, and may be set to an appropriate size and shape according to the attack action.

[0096] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the player character and hit detection area shown in Fig. 12 viewed from above in the game space. State (a) shown in Fig. 13 is the state at the same time as state (a) shown in Fig. 12, and state (b) shown in Fig. 13 is the state at the same time as state (b) shown in Fig. 12. In the example shown in Fig. 13, it is assumed that the virtual camera 204 is placed to the side of the player character 201.

[0097] In the hammer action, as in the sword action, the game system 1 expands the hit detection area in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the game system 1 expands the hit detection area by setting additional areas 216 and 217 at positions shifted from the reference area 211 in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. The detailed method for setting the additional areas 216 and 217 will be described later, but the game system 1 sets each of the additional areas 216 and 217 so that the center of each of the additional areas 216 and 217 is located on a straight line connecting the position of the virtual camera 204 and the center of the reference area 211 (see FIG. 13). The general shape of each of the additional areas 216 and 217 is a capsule shape, the same as the reference area 211.

[0098] Furthermore, in a hammer action, as described above, the reference area 211 moves during an attack action. Therefore, during a hammer action, the game system 1 sets the additional areas 216 and 217 based on the current reference area 211. In other words, the additional areas 216 and 217 are set to the front and back in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204, based on the current reference area 211 (see FIG. 13).

[0099] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a method for setting the additional area shown in FIG. 13. In this embodiment, the game system 1 sets the additional area for the hammer action as follows. First, the game system 1 sets the additional unit areas 221, 222, 224, and 225 at positions obtained by shifting the unit areas 212 and 213 in the reference area 211 in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. Specifically, the first additional unit area 221 is set forward of the first unit area 212 in the depth direction, and the second additional unit area 222 is set forward of the second unit area 213 in the depth direction. Furthermore, the third additional unit area 224 is set rearward of the first unit area 212 in the depth direction, and the fourth additional unit area 225 is set rearward of the second unit area 213 in the depth direction. Next, the game system 1 sets two additional unit areas 221 and 222 set on the front side of the reference area 211 and an additional connection area 223 connecting these additional unit areas 221 and 222 as additional areas 216. The game system 1 also sets two additional unit areas 224 and 225 set on the back side of the reference area 211 and an additional connection area 226 connecting these additional unit areas 224 and 225 as additional areas 217. In this manner, the additional areas 216 and 217 are set based on the spherical additional unit areas 221, 222, 224, and 225. Note that since the additional areas 216 and 217 are set as described above, the size and shape of each of the additional areas 216 and 217 will be slightly different from the size and shape of the reference area 211 in the hammer action.

[0100] As described above, for hammer action, the expansion source hit detection area (i.e., reference area 211) is an area that includes a first unit area 212 and a second unit area 213 that are arranged in a predetermined positional relationship, and includes a connection area 214 that connects the first unit area 212 and the second unit area 213 according to a predetermined rule (see Figure 12). The game system 1 sets a first additional unit area 221 (or a third additional unit area 224) at a position shifted a predetermined amount in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204 with respect to the first unit area 212, sets a second additional unit area 222 (or a fourth additional unit area 225) at a position shifted a predetermined amount in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204 with respect to the second unit area 213, and expands the collision determination area by adding to the collision determination area an additional area 217 including the first additional unit area 221, the second additional unit area 222, and an additional connection area 226 that connects the first additional unit area 221 and the second additional unit area 222 according to the predetermined rule (see FIG. 14). In this way, by setting the additional area based on the unit area that is the basis of the reference area, it is possible to easily set the additional area even if the reference area is not a simple shape (such as a sphere).

[0101] In this embodiment, the "predetermined rule" is the rule that "the first unit area and the second unit area are connected in a straight line." In other embodiments, the content of the predetermined rule is arbitrary. For example, in other embodiments, the predetermined rule may be the rule that "the first unit area and the second unit area are connected along the trajectory of the head of the hammer object during the hammer action." By setting the additional connection area using the same rule as the connection area, it is possible to easily set an additional area with the same or similar shape as the reference area, regardless of the content of the predetermined rule.

[0102] In the example of the hammer action described above, the size and shape of each of the additional areas 216 and 217 differ from the size and shape of the reference area 211 depending on the depth, but in other embodiments, an additional area may be set that has the same size and / or shape as the reference area 211. That is, in other embodiments, regardless of the shape of the reference area, the additional area may be the same size and shape as the reference area, or may have the same shape as the reference area but with the size adjusted.

[0103] Note that the distance from the reference area to the additional area in a hammer action (more specifically, the distance from the center of the reference area to the center of the additional area; i.e., the above-mentioned set distance) is the same as in the case of a sword action. In this embodiment, the game system 1 sets the above-mentioned set distance to the same value regardless of the type of attack action. If the set distance were different for each type of attack action, the positional relationship for determining that the attack action has hit the enemy character (i.e., the positional relationship between the player character 201 and the enemy character) would differ for each attack action, which could cause the user to feel uncomfortable. In contrast, in this embodiment, the set distance is set to the same for each type of attack action, thereby reducing the above possibility.

[0104] On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the shape and size of the reference area differ for each attack action, if the set distance were the same for each type of attack action, a gap would be created between the reference area and the additional area for some attack actions (more specifically, depending on the size of the reference area set for each type of attack action), which could result in an erroneous determination that the attack action did not hit the enemy character. Therefore, in this embodiment, the game system 1 sets the set distance for each type of attack action so that the reference area and a portion of the additional area set based on it overlap. This makes it possible to prevent the above-mentioned erroneous determination.

[0105] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a player character performing a cutter action and a hit detection area set at that time. State (a) shown in Fig. 15 is the state after the player character 201 throws the cutter object 231, and state (b) shown in Fig. 12 is the state at a point in time after further time has passed since state (a).

[0106] During a cutting action, the cutter object 231 flies forward of the player character 201 while rotating, as shown in FIG. 15, and then moves to return to the position of the player character 201. The game system 1 also sets multiple (four in FIG. 15) reference areas 232 to 235 at the position of the cutter object 231. That is, in a cutting action, as in other attack actions, the game system 1 sets the reference area based on the position and orientation of the player character 201 performing the attack action (more specifically, based on the position and orientation of the cutter object 231 based on the position and orientation of the player character 201). During a cutting action, the game system 1 sets the four reference areas 232 to 235 simultaneously (that is, within one frame). In this embodiment, each reference area in a cutting action is spherical.

[0107] As described above, in the cutter action, as in the hammer action, the reference area is set to move during the attack action. Note that the reference areas 232 to 235 may be set to rotate around the center of the cutter object 231 in accordance with the rotation of the cutter object 231, or may not be set to rotate.

[0108] In the example shown in Figure 15, in order to make the drawing easier to see, the number of reference areas set on the cutter object 231 is four, but in reality, a greater number of reference areas may be set so that each reference area overlaps with another reference area.

[0109] In this embodiment, during a cutting action, the cutter object 231 becomes larger when a predetermined condition is satisfied (for example, when the player character 201 accumulates power for a certain period of time) (state (b) shown in FIG. 15). In this case, the game system 1 enlarges the reference areas 232 to 235 in accordance with the enlargement of the cutter object 231. Specifically, the reference areas 232 to 235 become larger at the same rate as the enlargement of the cutter object 231. In this way, in this embodiment, the size of the reference area changes in accordance with a change in the size of the object related to the attack action (here, the cutter object 231), so the range of the hit determination area can be set to an appropriate range in accordance with the change in the object.

[0110] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the cutter and hit detection area shown in Fig. 15 as viewed from above in the game space. State (a) shown in Fig. 16 is the state at the same time as state (a) shown in Fig. 15, and state (b) shown in Fig. 16 is the state at the same time as state (b) shown in Fig. 15.

[0111] In the cutter action, as in the sword action and hammer action, the game system 1 expands the hit detection area in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the game system 1 sets additional areas 241 to 248 at positions shifted toward the front and back of the reference areas 232 to 235 in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. Specifically, the game system 1 sets each of the additional areas 241 to 248 so that the center of each of the additional areas 241 to 248 is located on a straight line connecting the position of the virtual camera 204 and the center of the reference areas 232 to 235 (see FIG. 16). The size and shape of each of the additional areas 241 to 248 are the same as the size and shape of each of the reference areas 232 to 235.

[0112] 16 (b), when the reference areas 232 to 235 become larger, the additional areas 241 to 248 are set to be correspondingly larger. That is, during the cutting action, the game system 1 sets the sizes of the additional areas 241 to 248 based on the current sizes of the reference areas 232 to 235. This makes it possible to set the additional areas 241 to 248 to an appropriate size according to the change in the size of the cutter object 231.

[0113] Note that the distance from the reference area to the additional area for a cutter action (more specifically, the distance from the center of the reference area to the center of the additional area; i.e., the set distance) is the same as for sword actions and hammer actions. By setting the set distance for each type of attack action to be constant in this way, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of the user feeling uncomfortable due to the fact that the positional relationship for determining that an attack action has hit an enemy character differs for each attack action.

[0114] Although three types of attack actions, namely, sword action, hammer action, and cutter action, have been described above, the game system 1 also expands the hit detection area for other attack actions performed by the player character 201. However, the game system 1 does not need to expand the hit detection area for all attack actions performed by the player character 201. For example, by setting a large number of reference areas, for attack actions whose hit detection area based on the reference areas is large, the attack action can easily hit an enemy character without expanding the hit detection area, and the user is less likely to feel uncomfortable if the attack action does not hit the enemy character. Therefore, for such attack actions, the game system 1 may not set an additional area (i.e., may not expand the hit detection area). This allows the game system 1 to reduce the number of additional areas and reduce the processing load for hit detection.

[0115] In this embodiment, enemy characters may also perform attack actions (referred to as "enemy attack actions"), and the game system 1 determines whether or not the enemy attack action has hit the player character 201. The game system 1 also uses a hit determination area for this determination. However, in this embodiment, the hit determination area is not expanded for enemy attack actions. In other words, when an enemy character performs an enemy attack action in which the enemy character attacks the player character 201 based on control over the enemy character, the game system 1 sets the enemy hit determination area for determining whether or not the enemy attack action has hit the player character based on the position and direction of the enemy character in the virtual space, without expanding the area in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. As a result of the above, it is possible to reduce the amount of processing required for expanding the hit determination area and for hit determination processing, thereby reducing the processing load on the game system 1. Regarding enemy attack actions, even if the hit detection area is not expanded, it is unlikely that the user will feel uncomfortable with the controls if the attack action does not hit the player character 201 (because enemy characters are not objects controlled by the user).

[0116] Furthermore, when a hit determination area set for an attack action by the player character 201 comes into contact with an enemy character (that is, when at least a part of the enemy character is included in the hit determination area), the game system 1 determines that the attack action by the player character 201 has hit the enemy character. In this case, the game system 1 executes a process of inflicting damage on the enemy character. Here, the process of inflicting damage includes (a) a process of decreasing the value of a parameter indicating, for example, vitality when the parameter is set for the enemy character, or (b) a process of putting the enemy character hit by the attack action into a defeated state (for example, a process of knocking down the enemy character so that it cannot move, or a process of eliminating the enemy character from the game space).

[0117] When a hit determination area set for an attack action by an enemy character comes into contact with the player character 201, the game system 1 determines that the attack action by the enemy character has hit the player character 201. In this case, the game system 1 executes a process of inflicting damage on the player character 201.

[0118] In this embodiment, the hit determination area is not displayed. However, the game system 1 may display an effect image of an attack action in at least a part of the hit determination area, allowing the user to recognize the range of the hit determination area by the effect image.

[0119] [3. Specific examples of processing in game systems] Next, a specific example of information processing in the game system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0120] 17 is a diagram showing an example of various data used for information processing in the game system 1. The various data shown in FIG. 17 is stored in a storage medium accessible by the main unit 2 (for example, flash memory 84, DRAM 85, and / or a memory card inserted in the slot 23, etc.).

[0121] 17, the game system 1 stores a game program. The game program is a game program for executing the game processing in this embodiment (specifically, the processing shown in FIG. 18). The game system 1 also stores player character data, enemy character data, camera data, and hit detection area data.

[0122] The player character data indicates various types of information related to the player character 201. Specifically, the player character data includes data indicating the position and orientation of the player character 201 in the game space. In addition to this data, the player character data may also include data indicating parameters indicating the stamina of the player character 201.

[0123] The enemy character data indicates various information related to the enemy character. Specifically, the enemy character data includes data indicating the position and orientation of the enemy character in the game space. In addition to this data, the enemy character data may also include data indicating parameters indicating the stamina of the enemy character.

[0124] The camera data includes data indicating the position and orientation in the game space of the virtual camera 204. In addition to this data, the camera data may also include data indicating the angle of view of the virtual camera.

[0125] The collision detection region data indicates the range of the collision detection region. In this embodiment, the collision detection region data includes reference region data and additional region data.

[0126] The reference area data indicates the range of the reference area described above. The reference area data may be any data that can identify the range of the reference area. For example, if the reference area is spherical, the reference area data may be data indicating the center position and radius of the sphere. Furthermore, if the reference area is capsule-shaped, the reference area data may be data indicating the center positions and radii of two unit areas of the sphere. Furthermore, if multiple reference areas are set, the reference area data indicates the range of each reference area.

[0127] The additional area data indicates the range of the additional area. The additional area data may be any data that can identify the range of the additional area. For example, the additional area data may be data that indicates the center position and radius of a spherical additional area or additional unit area, similar to the reference area data. Furthermore, when multiple additional areas are set, the additional area data indicates the range of each additional area.

[0128] Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of game processing executed by the game system 1. The game processing shown in Fig. 18 is started, for example, in response to a command to start the game being given by a player while the game program is being executed.

[0129] In the present embodiment, the processor 81 of the main unit 2 executes the game program stored in the game system 1 to perform the processing of each step shown in FIG. 18 . However, in other embodiments, some of the processing of each step may be performed by a processor (e.g., a dedicated circuit) other than the processor 81. Furthermore, if the game system 1 is capable of communicating with another information processing device (e.g., a server), some of the processing of each step shown in FIG. 18 may be performed in the other information processing device (i.e., the game system 1 may include the other information processing device). Furthermore, the processing of each step shown in FIG. 18 is merely an example, and the processing order of each step may be reversed, or another process may be performed in addition to (or instead of) the processing of each step, as long as similar results are obtained.

[0130] 18 using a memory (for example, DRAM 85). That is, the processor 81 stores information (in other words, data) obtained by each processing step in the memory, and when using the information in a subsequent processing step, reads the information from the memory and uses it.

[0131] 18, the processor 81 acquires operation data indicating an operation input by a user. That is, the processor 81 acquires operation data received from each controller via the controller communication unit 83 and / or each terminal 17 and 21 at an appropriate timing and stores the data in memory. After step S1, the process of step S2 is executed.

[0132] In step S2, processor 81 controls virtual camera 204 in the game space. The specific method of controlling virtual camera 204 is arbitrary. For example, processor 81 controls the position and orientation of virtual camera 204 based on the operation data acquired in step S1. Furthermore, processor 81 may control virtual camera 204 based on the position of player character 201 in addition to (or instead of) controlling virtual camera 204 based on operation input by the user. Note that in step S2, processor 81 updates the camera data stored in the storage medium to indicate the position and orientation after control. Following step S2, the processing of step S3 is executed.

[0133] In step S3, processor 81 controls the movements of each object (i.e., player character 201 and enemy characters) in the game space. Specifically, processor 81 determines a movement instruction and an action instruction from the user based on the operation data acquired in step S1. Processor 81 moves player character 201 in the game space based on the movement instruction, and causes player character 201 to perform an attack action in response to the action instruction. Processor 81 also moves enemy characters in the game space and causes them to perform an attack action based on an algorithm predetermined in the game program. Processor 81 also updates the contents of the player character data and enemy character data stored in the storage medium so as to indicate the state after control. Following step S3, the process of step S4 is executed.

[0134] In step S4, processor 81 determines whether or not an attack action is being performed by player character 201 or an enemy character. This determination is made based on the player character data and enemy character data stored in the storage medium. If the determination result in step S4 is positive, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S4 is negative, the processes of steps S5 to S9 are skipped and the process proceeds to step S10.

[0135] In step S5, processor 81 sets a hit detection area for the currently performed attack action. The hit detection area set in step S5 is an unexpanded hit detection area (i.e., a reference area). Specifically, processor 81 sets a reference area in the game space according to the method described above in "[2. Overview of Processing in the Game System]". In this embodiment, the game program includes data relating to a reference area arrangement pattern (for example, for a sword action, a pattern in which four reference areas are arranged along the trajectory of the sword; see FIG. 8) for each attack action. Based on this arrangement pattern, processor 81 sets a reference area in an arrangement according to the type of attack action. In addition, processor 81 updates the content of the reference area data stored in the storage medium to indicate the set reference area. Following step S5, the process of step S6 is executed.

[0136] In step S6, processor 81 determines whether the currently performed attack action is an attack action by player character 201. This determination is made based on the player character data and enemy character data stored in the storage medium. If the determination result in step S6 is positive, the process of step S7 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S6 is negative (i.e., if the enemy character is performing an attack action), the process of step S7 (i.e., the process of expanding the hit determination area) is skipped and the process of step S8 is executed. In other words, in this embodiment, the hit determination area is expanded for attack actions by player character 201, but the hit determination area is not expanded for attack actions by enemy characters.

[0137] In step S7, processor 81 expands the hit detection area set in step S5. That is, processor 81 sets an additional area based on the reference area set in step S5. Specifically, processor 81 sets the additional area in the game space according to the method described above in "[2. Overview of Processing in the Game System]". Processor 81 also updates the content of the additional area data stored in the storage medium to indicate the set additional area. Following step S7, the processing of step S8 is executed.

[0138] During the game, the processing loop of steps S1 to S11 shown in Fig. 18 is repeatedly executed once per predetermined time (specifically, per frame time). Therefore, the processing of steps S5 and S7 related to setting the hit determination area is started when an attack action by player character 201 is started (i.e., the determination result of step S4 is positive), and is repeatedly executed during the attack action (i.e., while the determination result of step S4 is positive). Therefore, during the attack action, processor 81 updates the hit determination area (more specifically, the reference area and additional area) as time passes.

[0139] As described above, in this embodiment, the game system 1 starts controlling an attack action by the player character 201 in response to an action instruction from the user (step S3), and sets a hit detection area (more specifically, a reference area and an additional area) based on the position and direction of the player character 201 in the game space (steps S5 and S7). Then, for a predetermined period after the start of the attack action (i.e., the period during which the determination result of step S4 is positive), the game system 1 continues controlling the attack action by the player character 201 (step S3) and updates the hit detection area over time (steps S5 and S7). At this time, the update of the hit detection area over time is performed by updating the original hit detection area (i.e., the reference area) over time based on a pattern associated with the attack action (step S5), and expanding the updated hit detection area in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204 (step S7). As described above, in this embodiment, the hit detection area is continuously set during the attack action, and the hit detection area is dynamically expanded. This allows the hit determination area to be expanded with high precision in accordance with the changes, even when the hit determination area from which the expansion is to be made (that is, the reference area) changes dynamically.

[0140] Note that the process of "updating the original collision detection area over time" mentioned above may be a process that changes at least one of the position, size, and shape of the collision detection area over time, or a process that results in these elements not changing.

[0141] In step S8, processor 81 determines whether an attack action performed by player character 201 or an enemy character has hit another object. That is, processor 81 determines whether another object is included in the hit determination area set for the attack action. If the attack action is performed by player character 201, the hit determination area used in the above determination is the hit determination area consisting of the reference area set in step S5 and the additional area set in step S7. On the other hand, if the attack action is performed by an enemy character, the hit determination area used in the above determination is the reference area set in step S5. The determination of whether the attack action performed by player character 201 has hit another object is made by referring to the enemy character data and the hit determination area data stored in the storage medium. The determination of whether the attack action performed by the enemy character has hit player character 201 is made by referring to the player character data and the hit determination area data stored in the storage medium. If the determination result in step S8 is positive, the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S8 is negative, the process of step S9 is skipped and the process of step S10 is executed.

[0142] In step S9, processor 81 executes processing to inflict damage on the other object (i.e., enemy character or player character 201) hit by the attack action. For example, processor 81 reduces the vitality value of the other object, or causes the other object to disappear from the game space. At this time, processor 81 updates the content of the player character data or enemy character data stored in the storage medium to reflect the results of the processing. Following step S9, processing of step S10 is executed.

[0143] In step S10, processor 81 generates a game image showing the game space reflecting the processing results of steps S2, S3, and S9, and displays it on display 12. Specifically, processor 81 generates a game image showing the game space as viewed in the direction of virtual camera 204 from the position controlled in step S2, and showing how each character moves in accordance with the control of the processing of steps S3 and S9. The generated game image is displayed on display 12. Note that when a processing loop of steps S1 to S11 is executed, the processing of step S10 is repeatedly executed once every predetermined time. As a result, a video showing how each character moves in the game space is displayed. Note that in this embodiment, game system 1 displays an image on display 12, but the image may also be displayed on a display device other than display 12 (for example, a monitor connected to main unit 2). Following step S10, the processing of step S11 is executed again.

[0144] In step S11, processor 81 determines whether or not to end the game. For example, processor 81 determines whether or not an instruction to end the game has been given by the user. If the determination result in step S11 is negative, the processing of step S1 described above is executed again. Thereafter, the series of processing from steps S1 to S11 is repeatedly executed until it is determined in step S11 that the game is to be ended. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S11 is positive, processor 81 ends the game processing shown in FIG. 18.

[0145] [4. Effects and Modifications of the Present Embodiment] As described above, in the above embodiment, the game program is configured to cause the computer of the information processing device (for example, the main device 2) to perform the following processes. Controlling the virtual camera in the virtual space (step S2) Controlling the movement of the player character in the virtual space in response to a movement instruction based on an operation input by the user (step S3). Actions taken by the player character in the virtual space are controlled in accordance with action instructions based on operational inputs (step S3). When the player character performs an action, a collision detection area is set in the virtual space at a position that is set based on the position and direction of the player character in the virtual space, for determining whether the action has hit an object other than the player character (step S5), and the collision detection area is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera (step S7). If the expanded collision detection area comes into contact with another object, a process based on the action taken against the other object is executed (step S9).

[0146] According to the above, the collision detection area is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera, so that even if the position of the object performing the action and another object are misaligned in the depth direction, it becomes easier to hit the object with the action, thereby improving the operability of the action.

[0147] In the above embodiment, the "action" for which a collision detection region is set refers to an attack action by the player character against an enemy character, thereby improving the operability of the attack action. However, in other embodiments, the "action" is not limited to an attack action and may be any type of action. For example, the game system 1 may set a collision detection region for an action in which the player character obtains an item placed in the game space and / or an action in which the player character destroys an object placed in the game space, and may extend the set collision detection region in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

[0148] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the hit detection area is set to the position of a weapon object such as a sword or hammer held by the player character 201. However, in other embodiments, the player character 201 does not need to be holding a weapon object, and the hit detection area may be set to the position of the player character 201 itself.

[0149] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "processing based on an action on another object" may be any processing performed on another object based on an action. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the above-mentioned "processing based on an action on another object" is processing that damages the other object. In other embodiments, the above-mentioned "processing based on an action on another object" may be processing in which the item is acquired by the character that performed the action, for example, if the other object is an item, or may be processing in which the object is destroyed or transformed, for example, if the other object is a building or obstacle object placed on the ground.

[0150] Furthermore, the above phrase "expanding the hit determination area" includes any method for expanding the range of the hit determination area. In the above embodiment, the method for expanding the hit determination area is to include an additional area added to the reference area as the hit determination area, but the method for expanding the hit determination area is not limited to this. For example, the hit determination area may be expanded by deforming the hit determination area.

[0151] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "expanded collision detection area" refers to an area that includes the original collision detection area and the area that has increased as a result of the expansion. Specifically, when the collision detection area is expanded by adding an additional area to the basic area, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the "expanded collision detection area" refers to an area that includes the original collision detection area (i.e., the basic area) and the added additional area. Furthermore, when the collision detection area is expanded by deforming the collision detection area, as in the modified example described below (see FIG. 19), the above-mentioned "expanded collision detection area" refers to the entire collision detection area after the deformation.

[0152] Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a hit detection region in a modification of the above embodiment. Fig. 19 shows a hit detection region that is set when the player character 201 is performing a sword action. In the modification shown in Fig. 19, the expansion source hit detection region 251 is assumed to be a cube. For example, this cube is positioned so that one side is parallel to the depth direction of the virtual camera 204.

[0153] 19, the game system 1 deforms the hit determination region 251 to create an expanded hit determination region 252. In other words, the game system 1 expands the hit determination region by deforming the hit determination region 251 so as to expand it in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204. This also makes it possible to expand the hit determination region, similar to the above embodiment.

[0154] 19, a case has been described in which a cubic hit determination region is deformed, but the game system 1 may also deform a spherical hit determination region. For example, the game system 1 may deform a spherical hit determination region into an oval sphere so as to expand in the depth direction of the virtual camera 204.

[0155] In other embodiments, the information processing system (i.e., game system 1) may not have some of the configurations in the above embodiments, or may not execute some of the processes executed in the above embodiments. For example, in order to achieve some specific effects in the above embodiments, the information processing system may have the configurations for achieving those effects and execute the processes for achieving those effects, but may not have other configurations or may not execute other processes. [Industrial Applicability]

[0156] The above embodiment can be used as, for example, a game system or a game program, with the aim of making it easier to hit an object with an action. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 1. Game System 2 Main unit 3 Left Controller 4 Right Controller 81 processors 201 Player Character 202,211,232-235 Reference area 204 Virtual Camera 205,206,216,217,241-248 Additional area

Claims

1. The computer of the information processing device Controlling a virtual camera in a virtual space, controlling the movement of a player character object in the virtual space in response to a movement instruction based on an operation input by a user; controlling an action by the player character object in the virtual space in response to an action instruction based on the operation input; when the player character object performs the action, a collision determination area of a predetermined shape is set at a position that is set based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space, for determining whether or not the action has hit an object other than the player character object, and the collision determination area of the predetermined shape is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera; When the expanded collision detection area comes into contact with the other object, a process based on the action on the other object is performed; the player character object is capable of performing a plurality of types of actions; a predetermined shape of the collision detection area having a shape set for each type of action performed by the player character object;

2. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; The computer, 2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the collision detection area is performed by adding an area of the same shape as at least one of the plurality of areas at a position shifted a predetermined amount in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

3. The computer, 3. The game program according to claim 2, wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the collision detection area is performed by adding areas to both the front and back sides of at least one of the plurality of areas in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

4. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; The computer, The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the hit determination area is performed by using an area obtained by moving at least one of the plurality of areas in a depth direction of the virtual camera.

5. The computer, The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion of the hit determination area of the predetermined shape is performed by deforming the hit determination area so as to expand the hit determination area in a depth direction of the virtual camera.

6. 6. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined shape of the hit determination area is a sphere.

7. A game program described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the collision detection area of the predetermined shape is a shape that includes a first unit area and a second unit area arranged in a predetermined positional relationship, and a connecting area that connects the first unit area and the second unit area according to a predetermined rule.

8. The game program is installed on the computer. initiating control of the action by the player character object in response to the action instruction, and causing the setting of the collision detection area of the predetermined shape based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space; Furthermore, for a predetermined period after the start of the action, the control of the action by the player character object is continued, and the hit determination area is updated in accordance with the passage of time; 8. A game program as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the updating of the hit detection area over time is performed by updating the hit detection area of the predetermined shape over time based on a pattern associated with the action, and expanding the updated hit detection area of the predetermined shape in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

9. the other object is an enemy character object, The action is an attack action, 9. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the action-based processing is processing for inflicting damage on the enemy character object.

10. The computer further comprises: controlling the enemy character object in the virtual space; when an enemy attack action in which the enemy character object attacks the player character object is performed based on the control of the enemy character object, an enemy hit determination area for determining whether or not the enemy attack action has hit the player character object is set based on the position and direction of the enemy character object in the virtual space, without expanding the virtual camera in the depth direction; 10. The game program according to claim 9, further comprising a process for inflicting damage on the player character object when the enemy hit detection area comes into contact with the player character object.

11. Controlling a virtual camera in a virtual space controlling movement of a player character object in the virtual space in response to a movement instruction based on an operation input by a user; controlling an action by the player character object in the virtual space in response to an action instruction based on the operation input; when the player character object performs the action, a collision determination area of a predetermined shape is set at a position that is set based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space, for determining whether or not the action has hit an object other than the player character object, and the collision determination area of the predetermined shape is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera; When the expanded collision detection area comes into contact with the other object, a process based on the action on the other object is performed; the player character object is capable of performing a plurality of types of actions; an information processing device, wherein the collision determination area of the predetermined shape has a shape set for each type of action performed by the player character object;

12. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; The information processing device according to claim 11 , wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the collision detection area is performed by adding an area having the same shape as at least one of the plurality of areas at a position shifted by a predetermined amount in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

13. The information processing device according to claim 12 , wherein the expansion of the collision detection region of the predetermined shape is performed by adding regions to both the front side and the back side in a depth direction of the virtual camera for at least one of the plurality of regions.

14. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the expansion of the collision detection region of the predetermined shape is performed by using an area obtained by moving at least one of the plurality of areas in a depth direction of the virtual camera.

15. The information processing device according to claim 11 , wherein the expansion of the hit determination region of the predetermined shape is performed by deforming the hit determination region of the predetermined shape so as to expand the hit determination region in a depth direction of the virtual camera.

16. The information processing device according to claim 11 , wherein the collision determination region of the predetermined shape is spherical.

17. 16. An information processing device according to claim 11, wherein the collision detection area of the predetermined shape includes a first unit area and a second unit area arranged in a predetermined positional relationship, and a connecting area that connects the first unit area and the second unit area according to a predetermined rule.

18. The information processing device includes: starting to control the action by the player character object in response to the action instruction, and setting the collision detection area of the predetermined shape based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space; Furthermore, during a predetermined period after the start of the action, the control of the action by the player character object is continued, and the hit determination area is updated in accordance with the passage of time; 18. The information processing device according to claim 11, wherein the updating of the hit detection area over time is performed by updating the hit detection area of the predetermined shape over time based on a pattern associated with the action, and expanding the updated hit detection area of the predetermined shape in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

19. the other object is an enemy character object, The action is an attack action, The information processing device according to claim 11 , wherein the action-based processing is processing for inflicting damage on the enemy character object.

20. The information processing device further comprises: controlling the enemy character object in the virtual space; when an enemy attack action in which the enemy character object attacks the player character object is performed based on the control of the enemy character object, an enemy hit determination area for determining whether or not the enemy attack action has hit the player character object is set based on the position and direction of the enemy character object in the virtual space, without expanding the virtual camera in the depth direction; The information processing device according to claim 19, wherein, when the enemy hit detection area comes into contact with the player character object, a process of inflicting damage on the player character object is performed.

21. An information processing system including a processor and a storage medium that stores a game program, The processor executes the game program, Controlling a virtual camera in a virtual space controlling movement of a player character object in the virtual space in response to a movement instruction based on an operation input by a user; controlling an action by the player character object in the virtual space in response to an action instruction based on the operation input; when the player character object performs the action, a collision determination area of a predetermined shape is set at a position that is set based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space, for determining whether or not the action has hit an object other than the player character object, and the collision determination area of the predetermined shape is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera; When the expanded collision detection area comes into contact with the other object, a process based on the action on the other object is performed; the player character object is capable of performing a plurality of types of actions; an information processing system, wherein the predetermined shape of the collision determination area has a shape set for each type of action performed by the player character object;

22. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; The information processing system according to claim 21, wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the collision detection area is performed by adding an area of the same shape as at least one of the plurality of areas at a position shifted by a predetermined amount in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

23. The information processing system according to claim 22, wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the collision detection area is performed by adding areas to both the front side and the back side in the depth direction of the virtual camera for at least one of the plurality of areas.

24. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; The information processing system according to claim 21 , wherein the collision detection region is expanded by using an area obtained by moving at least one of the plurality of regions in a depth direction of the virtual camera.

25. The information processing system according to claim 21 , wherein the expansion of the hit determination region of the predetermined shape is performed by deforming the hit determination region of the predetermined shape so as to expand the hit determination region in a depth direction of the virtual camera.

26. 26. The information processing system according to claim 21, wherein the collision determination region of the predetermined shape is spherical.

27. An information processing system described in any one of claims 21 to 25, wherein the collision detection area of the predetermined shape is a shape that includes a first unit area and a second unit area arranged in a predetermined positional relationship, and a connecting area that connects the first unit area and the second unit area according to a predetermined rule.

28. The information processing system includes: starting to control the action by the player character object in response to the action instruction, and setting the collision detection area of the predetermined shape based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space; Furthermore, during a predetermined period after the start of the action, the control of the action by the player character object is continued, and the hit determination area is updated in accordance with the passage of time; 28. The information processing system of claim 21, wherein the updating of the hit detection area over time is performed by updating the hit detection area of the predetermined shape over time based on a pattern associated with the action, and expanding the updated hit detection area of the predetermined shape in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

29. the other object is an enemy character object, The action is an attack action, 29. The information processing system according to claim 21, wherein the action-based processing is processing for inflicting damage on the enemy character object.

30. The information processing system further comprises: controlling the enemy character object in the virtual space; when an enemy attack action in which the enemy character object attacks the player character object is performed based on the control of the enemy character object, an enemy hit determination area for determining whether or not the enemy attack action has hit the player character object is set based on the position and direction of the enemy character object in the virtual space, without expanding the virtual camera in the depth direction; 30. The information processing system according to claim 29, wherein, when the enemy hit detection area comes into contact with the player character object, a process of inflicting damage on the player character object is performed.

31. A game processing method executed by an information processing system, comprising: Controlling a virtual camera in a virtual space controlling movement of a player character object in the virtual space in response to a movement instruction based on an operation input by a user; controlling an action by the player character object in the virtual space in response to an action instruction based on the operation input; when the player character object performs the action, a collision determination area of a predetermined shape is set at a position that is set based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space, for determining whether or not the action has hit an object other than the player character object, and the collision determination area of the predetermined shape is expanded in the depth direction of the virtual camera; When the expanded collision detection area comes into contact with the other object, a process based on the action on the other object is performed; the player character object is capable of performing a plurality of types of actions; A game processing method, wherein the collision detection area of the predetermined shape has a shape set for each type of action performed by the player character object.

32. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; 32. The game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the collision detection area is performed by adding an area of the same shape as at least one of the plurality of areas at a position shifted by a predetermined amount in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

33. 33. The game processing method according to claim 32, wherein the expansion of the predetermined shape of the collision detection area is performed by adding areas to both the front and back sides of at least one of the plurality of areas in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

34. the predetermined shape collision detection area is a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined positional relationship; 32. The game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the expansion of the collision detection area of the predetermined shape is performed by using an area obtained by moving at least one of the plurality of areas in a depth direction of the virtual camera.

35. 32. The game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the expansion of the hit determination area of the predetermined shape is performed by deforming the hit determination area of the predetermined shape so as to expand it in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

36. 36. The game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the hit determination area of the predetermined shape is spherical.

37. 36. A game processing method according to any one of claims 31 to 35, wherein the collision detection area of a predetermined shape is a shape that includes a first unit area and a second unit area that are arranged in a predetermined positional relationship, and a connecting area that connects the first unit area and the second unit area according to a predetermined rule.

38. starting to control the action by the player character object in response to the action instruction, and setting the collision detection area of the predetermined shape based on the position and direction of the player character object in the virtual space; Furthermore, during a predetermined period after the start of the action, the control of the action by the player character object is continued, and the hit determination area is updated in accordance with the passage of time; 38. A game processing method according to any one of claims 31 to 37, wherein updating of the hit detection area over time is performed by updating the hit detection area of the predetermined shape over time based on a pattern associated with the action, and expanding the updated hit detection area of the predetermined shape in the depth direction of the virtual camera.

39. the other object is an enemy character object, The action is an attack action, 39. The game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the action-based processing is processing for inflicting damage on the enemy character object.

40. controlling the enemy character object in the virtual space; when an enemy attack action in which the enemy character object attacks the player character object is performed based on the control of the enemy character object, an enemy hit determination area for determining whether or not the enemy attack action has hit the player character object is set based on the position and direction of the enemy character object in the virtual space, without expanding the virtual camera in the depth direction; 40. A game processing method according to claim 39, wherein, when the enemy hit detection area comes into contact with the player character object, processing is performed to inflict damage on the player character object.

Images