Game Screen Overlay for Cooperative Play Status
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Solution Overview
Problem
In game apparatus where the game screen is divided into multiple areas for players, it is difficult for players to understand the situations of other players in cooperative gameplay if their screens are not displayed, due to small area divisions.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that generates and superimposes a sub-image of another character or object on the game image when it is affected by a player character, allowing for timely and interval-based display of this information on the game screen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the game screen is divided into multiple areas for each player, then each player has their own dedicated gameplay area, but the area for each player becomes small making it difficult to understand other players' situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent overlays another player's screen information on top of the current player's game screen, adding a visual dimension layer rather than allocating separate screen areas. This allows multiple players to view their respective game areas simultaneously without reducing individual screen real estate, resolving the contradiction between dedicated gameplay areas and sufficient display space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy or overlay of another player's screen content and superimposes it on the current player's display. This copying approach allows players to monitor other players' situations without sacrificing their own gameplay view, effectively solving the problem of limited screen area while maintaining awareness of teammates' statuses.
2Device complexity
If other players' screens are not displayed, then each player's screen remains clear and uncluttered, but it becomes difficult to understand other players' situations in cooperative gameplay
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allocating separate screen space for other players' views (which would increase complexity and clutter), the patent overlays information from another dimension - superimposing visual cues and status indicators on top of the current gameplay screen. This maintains screen clarity while providing essential information about teammates' situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color-coded visual indicators to represent different player states (e.g., knocked-out, paralyzed, alive). These color changes provide immediate, intuitive information about other players' situations without requiring complex displays or additional screen real estate, thus maintaining simplicity while preventing information loss.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the game screen is divided into small areas for each player, then the game can support multiple players simultaneously, but the visual information about other players becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds an overlay dimension that displays information about other players on top of the current player's game view. This dimensional addition allows the system to support multiple players with adequate visual information without requiring proportional increases in screen area for each player, thus maintaining multiplayer adaptability while preventing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified visual copies of other players' screen content and overlays them on the current display. These copies provide essential visual information about teammates' situations (such as their game area and status) without requiring full-screen allocations, enabling multiplayer support with sufficient visual information in limited space.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus in which a player plays a game by controlling a player character is provided. The information processing apparatus includes a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to generate a game image in accordance with an operation by the player, generate another image of another character or an object other than the player character, in a case where the another character or the object is in a state to be affected by the player character in the game, and superimpose and display the another image on the game image.