Abstract: A method, game machine, computer program and a recording medium include displaying a final motion image sequence of a character in a video game according to motion data defining variations in posture of the character. The method includes responding to an input operation of a game player, performed during display of first motion data defining a first motion image sequence of the character, and determining second motion data defining a second motion image sequence of the character. A transitional motion image sequence is created based on a single posture defined in the first motion data and a group of postures defined in the second motion data. The final motion image sequence is displayed, which includes a portion of the first motion image sequence, the transitional motion image sequence, and a portion of the second motion image sequence, creating a gradual transition of motion image sequences.

Abstract: A player operates an input device causing a player character to move on a map including a plurality of encountering areas where the player character encounters an enemy character. An encounter setting value set for each one of the encountering areas where the player character encounters the enemy character is stored in a memory. The player character encounters the enemy character in a probability corresponding to the encounter setting value when it steps into an encountering area, and then processing for a battle held between the player character and the enemy character is performed. When the player character wins the battle against the enemy character, the encounter setting value for the area is updated, so that the probability that the player character encounters the enemy character sequentially decreases.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the difficulty in a video game are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a role playing video game is allowed to progress by clearing a plurality of stages for which individual difficulties are set. A control method for such a video game includes selecting one stage from said plurality of stages in response to a command provided by a game player. The difficulty of the selected stage is adjusted substantially each time an event that is voluntarily challengeable on the selected stage is cleared by the game player during execution of the game, and the difficulties of at least one of the plurality of stages is adjusted in accordance with the difficulty of the selected stage at a clearing time when the selected stage is cleared by the game player's operation during execution of the game.

Abstract: A game apparatus displays, in response to a manual input, a table of additional abilities, such as a magic art, possessed by an enemy character on a display screen that presents a fight fought between a player character and an enemy character, selects any additional ability from among the additional abilities, acquires the ability from the enemy character as a player character's own ability, and stocks the acquired additional ability for future use, or uses, on the spot, the acquired additional ability as the player character's own ability upon acquisition, in response to a manual input.

Abstract: To provide information beneficial for a user, with proper contents. Each client starts a screen saver when a user input has been idle for a predetermined time period. Personal information is transmitted at the start to a push server by a push demand program. The push server has an information database with push information of different categories. The push server selects the appropriate push information when it receives personal information in response to the push demand from the client. The selected push information is sent from the push server to the client that demanded the push information, to be displayed on a display device when the screen saver is operating.

Abstract: A computer readable program product storing a program of a ball-playing type game which can smoothly express the continuous action of a player before and after a player obtains a ball when throwing the ball in any direction in accordance with operation of the user in the ball-playing game, wherein an input operation of the user is accepted from before the fielder receives the ball, a series of motions up to the fielder catching the ball and throwing it is judged in response to any input operation, and the motion is used to change the display up until the catching and throwing before the fielder catches the ball, such a program, and a ball-playing type game apparatus and method.

Abstract: Images at a source side and a target side are displayed as a dynamic image that can move in real time by fading out the last scene and fading in a new scene. In the case of changing a viewpoint of a dynamic image to be displayed on a screen, a dynamic image (image depicted from a source camera) depicted from a viewpoint before changing the viewpoint and a dynamic image (image depicted from a target camera) depicted from a viewpoint after having changed the viewpoint are translucently synthesized, and a synthesized image is generated. Thereafter, with respect to the synthesized image, the source camera image (one frame image of the dynamic image) and the target camera image (one frame image of the dynamic image) are reciprocally translucently synthesized while changing the transparencies thereof.

Abstract: A ball game is provided, wherein the place to which the ball is moved can be input and designated according to the most suitable timing while balancing the movement of displayed players and the ease of the operation by the user. A button operation by the user can be accepted before the fielder receives the ball and, in the case that there is a button operation, the location corresponding to the operated button is judged. Then, the motion of the catching and the throwing of the ball by the fielder is judged so as to use the motion in order to process the motion before the fielder catches the ball. Finally, the display is shifted to the movement of the throwing the ball in the direction of the designated location.

Abstract: A memory area in a video game apparatus stores items owned by a character and item values corresponding to the items respectively. Fundamental data and up-date data which is copy of the fundamental data are stored as the item data. When an instruction of item “tune-up” is input through an input section, a control unit controls a display device to display a list of the items owned by the character. Of the listed items, a first item to be enhanced and a second item to be used for enhancing the first item are both designated. In response to the designation, the control unit reads item values of the designated first and second items from the memory for update. The control unit calculates a new item value of the first item based on the read item values, and the new item value is stored in the memory as up-date data.

Abstract: A method of processing an interactive game, and a program product and game system for the same, which enables a character other than the player character to act separately from the player character in the game virtual space, sets an event which a character other than the player character can execute when a condition in the progress of the game is satisfied, displays on the screen the existence of that event for the character other than the player character acting separately from the player character when the condition in the progress of the game enabling execution of that event is satisfied, selectively accepts execution of the event displayed on the screen by an operation of the player in the screen display, and selectively executes and displays on the screen the event for the character other than the player character acting separately from the player character in accordance with the acceptance of the selection and execution of that event.

Abstract: In the present invention, for an unprocessed joint, a joint index and a joint rotation angle are obtained (S25, S27). For the unprocessed vertex corresponding to the obtained joint index, a vertex index and a weight w for the vertex are obtained. On the basis of the weight w and the rotation angle in the current frame, coordinate values of the vertex buffer are changed. A quarternion q1 according to the joint rotation angle in the current frame and a unit quarternion are sphere-linear interpolated with the weight w. From the resultant quarternion q, a conversion matrix R is determined for the joint. An overall conversion matrix M is obtained as M=RJTB, where a matrix T represents a relative coordinates from a parent joint, a matrix J represents a basic rotation angle, and B denotes a conversion matrix of the parent joint.

Abstract: In a scene of a role-playing game in which the player character, whose actions are controlled by a player, fights with an enemy with one of a variety of items such as weapons, a video game device selects one item in accordance with a player's operation. The video game device obtains an effective range such as a shooting range which has been predetermined for the selected item, and displays this effective range as a hemispherical wire frame model or the like, positioning the center of the effective range at the position of the player character. The player judges the effectiveness of an attack from the displayed wire frame model. A hitting probability, the effect attained when the player attacks the enemy, such as a damage imparted on the enemy, differs depending on whether the enemy is located within the wire frame or not.

Abstract: When a character (player character) moving in accordance with a player operation reaches a predetermined position on a map, battle processing between the player character and enemy characters is done. In such battle processing, a player can instruct the player character to escape from a battle against the enemy characters. In such a case where the player character is instructed to escape from the battle, it is determined that the instructed escape either succeeds or fails, in accordance with probabilities of success in escaping in which the probabilities are pre-stored in a manner corresponding to the number of times an instruction to escape has been given. The probability of success in escaping can vary depending on various factors, such as the difference in level values of the player character and the enemy characters or other predetermined parameter value regarding the player character.

Abstract: A contour-drawing object is generated in the size greater than a corresponding object (S35, S37). The color of the contour-drawing object is set to a contour color (S39). Then the object and contour-drawing object are drawn by the Z sort method. For drawing them, polygons of the object are added to a sort table as usual, while polygons of the contour-drawing object are added to the sort table after such a shift of the first address of the sort table that the contourdrawing object is located behind the object in the actual depth with respect to the view point (S45). Since the polygons are drawn in order from the most distant polygon in the sort table from the view point, the object is written over the contour-drawing object. Finally, there remains only the contour part of the contour-drawing object surrounding the entire edge of the object, outside the object and the contours are drawn in the contour color.

Abstract: A dummy object is generated by copying an object. A color of the dummy object is set to be brighter than the object and the position of the dummy object is finely adjusted. After that, the object and the dummy object are drawn using the Z sort method. Polygons of the object are added to a sort table as usual, whereas polygons of the dummy object are added to the sort table after such a shift of the first address of the sort table as to locate them behind their actual depth value with respect to the view point. Since the polygons are drawn from the farthest polygon from the view point in the sort table, the object is drawn over the dummy object. In the last stage the dummy object remains only in the part projecting outside the object and the part is drawn in a brighter color than the object.

Abstract: A cumulative point value and a comparative point value are set for the player character and the enemy character. After execution of a player character action, the cumulative point value is updated on the basis of a set point value previously correlated with the executed action. After execution of an enemy character action, the comparative point value of the enemy character is updated on the basis of a reference point value previously correlated with the enemy character having executed the action. Upon completing the update of the cumulative point value, it is compared to the comparative point value. If the cumulative point value is smaller, a manual input for the player character is received. An action is set accordingly, and the set action is executed. If the comparative point value is smaller, an action for the enemy character is set on the basis of an artificial intelligence algorithm for the enemy character and executed.

Abstract: A game apparatus and method quickens the progress of a game when controlling, based on an elapsed time, permission to execute action that can be performed by a game character. In the game apparatus and method, a game character which executes an action after a preset time elapses, and the preset time, are stored in a memory, with the game character corresponding to the preset time. By reading and adjusting a preset time for at least one game characters excluding the present game character, it is determined whether the corresponding game character is permitted to execute an action In accordance with whether the adjusted preset time elapses.

Abstract: When a player designates a magic attack, it is judged whether a player character possesses an “area” item corresponding to the designated magic attack. Depending on whether the player character possesses such an “area” item, a designation manner of one or more enemy characters is changed between a single enemy designation mode and an area designation mode. In the area designation mode, an attack area is set based on attack area data (shape and size of attack area) prestored corresponding to each of magic attacks selectable by the player. Then, one or more enemy characters located in the attack area are designated as one or more attack targets. The attack area can be moved in accordance with an operation inputted by the player.

Abstract: A memory of a video game apparatus stores durability data and discipline degree data of weapon items and armor items possessed by a player character. When the player character makes an attack using an equipped weapon item in response to an operation inputted by a player, the durability of the corresponding weapon item is reduced. On the other hand, when the player character receives a damage greater than a preset magnitude due to an attack from an enemy character, the durability of an equipped armor item is reduced. When the durability of the weapon or armor item becomes “0”, the weapon or armor item is changed to a preset different item according to the discipline degree of the former item at that time. Instead of the discipline data, change probability may be used for determining a new item which replaces the former item.

Abstract: During execution of a game program, in response to a manipulation by a player, each game terminal requests a situation-solving information server to supply situation-solving information. In sending such a request, each game terminal also sends game progress information such as a current scene (map No.), a standstill time at the same scene, and the number of times of requesting of situation-solving information for the same scene. In response to the request from each game terminal, the situation-solving information server judges the level of each player based on the game progress information, extracts situation-solving information whose content is suitable for the level, and supplies it to the request source game terminal. Each game terminal displays the situation-solving information thus received.