Abstract: In a network game, player characters manipulated by individual players of video game apparatuses belong to the same party to battle with an opponent character. When a player character making a special move is not present in the party, the display screen of each video game apparatus becomes a screen focusing on the player character of the player who uses this video game apparatus. When one of the player characters makes a special move, not only the display screen of the video game apparatus corresponding to this player, but also the display screens of the video game apparatuses corresponding to the other player characters in the party become screens focusing on the player character which makes the special move.

Abstract: A video game system includes a plurality of servers and one or more client terminals. Each server provides game information to the client terminal. The client terminal carries out information communication with the server in accordance with a protocol; carries out the video game on a zone on the basis of the game information; and carries out, in response to a request to change zones, zone changing processing. In the zone changing processing, the client terminal updates a valid flag indicating that the protocol for a current zone is valid to a state indicating that the protocol is invalid; determines whether there is the session information for a new zone or not; and updates the valid flag indicating that the protocol for the new zone is invalid to a state indicating that the protocol is valid in a case where there is the session information.

Abstract: A local device obtains at least one instruction for execution by a remote device (e.g., instructions to render a game screen of a video game). A packet representing the at least one instruction is created, and released towards the remote device. Creation of the packet involves consulting a packet dictionary to determine whether a packet index has already been assigned to the at least one instruction. If this is the case, the packet is formulated so that it contains the packet index; otherwise, the packet is formulated to include a function identifier and a set of parameters, which are associated with the at least one instruction. Since fewer bits are needed to encode the packet index than to encode the function identifier and the set of parameters, transmitted packets can be condensed when they represent at least one instruction for which a packet had previously been transmitted.

Abstract: A player participating in a network game moves a player character of the player by manipulating a video game apparatus of the player. As the player performs an autopilot operation, the video game apparatus moves the player character as an autopilot PC. A server apparatus manages the game which progresses according to the movement of each character, and transmits progress information of the game to the video game apparatus of each player participating in the network game. The movement of the autopilot PC is decided based on an action log recording the action of the player character responding to the manipulation of the player.

Abstract: A provision apparatus provides data for a game content to an execution apparatus which generates a game screen for the game content by executing rendering processing for the game content. The apparatus receives, from the execution apparatus, a provision request of a first data, which at least includes a minimum required data on the execution start timing of the rendering processing for the game content, among the data for the game content, and a provision request of a second data among the data for the game content other than the first data, and transmits corresponding data to the execution apparatus. The apparatus receives the provision request of the second data from the execution apparatus after completing the transmission of the first data.

Abstract: A character input device displays character input information on a display screen with a small area and allows a user to input a desired character by a simple operation even when it is necessary to select the desired character from plural characters to input the desired characters. In a character selection area, a circle is added to a character “NA” and characters in the “NA” series are selected. A ? mark is added to an upper part of the circle added to the character of “NA” and a ? mark is added to a lower part of the circle. By pressing one of an upward and a downward directions of a cross key, the characters can be selected. If the upward direction of the cross key is pressed, the character “NI” is selected and displayed, instead of the character “NA”.

Abstract: A video game processing apparatus includes a virtual card information memory for storing virtual card information on virtual cards used for a fighting in a video game and a player information memory for storing player information. The virtual card information indicates the attack content and an attack condition. The player information contains setup virtual card information indicating a setup virtual card set up by the player as a virtual card used for the fighting. It is determined whether there is a setup virtual card whose attack condition is satisfied among the setup virtual cards on the basis of a time measured by a timer. In a case where there are plural setup virtual cards for which it is determined that their attack conditions are respectively satisfied within a predetermined time interval, bonus processing according to a combination of the plural setup virtual cards is carried out.

Abstract: A network game system includes a server apparatus and a plurality of video game apparatuses connected to the server apparatus. A party includes player characters of a plurality of players. When the party battles with an opponent character, the server apparatus simultaneously transmits movie playback information to each video game apparatus for starting playback of a movie. Each of the players can skip the movie at a desired timing. A screen is displayed on each video game apparatus that has skipped the movie until the battle starts. When information is received from each video game apparatus that indicates playback of the movie has ended, the server apparatus simultaneously transmits battle start information to each video game apparatus.

Abstract: A video game control server for controlling progress of a video game via a communication network is provided. A game board information on a game board formed in a matrix manner is stored in the video game control server. It is determined whether a clear condition is satisfied or not. The clear condition associated with each of a plurality of squares on the game board is cleared by playing the video game by a player. In a case where it is determined that the clear condition associated with a square is satisfied, the square is set up to a condition accomplished square. In a case where a square is newly set up to a condition accomplished square and an arrangement pattern of the condition accomplished squares on the game board thereby becomes a predetermined privilege applying pattern, a privilege is applied to the player.

Abstract: A game system is provided in which, when data is transmitted to a game apparatus of a receiver side, the influence which the transmitted data has on a game progressing in the game apparatus of the receiver side is diversified and the interest of the game is increased. The game apparatus includes a display in which a field map represents all or part of a game field in a plan view as seen from the above. A placement request icon is displayed on the display. When touching the placement request icon, a sub-character can be placed at a position where a main character is located. When a sub-character icon is selected and content of an event is determined, the sub-character is placed. When a communication connection with a different game apparatus is established, information related to the placed sub-character is transmitted.

Abstract: A game system which enables a host player to progress a game in collaboration with guest players is provided. The host player progresses the game by moving a party, including a plurality of player characters, on a field. When the party arrives at a predetermined point on a predetermined field, a battle with an enemy character is started. When a player character of the party becomes inoperative in the battle, a player character of a guest player may be substituted for the inoperative player character by sending a support request to the guest player. Although there is a time limit that the player character of the guest player may participate in the battle, the time limit may be extended when the corresponding player character achieves a predetermined condition in the battle.

Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. The video game processing apparatus determines whether a predetermined command is received at least a predetermined number of times when a predetermined period of time is measured from a time when a time measuring start condition is satisfied. A specific process corresponding to the fact that the predetermined command is received for the predetermined number of times is carried out when the predetermined command is received the predetermined number of times. In this case, it is confirmed whether a reception number reaches the reception upper limit number when the predetermined command is received, and it is determined that the predetermined command is received when the reception number does not reach the reception upper limit number.

Abstract: In a network game, player characters manipulated by individual players of video game apparatuses belong to the same party to battle with an opponent character. When a player character making a special move is not present in the party, the display screen of each video game apparatus becomes a screen focusing on the player character of the player who uses this video game apparatus. When one of the player characters makes a special move, not only the display screen of the video game apparatus corresponding to this player, but also the display screens of the video game apparatuses corresponding to the other player characters in the party become screens focusing on the player character which makes the special move.

Abstract: A game system includes multiple game machines which implement a game by alternating turns. Each game machine implements the game on its turn, and transmits game progress information to the other game machines. The game is implemented in accordance with the transmitted game progress information. A host game machine of the game machines transmits turn determination information to the other game machines, and receives turn completion information from each of the other game machines. When the turn confirmation information is not returned from one of the other game machines, the host game machine recognizes that communication has been cut off. When the communication has been cut off, the host game machine functions as a substitute for the cut off game machine.

Abstract: Multiple object information, in which first kind of object information indicating information on a first kind of object is associated with second kind of object information indicating information on a second kind of object, is stored in a multiple object information memory. The second kind of object is an object protected against a damage by means of the first kind of object. Multiple objects constructed by the first and second kinds of objects are displayed on a game screen on the basis of the multiple object information stored in the multiple object information memory. A damage cause indicating a cause of the damage that the displayed multiple objects receives is specified. At least the damage, which the second kind of object receives, is specified on the basis of the specified damage cause and a state of the first kind of object in the video game.

Abstract: Motion data to be inserted between two different object actions that include a rotating action and are to be successively performed are generated so that the two actions are smoothly connected. Respective elements d required to define a transitional motion action are calculated from the respective frames after the end point of the former motion and before the start point of the latter motion. As for the three-dimensional rotation R(t) that defines the posture in each frame, independent linear values rx(t), ry(t), and rz(t) are calculated as values approximating the three-dimensional rotation R(t) by using exponential maps. The velocity components of the respective elements d are determined, and the largest value of the absolute values of the velocity components in each of the post-end frames and the pre-start frames is extracted as an interpolating velocity v(t). The respective elements d(t) in each of blended transitional motion frames can be determined.

Abstract: A game system is provided in which, when data is transmitted to a game apparatus of a receiver side, the influence which the transmitted data has on a game progressing in the game apparatus of the receiver side is diversified and the interest of the game is increased. The game apparatus includes a display in which a field map represents all or part of a game field in a plan view as seen from the above. A placement request icon is displayed on the display. When touching the placement request icon, a sub-character can be placed at a position where a main character is located. When a sub-character icon is selected and content of an event is determined, the sub-character is placed. When a communication connection with a different game apparatus is established, information related to the placed sub-character is transmitted.

Abstract: A network game system includes a server apparatus and a plurality of video game apparatuses connected to the server apparatus. A party includes player characters of a plurality of players. When the party battles with an opponent character, the server apparatus simultaneously transmits movie playback information to each video game apparatus for starting playback of a movie. Each of the players can skip the movie at a desired timing. A screen is displayed on each video game apparatus that has skipped the movie until the battle starts. When information is received from each video game apparatus that indicates playback of the movie has ended, the server apparatus simultaneously transmits battle start information to each video game apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed is a network game system that allows a plurality of players to enter a network game without imposing a lot of load on a server apparatus for managing the entire progress of the network game. A game is played in different battle zones, and video game apparatuses which play the game in the same battle zone form each of video game apparatus groups. A server apparatus designates one of the video game apparatuses belonging to each of the video game apparatus groups as a front end server. The video game apparatus designated as the front end server controls decision of motions of non-player characters, calculation of change values of parameters of player characters, and transmission/reception of information regarding the progress of the game between the video game apparatuses belonging to each of the video game apparatus groups in a unified manner. Transmission of information regarding the progress state of the game in each battle zone to the server apparatus is performed in a unified manner.

Abstract: One object of the present invention is to provide a system that adopts a global illumination technique to seamlessly span light across a real world and a virtual world. The first aspect of the present invention is directed to a system for producing three dimensional images. The system includes a magnetic field sensor; a first 6DOF magnetic tracker; a flashlight which has a second 6DOF magnetic tracker; a monitor; an analyzer; and a rendering apparatus.