Abstract: According to the present invention, even while a chat opening process is in progress, users can join chats by means of a simple procedure from a video game machine. Once a chat has been opened, an invitation signal can further be transmitted to other chat guests. A video game machine of an expected guest receiving the invitation signal displays a screen prompting the guest to enter the chat room, and the expected guest can join the chat by transmitting an enter room signal to a database. At this time, a chat answer signal indicating that the expected guest accepts the invitation from a chairman is transmitted from the expected guest to the chairman.

Abstract: A video game processing program product causes a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game in response to an operation of a user. The functions include: an updating function configured to update a position of a character on a virtual space on the basis of a moving operation by a user; a first displaying function configured to display a normal screen corresponding to the user on the basis of an update result; a second displaying function configured to display a photographing screen, on which an object other than a user character carries out a photographing action when the photographing operation is carried out, on the basis of a photographing operation; and a storing function configured to store at least a part of the photographing screen in a predetermined storage region on the basis of a storing operation.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for displaying content are provided. According to a content-related information display system, a first memory stores content. A first processor outputs a drawing command for displaying the content on a first display, and generates progress status information which is related to a progress status of the content. A second memory stores content-related information which is related to the content. A second processor specifies the content-related information to be displayed on a second display. The content-related information is specified according to the progress status information generated by the first processor. More detailed information is displayed on the second display than on the first display.

Abstract: Players input their messages in their video game apparatuses and the messages are once collected at a server apparatus, thereafter they are distributed to all video game apparatuses from the game server apparatus. In a display screen of each video game apparatus, a chat window is displayed in order to display messages exchanged between the players on a game screen including a field and characters of the game. The chat window is sequentially enlarged up to a preset maximum number of lines when a new message is received from the game server apparatus. The chat window is sequentially reduced to the preset minimum number of lines when a predetermined time passes without any reception of new message or when the player performs a specific operation.

Abstract: A plurality of characters including a player character appears in a video game. An arrangement position of at least one of characters is specified in a virtual space in accordance with progress of the video game. A battle mode is set up to any one of a first battle mode and a second battle mode. A battle control is carried out in the first battle mode in which a photographed image of the virtual space photographed by a virtual camera is displayed on a battle screen or the second battle mode in which an arrangement image is displayed on the battle screen. Each of the plurality of characters is arranged at a predetermined position in the arrangement image with no relationship with the arrangement position of the corresponding character in the virtual space. The battle control is carried out in the battle mode thus set up.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and medium for controlling a progress of a video game are provided. A user interface element of the video game is displayed on a display screen. The user interface element is displayed with transparency determined during the progress of the video game. An operation to the user interface element displayed on the display screen is received regardless of the transparency. The progress of the video game is controlled in accordance with the operation to the user interface element displayed on the display screen.

Abstract: A video game processing program product for causing a server to realize functions to control progress of a video game is provided. The functions include: a function to generate content in which at least one of the user or a character operated by the user is allowed to participate, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied; a function to store the number of participants who participate in first content and a clear time indicating a time required to clear the first content in a predetermined storage medium; a function to set up the degree of difficulty for second content indicating content to be generated newly; and a function to detect whether a generation condition contained in the predetermined condition to generate the second content is satisfied or not. The generating function includes a function to generate the second content with the degree of difficulty thus set up.

Abstract: When content data is split into multiple pieces of data and there is a request from a client terminal to download the content data, in addition to a transfer to the client terminal from a server that has the content data, the split-up data of the content data is transferred via a P2P communications network from other client terminals that have in a cache region the split-up data of the content data, and the content data is reconstructed within the client terminal, thereby enabling the realization of higher speed data transfer rates by using multiple paths while resolving bottlenecks where traffic is concentrated on the server.

Abstract: An example game apparatus includes a CPU, and the CPU reproduces a BGM according to BGM data. When a ball object and an item object are shot at a predetermined timing, and a player object catches or receives the ball object at a point of impact, a part of melody of a main theme of the BGM is output. In a case that each player object catches or receives a ball object of the same color as that assigned to the own player object, a correct melody is output, but in a case that it catches or receives a ball object of a different color, a melody being different in pitch is output. Alternatively, in a case that the ball object cannot be caught or received, no melody is output.

Abstract: A user interface processing apparatus is provided. A user interface element such as a virtual controller is displayed on a display screen. When an operation to the displayed user interface element is received from a player, the application is controlled in accordance with the received operation. A learning level of the player is determined in accordance with a control state of the application, such as utilization time of the application and the number of executions of a predetermined function in the application. The transparency is increased in accordance with the determined learning level. In a case where it is detected that an operation state of the user interface element continues for a certain period of time, transparency of the user interface element to increase is determined. The user interface element is displayed with the determined transparency.

Abstract: A game apparatus with good operability is provided which includes a card reader and a touch panel display and enables a player to operate a card even without looking at the card reader with eyes and to perform an input operation while looking at the touch panel display. The game apparatus includes a touch panel display and a card reader. The card reader includes a panel on which a card used in a game is set. A display support section supports the touch panel display, and a panel support section supports the panel of the card reader. The display support section supports the touch panel display such that at least a portion of the touch panel display is located above at least a portion of the panel in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A game system is provided in which first and second game apparatuses are configured to communicate with each other. The first game apparatus progresses a game by moving a player character on a game field. The first game apparatus determines a first position on the game field and transmits information related to the first position to the second game apparatus. The second game apparatus places an object on a second position, on a game field in the second game apparatus, corresponding to the first position and generates an event based on the second position. A privilege is given to a player or player character of the first game apparatus according to the event.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a content-related information display system capable of acquiring related information corresponding to contents, such as a game, during a reproduction of the contents by a first apparatus without stopping the reproduction of the contents by the first apparatus. The first apparatus displays the contents on a first display. When a predetermined condition is satisfied during the reproduction of the contents, the first apparatus transmits reproducing status information on a reproducing status of the content to a second apparatus. The second apparatus receives the reproducing status information and specifies content-related information according to the reproducing status information. The second apparatus displays the content-related information on a second display.

Abstract: A system includes a memory, a graphics processor, and a processor. The memory stores a control program that includes an extension of an application programming interface. The graphics processor includes multiple computational units. The processor executes the control program, with the control program causing the processor to obtain data from the memory. The data specifies a first function and is intended to execute on the multiple computational units. The control program further causes the processor to create at least one map for assigning computational tasks for the first function across the multiple computational units. A part of the data associated with each of the computational tasks is stored to the respective multiple computational units that are assigned to execute the computational tasks.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a video game processing program product for causing a server to realize functions to control progress of a video game is provided. An in-game element for which a plurality of evolutive steps are provided appears in the video game. The functions include: a selecting function to select at least one in-game element from a plurality of in-game elements in accordance with a predetermined rule in response to a selection request from the user; an adjusting function to refer to a storage section, in which information regarding the in-game element is stored, to adjust a predetermined adjustment target so that the in-game element becomes a predetermined evolutive step or higher when the in-game element is given to the user on the basis of a selection result; and a giving function to give the user the in-game element as the selection result or the in-game element as an adjustment result.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a game apparatus with good operability which includes a card reader and a touch panel display and enables a player to operate a card even without looking the card reader with eyes and to perform an input operation while looking the touch panel display. The present invention includes a touch panel display, and a card reader including a panel on which a card used in a game is set. The present invention further includes a display support section which supports the touch panel display, and a panel support section which supports the panel of the card reader. Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the display support section supports the touch panel display such that at least a portion of the touch panel display is located above at least a portion of the panel in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a video game processing program product for causing a server to realize functions to control progress of a video game in response to an operation inputted to a terminal provided with a touch panel is provided. In this case, the functions include: a specifying function configured to specify an effect for which an exerting condition is satisfied in accordance with progress of the video game; an appearing function configured to cause a plurality of icons corresponding to the effect to respectively appear at a plurality of positions in a game screen; and an exerting function configured to exert, when any icon is selected, the effect independently of a position of the selected icon.

Abstract: A game includes player characters in a virtual space. The game is progressed in accordance with game progress information, which is useable for generating a game screen. The game screen is configured to be displayed on a display device. An instruction for registering a player character, which is manipulated in the game by a first player, is received, and the player character of the first player is registered as a copy non-player character. The copy non-player character is configured to be manipulated in the game by a second player. The game progress information is updated, and data of the player character of the first player is updated in accordance with a manipulation of the copy non-player character by the second player during a period in which the first player is in an off-line state.

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: An object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus that can replicate a game status by a replay display even in a game in which game result is changed by a character status or a game in which the game result is randomly changed within a constant range. In the game apparatus, the replay display of a game image obtained by causing the game to progress is performed in response to a replay display request of a player. In the game apparatus, perspective transformation of a virtual three-dimensional space is performed from a virtual camera onto a virtual screen to generate a two-dimensional image based on a character status, pad information inputted from the player, an initial value used to generate a random number during game progress, and virtual camera control information, and the replay display of the two-dimensional image is performed on a display device.