Patents Assigned to KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE
  • Patent number: 10391386
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. An image display device is caused to display operating section images in an operating section image display area on a display screen in an arrangement pattern corresponding to arrangement positions of respective operating sections. The operating section images are operating section images respectively corresponding to the operating sections arranged in the operational input section. Identification display allowing a player to identify the operational function associated with the corresponding operating section is made for each of the group of operating section images. When to receive an operational input in response to an operation of any of the plurality of operating sections by the player, the video game processing apparatus carries out operation correspondence processing that indicates processing to exert an operational function associated with the operating section operated by the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Hiroshi Minagawa, Kazutoyo Maehiro
  • Publication number: 20190247750
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Yoichi KURODA, Ryoko KATO
  • Publication number: 20190240574
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus is provided. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor for controlling progress of a video game. The video game includes at least one virtual mission which a first player cannot execute. The processor informs a second player different from the first player of an existence of the first player corresponding to the at least one virtual mission. A display displays a game screen including an image. The image informs the first player corresponding to the at least one virtual mission that the at least one virtual mission has been played by the second player. The processor specifies a first privilege to be given to the second player, and the first privilege is determined in accordance with at least one of a difference in level between the first player and the second player and a relationship between the first player and the second player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Hajime TABATA, Masayasu NISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190217201
    Abstract: A video game processing program product causes a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game. The functions include: an updating function configured to update a position of a character; a first displaying function configured to display, in a normal mode, a normal game screen; and a second displaying function configured to display, in a photographing mode, a photographing game screen based on a photographing operation. In a first case where a user operates the user character to change position while the photographing screen is displayed in the photographing mode, a change in position of the user character does not affect a status of the normal mode. The status of the normal mode of the video game is configured to be updated in a second case while the photographing screen is displayed in the photographing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Kei ODAGIRI, Hiroaki OHNO
  • Patent number: 10343057
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game including a turn-based battle against an enemy character by displaying a player character on a display screen of a display device includes a profile information storage section for storing summon admissibility information in which a battle command used in the turn-based battle is associated with other player character that carries out an action corresponding to the battle command; receives the summon admissibility information from other video game processing apparatus in which the other player character is used as a main character; receives a summoning request indicating a usage request of the summon admissibility information in the turn-based battle; determines summon admissibility information to be used in a case where the summoning request is received; and summons the other player character indicated by the determined summon admissibility information to be caused to carry out the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Tomoya Asano, Masashi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10307673
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Yoichi Kuroda, Ryoko Kato
  • Publication number: 20190160376
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a video game processing program product for causing a computer to realize functions to control progress of a video game on a basis of an operation of a controller by a user in a predetermined space including a plurality of display areas is provided. Operation information that contains a position and a direction of the controller in the predetermined space is obtained. In a case where the position or the direction of the controller is changed, a determination area is generated in a virtual space corresponding to the predetermined space on the basis of the operation information corresponding to the change. A positional relationship between a determination target and the determination area that are arranged in the virtual space is determined. An image corresponding to a determination result in the display area is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Kazuki ITO, Yuya NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20190160374
    Abstract: A game machine with a display which serves as a touch panel type input is provided. The game machine includes a character display for displaying at least two characters on a screen of the display. A finger contact detector detects a contact between a fingertip of a player and the screen. A cursor movement controller locates a cursor on the basis of a coordinate position of the fingertip when the finger contact detector detects the contact. The cursor movement controller controls movement of the cursor on the basis of movement of the coordinate position. A character selector sets a character, with which the cursor is contacted, to a selection state. The character becomes a controlled object when a predetermined selection fixed operation is received, and the character selector keeps the selection state of the character when the fingertip is released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventor: Hidetoshi AOYAGI
  • Patent number: 10286317
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program product for causing a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game is provided. A set constituted by at least one game element is used in the video game. A user owns the at least one game element in the video game. The functions include: a specifying function configured to specify an event to be carried out by the user; an organizing function configured to refer to the event to organize a recommended set, the recommended set being constituted by a game element configuration that satisfies a predetermined condition; and a displaying function configured to display an image, the image causing the user to recognize information regarding the recommended set organized by the organizing function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (ALSO TRADING AS SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventor: Jin Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20190134510
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi GONDAI, Masatoshi ISHIKAWA, Tsuyoshi YOKOZAWA, Takashi SUGI
  • Patent number: 10272334
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program causing a user terminal to realize functions to control progress of a video game is provided. The functions include: a receiving function configured to receive participation of a user of the user terminal in an event, a plurality of users being allowed to participate in the event, the event proceeding in synchronization with participating users who participate in the event; a displaying function causing the user terminal to display a game image, the game image containing a game field unique to the user; and a progress controlling function controlling progress of the event in which at least a part of an enemy character appears in a game field unique to at least one user of the participating users, the progress controlling function controlling progress of the event in the game field unique to the user in accordance with an input of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Daisuke Motohashi, Kiminori Ono
  • Patent number: 10265623
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Kei Odagiri, Hiroaki Ohno
  • Patent number: 10252161
    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 display mode is set up to any one of a first display mode and a second display mode. A game control is carried out in the first display mode in which a photographed image of the virtual space photographed by a virtual camera is displayed on a game screen or the second display mode in which an arrangement image is displayed on the game screen. Each of the plurality of characters is arranged at a predetermined position in the arrangement image with a predetermined relationship with the arrangement position of the corresponding character in the virtual space. The game control is carried out in the display mode thus set up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Tsukioka, Yoshihiko Kobayashi, Masaki Ono
  • Publication number: 20190103106
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a command processing program for causing a computer to realize functions to generate a command for carrying out an indication against an operation target in a virtual space on the basis of an input by a user using a natural language is provided. The functions include: a text data obtaining function configured to obtain text data on the basis of the input by the user using the natural language; a syntax analyzing function configured to extract a command from the obtained text data, the user wanting to carry out the command; a command analyzing function configured to generate a primitive type command from the command extracted by the syntax analyzing function; and a specific viewpoint information obtaining function configured to obtain specific viewpoint information at least at a time of an input operation by the user using the natural language.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Gautier Boeda, Eric Johnson, Remi Driancourt
  • Publication number: 20190070503
    Abstract: Video game processing apparatuses, media, and methods are provided for controlling progress of a video game. Player character related information is stored in a memory and changes in accordance with progress of the video game. Initial area information is stored in the memory and indicates an initial state of each of a plurality of areas. Updated area information is stored in the memory and indicates a progress status of the video game in each of the areas. The updated area information is updated in accordance with the progress of the video game. It is determined whether to use the initial area information or the updated area information corresponding to a selected area in response to an operation of the player character. The game is progressed in the selected area using a corresponding one of the initial area information and the updated area information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventor: Yoshiki KASHITANI
  • Publication number: 20190070514
    Abstract: A game system is provided in which a first game apparatus operated by a first player and a second game apparatus operated by a second player are configured to communicate with each other. The first game apparatus decides a content of a fighting event according to an operation of the first player, and transmits event information related to the content of the fighting event. The second game apparatus receives the event information, and generates the fighting event based on the event information. The event information includes: object information related to one or more objects that are selected from objects of the first player and that fight against an object of the second player in the fighting event; and mission information that is related to a mission assigned for the second player during the fighting event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUA RE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventor: Tai YASUE
  • Publication number: 20190046875
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. In the video game, a plurality of players addresses a common task. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor and a display controller. The processor specifies a task corresponding to a task providing request of a first player and generates player related information of a second player corresponding to the specified task. The display controller displays, on a task screen, an image including a character string in association with the second player. The character string satisfies a display condition during progress of the specified task. The task screen indicates the specified task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUA RE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SATO, Naofumi TAKUMA, Hiroaki IWANO
  • Patent number: 10201759
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Gondai, Masatoshi Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi Yokozawa, Takashi Sugi
  • Publication number: 20190022525
    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 according to the progress status information generated by the first processor. A second display displays the content-related information according to a player input received by the second processor. The first processor generates the progress status information in response to at least one of a predetermined condition being satisfied in relation to the progress status of the content or a specific operation being received by the first processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventor: Kazuhiro OOYA
  • Patent number: 10150035
    Abstract: Video game processing apparatuses, media, and methods are provided for controlling progress of a video game. Player character related information is stored in a memory and changes in accordance with progress of the video game. Initial area information is stored in the memory and indicates an initial state of each of a plurality of areas. Updated area information is stored in the memory and indicates a progress status of the video game in each of the areas. The updated area information is updated in accordance with the progress of the video game. It is determined whether to use the initial area information or the updated area information corresponding to a selected area in response to an operation of the player character. The game is progressed in the selected area using a corresponding one of the initial area information and the updated area information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventor: Yoshiki Kashitani