Abstract: Example methods and systems for inviting users to play video games involve receiving at an invitation server an invitation from a first user logged into the invitation server using a first game system that invites a second user logged into the invitation server using a second game system to play a game. The invitation is forwarded from the invitation server to the second user and an acceptance of the invitation from the second user is received at the invitation server. Invitation acceptance data indicative of the second user's acceptance is stored at the invitation server after the second user logs out of the invitation server. When the second user subsequently logs back into the invitation server, one or both of the first and second users is sent information based on the stored invitation acceptance that enables the first and second users to play the game.

Abstract: An example user network provides information and entertainment for users via handheld information terminals. The “look and feel” and personality of the handheld information terminals can be location-specific so that the most relevant information and entertainment can be provided to users in a useful and appealing manner.

Abstract: A game system includes a housing to be held by a player. The housing incorporates an XY-axis acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in a X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction and a Z-axis contact switch to detect an acceleration in a Z-axis direction. The sensor and switch detect at least one of an amount (e.g., tilt amount, movement amount, impact amount or the like) and a direction (e.g., tilt direction, movement direction, impact direction or the like) of a change applied to the housing. A simulation program provides simulation such that a state of a game space is changed related to at least one of the amount and direction of the change applied to the housing.

Abstract: A video game device calculates an angle of an object 71, etc., with respect to a reference direction in a three-dimensional space. Then, the video game device defines a virtual cylindrical model for each of a plurality of objects so that a bottom surface of each cylindrical model is perpendicular to the reference direction. The video game device defines a plurality of cylindrical models for a predetermined object if the inclination of the predetermined object with respect to the reference direction is greater than a predetermined angle. Then, the video game device determines whether or not the defined cylindrical models have an overlap therebetween. Then, if two cylindrical models are determined to be overlapping with each other, the video game device gives a predetermined change to the two objects in response to the collision.

Abstract: Each time a player character performs a boom triggering act, “1” is added to the corresponding act number counter provided for each non-player character. The value of each act number counter is periodically added to a boom value provided for each non-player character. When a boom value reaches an upper limit, the corresponding non-player character performs an act related to the boom triggering act performed by the player character. Thus, the act of each non-player character is changed in accordance with the act performed by the player character in the game world, which provides the player with a fresh feeling that the act performed by the player character set a trend in the game world.

Abstract: A WEP key is generated from predetermined binary data and stored in an access point. The binary data is converted into an SSID using a predetermined conversion algorithm. The access point transmits the SSID in a beacon. A mobile game apparatus receives the SSID and recovers the binary data from the SSID using the predetermined conversion algorithm. Using the same algorithm as used for generating the WEP key, a WEP key is generated from the recovered binary data. Encrypted communication is performed between the access point and the mobile game apparatus using the WEP key.

Abstract: A game device regularly transmits communication status information to communication partners thereof, the communication status information indicating whether or not communication between the game device and each of the communication partners is possible. If, when the game device receives from each of the communication partners the communication status information about said each of the communication partners, the communication status information about any of the communication partners indicates a particular game device as being unable to perform communication, the game device updates the communication status information about the game device such that the communication status information about the game device indicates the particular game device as being unable to perform communication. When the communication status information about all of the communication partners indicate a particular game device as being unable to perform communication, the game device ceases communicating with the game device.

Abstract: A video game device 10 is capable of receiving both a first storage medium and a second storage medium at the same time. The video game device 10 performs a first game process using first save data. The video game device 10 performs a second game process using second save data. The video game device 10 overwrites the first save data based on the status of the second video game. The video game device 10 overwrites the second save data based on the status of the first video game.

Abstract: A host terminal, to which a client terminal is connected, transmits a connection request to another host terminal to which another client terminal is connected. When the connection request is accepted, the host terminal, which is a source of the connection request, disconnects a connection between the host terminal and the client terminal, and then the host terminal is connected, as a client terminal, to said another host terminal which is a destination of the connection request. This prevents users from waiting for a long time, and allows a peer-to-peer network to be efficiently established.

Abstract: Designated coordinates, on the display screen, designated by the pointing device are acquired, and target coordinates, in the virtual game space, corresponding to the designated coordinates are calculated. A distance from reference coordinates set on the display screen to the designated coordinates is calculated and speed information based on the distance is calculated. A predetermined object is moved toward the target coordinates in the virtual game space at a movement speed represented by the speed information.

Abstract: A game apparatus includes an LCD, and on the LCD, a touch panel is set. When a player object encounters an enemy object, a battle screen is displayed on the LCD. A player performs a sliding operation on the touch panel with a stick or the like in such a manner as to surround the enemy object and tries to obtain the enemy object. At this time, when the enemy object (affecting object) already obtained is selected, an ability (effect) equipped with the affecting object can be produced. For example, a flame according to a surrounding line is generated. When the flame hits the enemy object, the enemy object is damaged to decrease its moving speed and stop moving.

Abstract: A game apparatus 10 transmits a connection request including identification information to an access point apparatus 1 (S1). In response to the transmission of the connection request, the access point apparatus 1 allows a user to select whether or not to permit connection with the game apparatus 10. When the connection with the game apparatus 10 is permitted, the access point apparatus 1 registers identification information of the game apparatus 10 in a registration list (S2), and transmits a connection response representing the permission of the connection to the game apparatus 10 (S3). In response to this, the game apparatus 10 transmits an authentication request (S5). When identification information included in the authentication request is registered in the registration list, authentication processing between the access point apparatus 1 and the game apparatus 10 is started.

Abstract: An area, in a virtual game world, for arranging a plurality of objects and a minimum allowed distance between objects to be arranged therein are set. A position of an object is changed for temporarily arranging the object to an arbitrary position in the area set in the virtual game world until arrangement of the object is finalized, and the distance between the temporarily arranged object and an object whose arrangement in the area is completed is calculated. When the calculated distance is equal to or greater than the minimum allowed distance, arrangement of the temporarily arranged object is finalized and a plurality of objects whose arrangement is finalized are displayed on a display screen.

Abstract: Apparatus and example methods for environment-mapped style of bump-mapping (EMBM) are provided that use a pre-computed bump-map texture accessed as an indirect texture along with pre-computed object surface normals (i.e., the Normal, Tangent and Binormal vectors) from each vertex of rendered polygons to effectively generate a new perturbed Normal vector per vertex. The perturbed new Normal vectors are then used to look up texels in an environment map. A specialized bump map texture data/coordinate processing “bump unit” is provided in the graphics pipeline for performing predetermined matrix multiplication operations on retrieved lookup data from the indirect-texture bump map.

Abstract: When a movement of a sight point of a virtual camera along a line of sight thereof in a virtual game space is completed, an image representing the virtual game space is taken by the virtual camera and the image is used as a reference image. At the same time, started is a measurement of elapsed time since the generation of the reference image. Next, shifted images are generated based on the reference image, and a shift width representing a space on a screen between the reference image and each of the shifted images is determined in accordance with the elapsed time. An image is generated such that each of the shifted images is displaced from a position of the reference image on the screen by the shift width in a predetermined direction and the generated image is displayed on the screen.

Abstract: A part of entry words included in entry word data is displayed in an entry word candidate display area 42. When the user taps a desired entry word in this state, a meaning of that entry word is displayed in an explanation sentence display area 40. When the user slides a stick in the entry word candidate display area 42, an animation of a page being turned is displayed, and the entry words displayed in the entry word candidate display area 42 are replaced with new entry words. This makes it simpler and faster to perform an instruction to switch entry words displayed on the screen and an instruction to select an entry word displayed on the screen and display a meaning thereof on the screen.

Abstract: A plurality of positional information transmitters 100, each of which transmits positional information to which a plurality of unit spaces are each uniquely assigned, are disposed on a ceiling. A mobile terminal 10 receives the positional information transmitted from each of the positional information transmitters 100 and changes a terminal-side image in accordance with the received positional information. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 transmits to a server 300 current positional information and operation information indicating an instruction inputted by a user. The server 300 changes, in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the mobile terminal 10, a floor image displayed on a plurality of floor displays 200 disposed on a floor. Thus, it becomes possible to provide a highly interesting and novel position detecting system.