Patent Application
20050272504
Not applicable.
The technology herein relates to video and computer games, and more particularly, to role playing games in which a player can interact with a virtual environment and/or other players. The technology herein also relates to so-called multi-user dialog (“MUD”) role playing games.
Multi-user dialog (“MUD”) role playing games have become quite popular within the last few years. Briefly, a multi-user dialog game uses a computer to create a virtual environment such as, for example, a medieval town, a castle, or any other natural or manmade landscape. Players participate in the game by assigning themselves characters sometimes called avatars. Generally, an avatar is a character within the game that the player defines and uses as his or her alter ego to interact with the game. For example, in a medieval town, one player might define his character to be a wizard, another player might create her character as a queen and still another player might decide to define herself in the game through a character in the form of a shop keeper. By interacting with the game through a display and a user input device, each player can control his or her own character to travel through the game's virtual environment and interact with that environment and with other characters.
Generally in such games, a central game server computer keeps track of each character's location in the environment and the characteristics of each character. This central server also provides tools (e.g., communications dialog capabilities and other interaction capabilities such as for example “fight”). The ability of having one's character interact with another player's character through the game medium can add a great deal of interest to the play of the game.
Commonly, such multi-user dialog role playing games are played in a computer network that allows for real time interaction among a number of players simultaneously. For example, perhaps the most common and widely used form of multi-user dialog game currently runs on a server connected to the Internet. Each participant connects to the MUD server via an Internet connection to his or her own personal computer or other computing device. The MUD server allows a number of different players to connect simultaneously—allowing simultaneous real time interaction between players through their respective characters. Players may thus communicate, cooperate and befriend one another in real time through their respective characters.
Such multi-user dialog role playing games have achieved a high degree of sophistication and popularity in the networked computer world, but have not been successfully implemented before in a non-networked computing platform context such as home video game systems. While the idea of a network of home video game systems is known and some home video game companies have attempted networking, most home video game systems in use today are not networked or otherwise connected to any other computer or other video game system. Often, people place their home video game systems in a living room or den where there is no dial-up telephone line that could be used to connect the home video game system to a network. Additionally, accessories that might have been available in the past for establishing a home video game system network connection tended to be expensive, and often required a level of technical proficiency beyond at least younger game players. Furthermore, the business models associated with previous attempts to network video game systems tended to be based on monthly subscription fees that many people were unwilling to pay. For these and other reasons, the realization of a large scale network of home video game systems has not yet materialized.
As hardware accessories become less expensive, data bandwidth into the home becomes more available, and compelling video game content requiring a networked connection provides enough added value to justify the cost, there will certainly come a time when home video game systems will be networked in the same way that most home personal computers now have some access to the Internet or other computer networking services (e.g., America Online, CompuServe, etc.). However, despite major pushes by certain video game platform companies (e.g., Sega) encouraging home video game networking, it appears that nearly universal home video game platform networks may still be a few years away.
Before as well as after the widespread acceptance of home video game networking, it would be highly desirable to provide multi-user dialog video games playable on home video game platform environments. The technology herein provides a solution by, among other things, providing a multi-user role playing game that can be run on a community of discrete stand-alone home video game platforms capable of intermittently exchanging small amounts of data—and which takes advantage of the discrete, self-sufficient functionality of home video game platforms to provide a fun, interesting and exciting game play.
In accordance with one aspect provided by the technology herein, virtual game playing environments are defined on each of a collection or community of home video game systems. For example, in one preferred exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, random data available at each of the home video game systems is used to uniquely define respective virtual game playing environments. Thus, a person can have an enjoyable game playing experience using his or her own home video game system by, for example, providing user input through a user input device and watching a display on a home color television set.
In accordance with an aspect of an exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, characters defined within one virtual game environment can “visit” or move permanently to another virtual game environment. For example, a particular game play character defined within the virtual game environment at my house may decide to leave my virtual game environment and move to the virtual game environment defined at your house. Similarly, a game playing character within your virtual game playing environment may be able to come visit my virtual game environment and then return home to your virtual game environment.
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the sharing or transferring of characters, objects or other aspects of unique virtual game environments defined on a corresponding collection of home video game platforms is accomplished through intermittent exchange of data between the respective home video game platforms. Such intermittent data exchange can be provided, for example, by removing a portable memory device containing the data to be exchanged from one home video game platform, physically transporting the portable memory device to another home video game platform, and connecting that portable memory device so that it can be read by the other home video game platform.
For example, suppose a player wishes to have his character visit the virtual game environment defined at the home video game platform of a friend. In such instance in the exemplary and illustrative non-limiting implementation, the player may command his or her home video game platform to store data defining his or her corresponding character on a portable memory device connected to is or her home video game platform. The player's character thus “leaves” his “home” virtual gaming environment to go abroad and visit another virtual gaming environment. The player may then remove the portable memory device from his or her home video game platform and physically carry it to a friend's house. Upon arriving at the friend's house, the player may insert the portable memory device into the friend's home video game platform and thereby enter the virtual game environment defined there. The player may interact with the friend's virtual game environment, meeting characters there, collecting objects and gathering experiences.
When game play at the friend's house is concluded, the player may save his character's data back to the portable memory device. The new objects, experiences and other information acquired in the friend's virtual game environment may be similarly stored on the portable memory device. When the player returns home, he may insert the portable memory device back into his or her own video game platform, and his or her character may thereby “return home” to the player's own virtual game environment—while still maintaining the benefit of the objects and experiences when abroad.
Thus, one aspect of an exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation is to provide an ability for player-defined role playing characters to travel between unique or different instances of an overall role playing video game environment at respective home video game or other game playing devices.
In more detail, in accordance with one aspect provided by an exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a player interacts with his or her own video game platform to define a player character (e.g., an animal in the forest, a medieval knight, or any other type of character appropriate to the particular type of game environment). The home video game platform stores information defining this player character within a writable storage device that is local to the home video game platform. For example, this information may be stored within a “flash,” magnetic or other memory.
After playing the game and storing character-related data on the memory, the player may remove the memory from his or her own video game system and take it to the house of a friend who has a similar home video game system. The removable, portable memory may now be connected to the friend's home video game system—thus introducing the first player's character into the virtual environment defined on the friend's home video game system. In this way, player characters can move between different, discrete instantiations of a common virtual environment defined by the multi-user dialog game.
The different instantiations of the virtual game playing environment are, in accordance with another exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, not identical. For example, the virtual environment defined by the overall multi-user dialog game may be a large place (e.g., a forest, a galaxy, a mythical or actual country, etc.) having a number of smaller subdivisions (e.g., villages or other communities, inhabitable planets, castles, etc.) within it. Each instance of the game may define a different subdivision. As one example, the instantiation of the game at a first player's home video game platform may define a first village within a forest, and the instantiation of the game at another home video game platform may define a different village within the forest. A player may visit another village by going over to a friend's house—thereby transporting his or own character to visit the virtual village defined in the friend's home video game platform—and thereafter return home to his own “home” village.
In accordance with yet another aspect provided by an exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, information other than that representing player characters can be shared between different instantiations of the game. For example, characters associated with players may interact with other characters that are controlled by the game itself. Different instantiations of the game can define different “non-player” characters. These non-player characters can be shared between game instantiations. Thus, for example, when a player transports a portable data storage device to another player's house, he or she may be introducing interesting non-player characters into the friend's instantiation of the game—providing new characters for the friend's character to interact with. Non-player characters may thus travel from one instantiation of the game to another—increasing the interest level among all of the game players.
The data transport mechanism may also be used to communicate objects between different game instantiations. For example, in accordance with another aspect provided by an exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, mail or other messages can be sent between different instantiations of the game. This allows players using one instantiation of the game to communicate with players using another instantiation of the game. Objects other than mail (e.g., goods to purchase, magic charms, regional food items, etc.) may also be communicated between game instantiations to maintain a high level of interest, variety and fun.
Other illustrative and exemplary features and advantages provided in accordance with further non-limiting implementations include:
These and other features and advantages may be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of exemplary non-limiting illustrative implementations in conjunction with the drawings, of which:
In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, each of the discrete video game platforms 50 is programmed to play the same overall multi-user dialog role-playing video game. In more detail, in an example non-limiting implementation, each of the players H purchases or otherwise obtains an optical disk or other mass storage device 62 (not shown in
In the example, illustrative exemplary non-limiting implementation, each home video game platform 50 is capable of playing a role playing game within the corresponding virtual environment the home video game platform sets up and defines. Thus, in a single or multi-player mode, each home video game platform 50 allows its corresponding player(s) H interact with a corresponding virtual world 202. For example, the player H can define his or her own personalized alter ego (“avatar”) player character 206. This player character 206 can have particular personality, appearance and other characteristics that are defined and specified by the player H. The player H can, for example, customize the appearance of the player character 206 by importing and defining graphics used for the player character's clothing or accessories.
Once the player H has defined a corresponding player character 206, the player may control his or her player character 206 to move through and explore the virtual environment 202. In the course of moving through and exploring the virtual environment, the player character 206 may meet other characters such as, for example, non-player characters 208 defined by the game. The player character 206 may communicate with the non-player characters 208 and carry on conversations with them. The player character 206 may also customize his or her dwelling 204, gather objects 210, and do a variety of other activities (e.g., fishing, gathering food, hunting, writing songs, stories or poetry, or the like). In the example non-limiting implementation, all of these activities are simulated and controlled locally by the player H's own local home video game platform 50.
The home video game platform 50 may make use of local, non-volatile writable storage (e.g., flash memory within a video game or other memory cartridge, battery-backed random access memory within a memory expansion port, mass storage within a writable mass storage device, etc.) to store the various parameters developed during game play between one game play session and another. In this way, the player H can play the role playing game on a succession of different days over the course of weeks or months. Each time the game is started, it recalls previously stored data to maintain a historical record of the player H's prior game playing experiences (e.g., objectives accomplished, objectives lost, interactions with other characters, objects located, etc.).
In accordance with one aspect provided by the illustrative non-limiting implementation, non-player characters 208 “remember” their interactions with player characters 206. For example, suppose that during a particular game playing session, player character 206 had a conversation with non-player character 208 about a particular subject. In the illustrative exemplary non-limiting implementation, the non-player character will remember some aspect of this conversation (this is accomplished by home video game platform 50 recording, in writable non-volatile memory, the content of the conversation and other events surrounding it). During a subsequent game playing session that may be weeks or months later, when the player character 206 again meets the non-player character 208, the non-player character may recall and discuss the previous conversation it had with the player character. This provides a high degree of realism and authenticity and makes the game playing experience more enjoyable.
In the illustrative exemplary non-limiting implementation, the passage of time within virtual game environment 202 is synchronized (via a real-time clock operating within home video game platform 50 and or by other means) to the actual time, day and date within the real world. Thus, for example, if player H plays the role playing game in the winter months, the landscape within virtual environment 202 might be snow covered or decorated with Christmas lights. If the player H plays the role playing game in the summer months, the virtual game environment 202 may simulate heat and growing plants and vegetables. Similarly, if the player H plays the role playing game in the Fall, the game may simulate Fall by having the trees within the virtual environment 202 change colors and make the weather colder.
While in the example non-limiting implementation each home video game platform 50 is capable of playing the illustrative role playing game in an entirely stand-alone mode without communicating any data to any other home video game platform, game play is made more interesting, varied and fun by providing data communications capabilities allowing different home video game platforms 50 to communicate data with one another concerning the role playing game. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, home video game platforms 50 may be but are not necessarily “networked” together in the traditional sense. In particular, in one illustrative example, home video game platforms 50 are not connected to any interactive network such as the Internet, nor do they need to be so connected in order to play the role playing game provided by the exemplary non-limiting implementation. While the role playing game could make use of conventional network connections, such network connectability is not required in order to play the illustrative role playing game described herein.
In more detail, the exchange of a limited amount of data between the various portable home video game platforms 50 may be used to permit virtual characters and/or objects to travel between the associated virtual game environments 202. For example, it is possible for a player character 206 originating in the virtual game environment 202(1) defined by home video game platform 50(1) to travel to and visit the virtual game environment 202(2) defined by another home video game platform 50(2). Since the virtual game environment 202(2) set up by home video game platform 50(2) is different from the virtual game environment set up by home video game platform 50(1), allowing player H(1) and his associated player character 206 to visit the other virtual game environment 202(2) will be very interesting. The player H(1) will have become familiar with his own virtual game environment 202(1), so visiting a different virtual game environment will be fun. Moreover, the player H(1) through his player character 206 may have been searching for a number of different objects or meet a number of non-player characters 208 in order to fulfill certain objectives or quests, but may have been unable to locate certain such objects or characters because they do not exist in his own associated virtual game environment. However, such objects or characters may be found in a different virtual game environment 202(2). In accordance with the illustrative non-limiting implementation, the player character 206 may bring objects 210 with him or her when he visits a different virtual game environment 202(2), and similarly may bring objects from the other virtual game environment (and a record of characters he or she met there) back with him or her to the home virtual game environment 202(1).
In accordance with a further aspect of the illustrative non-limiting implementation, non-player characters 208 may also move between virtual game environments 202. For example, a particular non-player character 208 originally inhabiting virtual game environment 202(1) and having experienced events and met player characters 206 within that virtual game environment may move to a different virtual game environment 202(2). For example, there may be hundreds of different non-player characters 208 that the role-playing video game can support and define. However, in one exemplary non-limiting implementation, only a small subset of those non-player characters 208 (e.g., on the order of a dozen or so) may inhabit or reside in any given virtual game environment instance 202. This means that different virtual game environment instances 202 will be inhabited by different non-player characters 208—making a visit to a different virtual game environment that much more interesting. However, to further increase the interest level, non-player characters 208 can move from one virtual game environment instance 202 to another in the preferred, exemplary non-limiting implementation. Generally, the preferred exemplary non-limiting implementation causes the non-player characters 208 to trade locations (i.e., when one non-player character moves out of a particular virtual game environment instance 202, another moves in in its place). However, in certain circumstances in the preferred exemplary non-limiting implementation, it is possible for one non-player character 208 to move in without replacing another non-player character (e.g., if there are already too few non-player characters within the particular virtual game environment instance 202). In any event, a constantly changing cast of non-player characters 208 increases the level of interest of game play, and also encourages players to establish an ever-widening network of friends who are playing the game. This effect further increases the level of interest and excitement, and also encourages increased sales of the game as more people become interested in participating.
In the example non-limiting implementation, a non-player character 208 may move from one virtual game environment instance 202 to another while retaining its memories of the original game environment. The non-player character 208 once it is moved to the new virtual game environment 202(2) may, for example, have conversations with player characters 206 in the new virtual game environment about its experiences and the player characters 206 it met in the virtual game environment(s) 202(1) it formerly resided in. This provides a high degree of real life simulation and realism, and also adds a substantial amount of interest to the game play.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the illustrative non-limiting implementation, mail can be sent between virtual game environments 202 in order to permit a player character 206 in one virtual game environment to communicate with a player character in another virtual game environment 202(2). One illustrative non-limiting implementation supports only a single player at a time at each home video game platform 50, so such recorded communication between players H can be important in allowing players to coordinate efforts with one another as well as to exchange information about the game play or other matters.
As shown in
As explained above, it is helpful to the operation of the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation herein that the various home video game platforms 50 be networked together in the sense that they are able to exchange and communicate data to one another. It is not necessary or essential to the preferred exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation that any sort of a networked, central game server be provided to control the operations of the various home video game platforms 50. Rather, in the illustrative non-limiting implementation, game play is distributed throughout a collection of stand-alone, essentially autonomous home video game platforms 50 each of which is able to play the role play game independently without requiring any input or other data from any other home video game platform or other source. However, as discussed above, game play becomes much more varied and interesting if it is possible to exchange data between the various home video game platforms 50, since this allows characters, objects, mail, and other information to pass between the different instances of virtual game environment 202.
Generally, each home video game platform 50 in the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation includes some amount of writable storage capability. This writable storage capability is used to provide a “memory” for the virtual game environments 202 set up by execution of the role-playing game on the various home video platforms 50. Such non-volatile memory recording the game environment 202 parameters, the characteristics of the player characters 206, the personalization of the environment and associated dwellings 204, the set of non-player characters 208 and objects 210 defined within that particular instance of the virtual game environment, and the history and experiences of the various characters 206, 208 are preferably stored at the end of (or during) each game play session in non-volatile storage NVS (see
In the example non-limiting implementation, some subset of the data within the non-volatile storage NVS associated with one instance of virtual game environment 202 may be exchanged (i.e., shared or transferred) with another virtual game environment. If the entire non-volatile storage NVS contents associated with one virtual game environment 202(1) were transferred and used by another virtual game environment 202(2), that other virtual game environment 202(2) might lose its uniqueness (as would the original virtual game environment 292(1)) because the states of the two virtual game environments could become identical. Therefore, in accordance with an aspect provided by the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementations, some of the non-volatile storage NVS contents are not transferred between virtual game environments 202. Rather, only a subset of the non-volatile storage NVS contents is exchanged or transferred between virtual game environments 202.
In accordance with a further aspect provided by an illustrative non-limiting implementation, some subset of data within non-volatile storage NVS may be transferred permanently to another virtual game environment 202 and deleted from the NVS associated with the original virtual game environment. Other data is shared only temporarily. Still other data is not shared but remains within the originating virtual game environment. Such different techniques for sharing, exchanging and/or transferring data are used to allow player characters 206 to temporarily visit other virtual game environment instances 202 and subsequently return “home” to their own virtual game environment while allowing certain non-player characters 208, objects 210, and letters or mail to be transferred between virtual game environments so that they start out in one virtual game environment and move to another virtual game environment without being both virtual game environments simultaneously.
The particular mechanism used to provide data communications between different video game platforms 50 and associated virtual game environments 202 depends on the storage and other capabilities of the particular video game platforms 50. For example, one type of commonly known video game platform stores video game programs within portable, interchangeable video game cartridges. Such cartridges typically include read-only memory for storing video game software, and also include read/write semiconductor memory (e.g., so-called “flash” random access memory, electrically erasable programmable read only memory, etc.) allowing data to be written into the game cartridge and stored there in non-volatile form for later retrieval. Such video game platforms may also include additional non-volatile storage in the form of, for example, an expansion memory module that can be plugged into the handheld controller 52 or other port on the video game platform 50. Such a memory storage architecture can be used to facilitate exchange of data between virtual game environment instances 202 in the preferred exemplary non-limiting implementation. As one example, the video game cartridge including its associated internal flash memory might define an associated instance of a virtual game environment 202, but might not necessarily be used for sharing data between virtual game environment instances 202. In such an architecture, portable non-volatile memory modules that are plugged into handheld controllers 52 or other ports on the home video game platform 50 might be used to store data to be exchanged or shared with another virtual game environment instance 202. In such an exemplary arrangement, data can be shared between home video game platforms 50 and associated virtual game environment instances 202 by a player H physically carrying a portable non-volatile memory from one video game platform 50 to another and coupling the non-volatile storage to the other home video game platform in order to share the data with it.
Other home video game platform 50 configurations may provide portable semiconductor writable memory devices such as, for example, memory cartridges, memory cards, or memory strips that can be used to transfer data between home video game platforms. In still other home video game platform 50 configurations, magnetic disk, magnetic tape, magnetic stripe or other portable writable memory may be available to read data from and write data to. In still other home video game platform 50 configurations, it may be possible to transfer a limited amount of data from one home video game platform to another manually (e.g., by displaying codes on the display 56 of the originating home video game platform and manually inputting these codes into the receiving home video game platform. In still other configurations, writable optical disks or other types of optical memories may be used to transfer data. The exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementations herein are intended to cover all such variations.
One example data sharing arrangement is illustrated in
While the physical transportation of a removable, non-volatile memory M from one virtual game environment instance 202(1) and associated home video game platform 50(1) to another virtual game environment instance 202(2) and associated home video game platform 59(2) is a practical and convenient way to exchange and transfer data, other data exchange techniques are also possible. For example, as shown in
In still another exemplary arrangement illustrated in
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation shown, each buffer B stores the following data:
In the illustrative exemplary non-limiting implementation, the field goods data section 302, the living animal data section 304 and the player data section 308 define the variable characteristics of the virtual game environment 202. For example, the field data section 302 defines topographic and field good data to define the overall layout of the virtual game environment instance 202 and the objects that are within it. The non-player character data section 304 defines the various non-player characters 208 within the virtual game environment instance 202. The player data section 208 defines the various player characters 206 within the virtual game environment instance 202 as well as the layout of dwellings 204 associated with each player character 206 (e.g., the furniture and other goods that are present in the various rooms and the like).
In the example non-limiting implementation, the “field goods” data section 302 stores records of goods within the instance of virtual game environment 202. In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, this data section 302 may, for example, contain thirty blocks each consisting of 16×16 units—with each good being stored within one unit. Thus, in the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, there may be 16×16×30 different goods (e.g., objects) uniquely defined within each virtual game environment instance 202.
In an example illustrative non-limiting implementation, the living animal data section 304 may store data associated with player characters 206. In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, data section 304 may store records representing up to a certain number (e.g., fifteen) different player characters 206. Thus, each virtual game environment 202 may provide up to fifteen different player characters 206—providing enough memory for seven different players H and various associated information (one per character).
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the player data section 308 stores data associated with each of four players H, and information including, for example:
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the player data section 208 stores additional information about each player including, for example:
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the moving animal data section 310 stores data associated with non-player characters 208 that originated from other virtual game environment instances 202 and have traveled to the current virtual game environment. In the illustrative exemplary non-limiting implementation, non-player characters 208 that originated from other virtual game environments 202 appear at next game play. Accordingly, when associated data is first transferred, it is stored within the data section 310 in the exemplary non-limiting implementation before being introduced into the current virtual game environment.
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation shown in
A player character 206 originating from another virtual game environment instance 202 may visit a different virtual game environment instance by having the data associated with that player character 206 being stored and presented in the portable data section 312. Note that this player character 206 is not resident within the virtual game environment instance 202 because his or her data is not stored as “home” data in the FR storage. However, this player character 206 may interact with the virtual game environment instance 202 he or she is visiting, and may collect and gather objects from that virtual environment that he or she may bring “home” to his or her “home” virtual game environment instance 202.
In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, a non-player character 208 that moves from one virtual game environment instance 202 to another has its data transferred from the “home” data section 304 to the portable data section 314. As shown in
In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, letters and other communications 316 may be injected into a virtual game environment instance 202. Similarly, letters from one virtual game environment instance 202 may be send out via the portable memory RAM for communication to another virtual game environment instance.
In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, if the player who began playing the game is a non-resident player character 206, then the player data is loaded from the portable memory M. It there is moving non-player character 208 data within this portable memory M, then such data is loaded into the virtual game environment instance 202 as non-player character 208 data moved in from outside of the current virtual game environment. Player data and moving non-player character data within the “home” storage FR should be maintained to prevent the virtual game environment instance 202 from losing its uniqueness and/or the history of its resident player characters 206.
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, if a non-player character 208 is planning to move and this has been newly selected, the non-player character 208 sends a letter notifying the resident player characters 206 of the non-player character 208's forwarding address. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the “change of address” notice includes a request to the resident player characters 206 to send the moving non-player character 208 notes from time to time. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, when a player character 206 is sent a letter from a non-player character 208 who is planning to move, the contents of the letter is copied into the memory area of the non-player character who is planning to move. If multiple letters are being sent, only the last letter is retained in the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation.
If any player characters 206 go on a visit to a different virtual game environment instance 202 after saving associated data into the “home” memory area FR, the player data and data representing non-player characters 208 who are planning to move is stored into the portable memory M and the associated player data and the non-player character 208 data of non-player characters planning to move are deleted from the “home” data storage area FR. In this way, a particular character exists in only one virtual game environment 202 at a time. Thus, once a player character 206 had its data stored within the portable memory M, this player is “outside” of the originating virtual game environment instance 202 (see
If a player character 206 originates from outside of the current virtual game environment instance 202, there is no need to copy this player data into the “home” game storage area FR. Rather, this data remains in the portable game storage area M so that it can be returned to its originating virtual game environment instance 202. At the time that player character data 206 is stored into the portable memory M, any non-player characters 208 that are planning to move are also stored into the portable memory device. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, any non-player characters 208 stored within the portable memory M that have moved from another virtual game environment instance 202 may at this time be read from the portable memory M and stored into the “home” storage FR.
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, if a resident player character 206 is the player character who has started game play and the portable memory M contains data associated with a non-player character 208 that is to move into the virtual game environment instance 202, then a special check is performed. In particular, in the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a player character 206 resident in a particular virtual game environment 202 may not always save data into the portable memory M at the end of each gaming session. Accordingly, a non-player character 208 that is planning to move into the current virtual game environment instance 202 may not yet be able to do so because there may not be enough room to let this non-player character move in. More specifically, in the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, only a certain limited number (e.g., fifteen) non-player characters 208 may be admitted into a virtual game environment instance 202 at any one time. Accordingly, one of the non-player characters 208 may need to move out of the current virtual game environment instance 202 before a new one can move in. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, this issue is handled as shown in
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the contents of the temporary memory M are retained until rewritten in a correct fashion in order to prevent data from being lost in the case where a player H shuts down the game system without correctly quitting the game and allowing it to run through the game save sequence. However, it is important to monitor whether the temporary memory M is inserted into the video game platform 50 at time of game play, since it is possible that a player might try to pull the temporary memory M out in the middle of game play and replace it with a new temporary memory device in order to provide copying of temporary memory device contents. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, if the temporary memory M is removed from the portable video game system 50 in the middle of game play, game play will halt until the same portable memory M is reinserted (thus preventing copying of data that might result in “cloning” certain non-player characters 208 so they could exist in multiple different virtual game environments 202 simultaneously).
In the example and illustrative non-limiting implementation, players H may not necessarily simultaneously be playing within a given virtual game environment 202, but may wish to exchange information with one another via messaging capabilities. In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, the virtual game environment 202 models a postal delivery system for the distribution of mail. As shown in
In the example non-limiting implementation, a “post office” building is defined as a certain location within the virtual game environment 202. In the example non-limiting implementation, a non-player character 208 is assigned to operate as a postal office clerk to run the post office. In one example non-limiting implementation, there may be two different non-player characters 208 who serve as postal office clerks—one may work during a daytime shift and another may work during a nighttime shift. The postal clerk non-player character 208 delivers mail and leaflets to each player character 206's mailbox MB. The post office clerk may make these deliveries at predetermined real times during the day (e.g., once in the morning and once in the evening at specific times). Between delivery times, the postal clerk non-player character 208 may hold the letters and leaflets in the post office PO.
In the example non-limiting implementation, a maximum of a certain number of letters (e.g., five) can be held by the post office PO at any one time. More than this predetermined number of letters cannot be held. If a player attempts to send an additional letter through the post office PO when the post office already holds its capacity of letters, the non-player character 208 postal clerk may turn down receipt through a conversation and ask the player character 206 to return later. In the example non-limiting implementation, when the post office holds a letter, the letter is held and stocked once irrespective of whether the letter is addressed to a player character 206 or to a non-player character 208. If the mailbox MB of a particular player to whom a letter is addressed is full, no new letters can be sent to that player until the player reads the mail in his mailbox. The non-player character 208 postal clerk may also refuse receipt of letters having an address that does not exist in a particular virtual game environment instance 202. In the example, non-limiting implementation, the post office PO continues to hold letters that are not deliverable for some reason.
In the example non-limiting implementation, the non-player character postal clerk delivers mail at regular delivery times. However, in the example non-limiting implementation, once a predetermined maximum number of letters is being held by the post office PO, the postal clerk makes a special delivery. If the postal clerk non-player character refuses receipt of a new piece of mail, the postal clerk non-player character is sent out when a player leaves the post office. Because a letter addressed to a player is accepted while it is still being determined whether any space remains in the post office PO in one illustrative non-limiting implementation, a situation that letters more than the number that are deliverable end up being accumulated will probably not happen very often.
In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, if the particular virtual game environment 202 is not in session (e.g., the player H is not playing the game) at the time the next mail delivery is scheduled, the mail delivery is made during an initial part of the next game session. Thus, the preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation saves the time of the last mail delivery so it can be referenced later during a subsequent game session.
It is possible for non-player characters 208 to move from one virtual game environment 202 to another while a letter addressed to the non-player character is still being held at the post office PO pending delivery. In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, a special delivery is made to deliver a letter being held for a non-player character 208 at the time the non-player character gets ready to leave the virtual game environment instance 202 to travel to another virtual game environment instance.
Leaflets announcing upcoming events may be stored once in the event leaflet box. Everyday leaflets that are to be delivered to particular players may be stored in the everyday leaflet box. Leaflets stored in each leaflet box are delivered to the associated player's mailbox at the same time as mail delivery. If the player's mailbox does not have enough space, then the mail is held in the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation. The exemplary implementation maintains flags for the two leaflet boxes in order to keep track of which players have received delivery of which leaflets. This permits delivery retries (e.g., in the case that a player's mailbox was full such that leaflet delivery was impossible). In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, delivery is repeatedly tried until it is completed. After a particular leaflet has been delivered to all resident player characters 206, the associated leaflet data is deleted from the leaflet delivery boxes. In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, if new leaflet data must be stored even though old leaflet data remains to be delivered, the new leaflet data takes priority and the old leaflet data is erased.
Referring to
In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, even if the player character 206 is not within his or her dwelling place 204 when the postman arrives to deliver mail, the postman may go to the home of a player who is at home at the time. See
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, when the postman appears, he goes first to the mailbox of the player character 206 who is playing the game, and then delivers all of the resident player character mail at the same time. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the player character may raise a red flag on each dwelling place 204 after making his rounds to indicate that mail has been delivered.
An additional means of convenient communication between player characters 206 may involve the use of a centralized bulletin board (e.g., a posting board at the center of a virtual village). In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a bulletin board may be disposed at a predetermined geographic location within the virtual game environment instance 202. A certain predetermined maximum number of entries may be written onto the bulletin board. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the content of each bulletin board entry may be, for example, ninety-six letters (sixteen letters per line on each of six lines) plus the date of entry (year, month, day, for example). In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a bulletin board window may be displayed if a certain predetermined data input is performed by a player H using the handheld controller 52. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, to post a bulletin board message, the player H needs to input the text message (e.g., using a virtual keyboard or the like) and the game software supplies the date and time automatically. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, entry to the bulletin board is performed from the first page to the last. When a new entry is input after all fifteen pages are already written, the oldest page may be removed, the previous second page may become the new first page, and so on (see
Referring to
If block 504 determines that there is a problem with the real time clock, a character appears on the screen and informs the user that the clock has a problem and asks the user what he wants to do (block 506). The user can choose to restart at a later time (block 508), or may choose to activate a counter to be used instead of the real time clock in order to keep track of the passage of time in the current game play session (block 510). If the user chooses to activate a counter, then the software prompts the user to input the current time and date (block 512), and game play may proceed after a fade out (block 514). As mentioned above, in some home video game platforms 50 without any hardware real time clock capability, the functionality provided by blocks 510, 512 may be used as a default.
The preferred exemplary and illustrative implementation routine then checks to determine whether a virtual game environment 202 has already been set up (block 516). If virtual game environment has already been set up (“yes” exit to block 516), then the current game play session uses that already-defined virtual game environment and proceeds to the portion of routine shown in
Referring to
Referring to
If the user chooses to remove a particular player character 206 (block 562), then the routine checks whether more than one player character dwells in the virtual game environment 202. If only one player character 206 remains, then the program indicates an error message stating that it cannot remove the last inhabitant (block 576). On the other hand, if more than one player character 206 inhabits the virtual game environment 202 so that one character can be removed without deleting all remaining player characters, then the routine asks which player character is to be removed (block 578). In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the routine will refuse to remove a player character 206 who is not at home (it would be disconcerting for the player H to try to return home with his player character 206 only to discover that someone else had expelled him from the virtual game environment 202 in his or her absence) (blocks 580, 582). If the player character 206 is at home, then the routine asks the user to confirm removal (block 586) and, upon receiving such confirmation, will delete the player character 206 (blocks 588, 590, 592).
If the user selects the prompt to change the current real time clock setting (block 564), then the routine prompts the user for the current date and time (block 594) and effects this change (blocks 596, 698).
Referring to
In the case of when a player character 206 has left the virtual game environment 202 to visit another instance of the virtual game environment and then has returned home, exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation permits different save options (e.g., when quitting the game, a save is possible both at home and at the railroad station simulation). When saving at home, the virtual game environment 202 and associated player character data 308 are updated and the player data within the portable memory M is then deleted. If the player character 206 is to remain at the railroad station construct rather than entering back into the virtual game environment 202, then the data within the permanent memory FR can be updated and the player character data 312 may then be copied into the portable memory M to thereby allow the player character 206 to make another journey.
In the case that the player character 206 present in a portable memory M is not a resident player (“not resident player” exit to block 608), this indicates that a player character has come to visit the virtual game environment instance 202 (block 626). In this case, the game routine displays a welcome message (block 628), and prepares to reset and start game play beginning from the railroad station construct through which the player character returns into the virtual game environment (blocks 630, 632).
As also shown in
In the exemplary non-limiting implementation, if the player character 206 is not at home (i.e., he or she is out visiting another virtual game environment 202) (“not at home” exit to decision block 650), then the game routine asks the user whether he or she wishes to play even though his or her player is not at home (block 658). The user may choose to not play (block 660), or he or she may choose to play anyway (blocks 662, 664, 666).
In the case where the specified player is outside of the virtual game environments 202 and game proceeds, the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation removes all of the player's objects other than letters in order to provide copy protection.
As described above, a prepare to reset is performed at various points of the game routine (blocks 646, 654, 664). In such instances, exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation embeds a random cryptogram into the associated player data. This random cryptogram data is then saved. By deleting stored cryptogram codes when the user quits the game in normal mode, irregular quitting can be detected. If the game routine detects that an irregular termination of the game has occurred, the game routine may display a message at the next game session start warning the user against irregular termination.
In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, when a user plays the game beginning with the player character 204 associated with the user being at home (i.e., resident within the virtual game environment 202), there are two possible game termination conditions:
In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, when saving the player character within the current virtual game environment 202, the associated player data 308 is updated within the permanently associated memory FR and then the player data is deleted from the portable memory 312. On the other hand, when the player character 206 is to go on a visit to another virtual game environment instance 202, the permanent storage FR is updated and then the associated player character data 314 is copied into the portable memory M.
Referring to
Referring to
To begin the data save process, the exemplary game routine first checks whether a train construct has arrived at the station construct to provide a transport for the data (block 746). If not, then the game routine performs various preparation steps before saving any data (block 750). The exemplary game end routine then begins saving data (block 752) and associated processing (block 754). Data error writing conditions are checked and exception messages are generated in response (block 756). In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, the exemplary game play routine then displays a train arriving at the station to pick up the passengers, and the game play then fades out as the train departs from the station to create an illusion that the player characters 206 are really going on a journey to another virtual game environment instance 202 (blocks 758, 760, 762, 764).
Assuming that the non-player character 208 will be permitted to leave the virtual game environment instance 202, the routine determines or selects which non-player character 208 should be selected to move (block 806), and then generates a notice letter informing the player characters 206 that this non-player character 208 is going to move (block 808). General game play then occurs (block 810). In the example non-limiting implementation, after the conclusion of general game play, a test is performed to determine whether to save the non-player character 208 associated data into the permanently-associated memory FR or into the portable memory M (i.e., whether the non-player character is to move into the current virtual game environment instance 202 or whether it is to move out of it) (decision block 812). If the non-player character 208 is moving into the current virtual game environment (“cartridge” exit to decision block 812), then the exemplary game routine tests whether the non-player character 208 planning to move already exists and whether the number of non-player characters already resident are at a maximum (decision blocks 814, 816). Failing either of these tests will prevent the non-player character 208 from becoming resident in the current virtual game environment instance 202. However, assuming there is sufficient room and the same non-player character 208 is not already resident, then blocks 818, 820 are preformed to move the non-player character planning to move into a hidden data area and deleting the original non-player character that was planning to move. Space is also reserved within the virtual environment 202 in which to place the new non-player character (block 822), and the contents of the permanently associated memory FR are updated accordingly (block 824).
In the case where the non-player character 208 is planning to move out of the current virtual game environment instance 202 (“move out” exit to decision block 812), the exemplary game routine performs a test to determine whether this non-player character 208 is already resident in the temporary memory M (decision block 826).
Assuming the test of decision block 826 passes, the exemplary game routine moves the non-player character 208 into the temporary memory M and deletes the corresponding entry from the permanently associated memory device FR (blocks 828, 830). In the example non-limiting implementation, additional player data may then be moved into the temporary memory M if desired (block 832), a place is reserved for an additional non-player character 208 that may wish to become resident in the virtual game environment instance 202 (block 834), the game routine prepares information indicating that the player data is a visitor (block 836), and then the contents of the permanently associated memory FR are updated appropriately (block 838).
Referring to
In one example illustrative non-limiting implementation of a role playing video game provided in accordance with this non-limiting implementation, player characters 206 may be assigned or can volunteer for quests to satisfy certain objectives. While quests are relatively common in adventure-type games, the communication and discrete different instances of the virtual game playing environment 202 provided by an exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation creates additional opportunities for quests. As one example, a player character 206 may undertake a quest to bring borrowed goods to a non-player character 208 that has moved to a different virtual game environment instance 202. For example, suppose that a player character 206 borrows or finds goods owned by a particular non-player character 208—and then, the non-player character moves to a different village or other virtual game environment instance 202 without bringing the goods along with it. In the example non-limiting implementation, a player character 206 may volunteer or undertake to bring such goods to the non-player character 208 who has subsequently moved to a different village. In this example non-limiting implementation, conditions involved in creating the quest include there being at least one space existing in the player's goods space 302 available, and that there be information stored within the home memory space FR indicating that a non-player character 208 has moved out. In that case, the player character 206 may be given a reward if he or she returns such goods to the non-player character 208. For example, when the quest is achieved, certain goods may be given to the player character 206, for example:
In order to prepare for the quest, the illustrative game stores secretly the data of the recently moved out non-player character 208 into an appropriate space within the memory FR. Non-player character information 208 which should be stored may include necessary information for specifying the non-player character when delivering the goods to it (e.g., a name and native country of the non-player character plus for example a secret identifier). This information is updated whether or not the player character 206 was the character that brought the non-player character 208 to the other village. In the illustrative exemplary non-limiting implementation, it is sufficient if there is only a single number of spaces available for storing this information.
Upon confirming that the non-player character 208 has moved out and that the information concerning the quest is correct, the exemplary game software determines the target non-player character. Then, the game in the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation randomly determines an object that will be said to have been left behind by the non-player character 208. This object may be specified in a table of borrowed objects, for example.
The game then, in the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, asks the player character 208 to deliver the object to the moved-out non-player character 208. In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, the non-player character delivery information may be deleted upon completion of the quest in order to prevent overlapping quests from being created. If the player 206 succeeds in delivering the object to the non-player character, then the game gives money or other goods to the player character 206 as a reward.
In the example illustrative non-limiting implementation, the game software creates a table for the goods to be delivered in the quest. If a quest is created, then goods are randomly selected from that table and used. Such goods may include, for example, a guitar, a video, a picture book, a compact disk, a pocket Pikachu, a GAME BOY, glasses, a pocketbook, a clock, a comic book, or any other object. Different messages may be used to start the quest, to complete the quest, and to allow the player character 206 to give up on the quest without completing it.
While the technology herein has been described in connection with exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementations, the invention is not to be limited by the disclosure. The invention is intended to be defined by the claims and to cover all corresponding and equivalent arrangements whether or not specifically disclosed herein.
This application is a continuing application of application Ser. No. 10/217,140 filed Aug. 13, 2002, which claims priority from application Ser. No. 60/313,470 filed Aug. 21, 2001. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60313470 | Aug 2001 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10217140 | Aug 2002 | US |
| Child | 11178483 | Jul 2005 | US |
