System and method for recording and displaying a graphical path in a video game
View Patent ↗A system and method for recording and displaying a graphical path in a video game is provided. Upon initiation of a time-trial run, the player views a color-coded previous game path that dynamically changes color based upon a current elapsed time associated with the time-trial run, elapsed times associated with the previous game path, and character states associated with the previous game path. The previous game path may include, but is not limited to, a “best time” path, a “worst time” path, and an “average time” path. In one embodiment of the invention, the player may gauge game progress as measured against the “best time” path as displayed via a series of path markers, and subsequently varies player character input controls to optimize performance against a player character associated with the “best time” path.
1. A method for displaying a graphical path in a video game, comprising:
retrieving graphical path data associated with a previous run;
displaying the graphical path data as a visual string of path markers; and
determining a color for a displayed path marker of the visual string of path markers based upon an elapsed time from a starting point to a current location of a player character of a current video game session and an elapsed time from a starting point to the current location of the player character associated with the displayed path marker from the previous run and recorded for each point in the path, wherein the current location is after the starting line but prior to the finish line for a course being traversed in the current video game session.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the color for a displayed path marker includes selecting a first color for the displayed path marker when the elapsed time associated with the displayed path marker is greater than the elapsed time of the current video game session.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the color for a displayed path marker includes selecting a second color for the displayed path marker based upon a character state associated with the displayed path marker when the elapsed time associated with the displayed path marker is less than or equal to the elapsed time of the current video game session.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the character state associated with the displayed path marker is an “on the ground” state.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the character state associated with the displayed path marker is an “airborne” state.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the character state associated with the displayed path marker is a “crashed” state.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the color for a displayed path marker includes selecting a color based upon a character state associated with the displayed path marker.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the previous run is a “best time” run.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the previous run is a “worst time” run.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the previous run is an “average time” run.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the previous run is a run selected from one or more previous runs.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating current graphical path data associated with the current video game session.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising storing the current graphical path data as “best time” run graphical path data when a total elapsed time of the current video game session is less than a total elapsed time associated with a previous “best time” run.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising storing the current graphical path data as “worst time” run graphical path data when a total elapsed time of the current video game session is greater than a total elapsed time associated with the previous run.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising utilizing the current graphical path data in determining an “average time” run graphical path data.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual string of path markers are generated at a substantially equal-distance from each other.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving graphical path data includes retrieving the graphical path data associated with the previous run from a data cache.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving graphical path data includes retrieving the graphical path data associated with the previous run from a memory card.
19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for displaying a graphical path in a video game, the method comprising:
retrieving graphical path data associated with a previous run;
displaying the graphical path data as a visual string of path markers; and
determining a color for a displayed path marker of the visual string of path markers based upon an elapsed time from a starting point to a current location of a player character of a current video game session and an elapsed time from a starting point to the current location of a player character associated with the displayed path marker from the previous run and recorded for each point in the path, wherein the current location is after the starting line but prior to the finish line for a course being traversed in the current video game session.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein determining the color for the displayed path marker includes selecting a first color for the displayed path marker when the elapsed time associated with the displayed path marker is greater than the elapsed time of the current video game session.
21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein determining the color for the displayed path marker includes selecting a second color for the displayed path marker based upon a character state associated with the displayed path marker when the elapsed time associated with the displayed path marker is less than or equal to the elapsed time of the current video game session.
22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising generating current graphical path data associated with the current video game session.
23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22 , further comprising storing the current graphical path data as the “best time” run graphical path data when a total elapsed time of the current video game session is less than a total elapsed time associated with a previous “best time” run.
24. An electronic entertainment system for displaying a graphical path in a video game, comprising:
a data cache configured to store graphical path data associated with a current video game session and a previous run;
a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory to:
retrieve the graphical path data associated with the previous run,
to generate a visual string of path markers, and
to determine a color for a displayed path marker of the visual string of path markers based upon an elapsed time from a starting point to a current location of a player character of a current video game session and an elapsed time from a starting point to the current location of a player character associated with the displayed path marker from the previous run and recorded for each point in the path, wherein the current location is after the starting line but prior to the finish line for a course being traversed in the current video game session; and
a display device configured to display the visual string of path markers.
25. The electronic entertainment system of claim 24 , wherein the processor is configured to further execute instructions stored in memory to determine a color for a displayed path marker of the visual string of path markers based upon a character state associated with the displayed path marker.
26. The electronic entertainment system of claim 24 , further comprising a memory card and coupled to the processor, the memory card configured to store graphical path data associated with the previous run.
27. The electronic entertainment system of claim 24 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored in memory to:
generate graphical path data of the current video game session; and
store graphical path data of the current video game session in the data cache.
28. The electronic entertainment system of claim 24 , wherein the processor is configured to further execute instructions stored in memory to store current graphical path data of the current video game session as “best time” run graphical path data when a total elapsed time of the current video game session is less than a total elapsed time associated with a previous “best time” run.
29. A system for displaying a graphical path in a video game session, comprising:
means for retrieving graphical path data associated with a previous video game session;
means for displaying the graphical path data as a visual string of path markers; and
means for determining a color of a displayed path marker of the visual string of path markers based upon an elapsed time from a starting point to a current location of a player character of the video game session, an elapsed time from a starting point to the current location of a player character associated with the displayed path marker from the previous run and recorded for each point in the path, and a character state associated with the displayed path marker, wherein the current location is after the starting line but prior to the finish line for a course being traversed in the current video game session.