Game device, game control method and information storage medium

1. A game device including executable game software defining a plurality of game characters constituting a first team made to correspond to a first region, a plurality of game characters constituting a second team made to correspond to a second region, and a ball being arranged at a field provided with the first region and the second region, with the ball being made to move on the field, for executing a ball game where the ball is caused to move to within goals arranged at the first region or second region corresponding to the opposing team, and at least one player-operable controller enabling at least one player to input game operation commands that are operative to control the movement of at least one game character, comprising:

means for storing a progress variable, comprising numerical data within a range of value, expressing an extent of superiority of the first team over the second team during computer-controlled game play;

means for determining which team is in possession of the ball during computer-controlled game play;

means for acquiring the ball position and the position of the game character in possession of the ball as a possession position during computer-controlled game play;

progress variable updating means for (1) executing processing to enable the progress variable to approach a prescribed fixed value when the first team is in possession of the ball and the ball is within a first attacking preparation region common to part or all of the first region during computer-controlled game play by selectively performing incrementing or decrementing, (2) executing processing to increase the progress variable when the first team is in possession of the ball and the possession position is outside of the first attacking preparation region during game play, (3) executing processing to enable the progress variable to approach the fixed value when the second team is in possession of the ball and the ball is within the second attacking preparation region common to part or all of the first region during the game play by selectively performing incrementing or decrementing, and (4) executing processing to reduce the progress variable when the second team is in possession of the ball and the possession position is outside of the second attacking preparation region during the game play; and

means for displaying according to the progress variable relative superiority of said first team and said second team as periodically determined during computer-controlled game play,

wherein the progress variable has a maximum value and a minimum value, and

the fixed value is set to be an intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value.

2. The game device as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein the game is a soccer game.

3. The game device as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein

the first attacking preparation region is the same region as the first region.

4. The game device as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein

the second attacking preparation region is the same region as the second region.

5. The game device as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein

the progress variable updating means contains means for increasing and decreasing the progress variable according to the occurrence of a prescribed event if the prescribed event occurs when the ball is in the possession of the first team or the second team.

6. The game device as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein the game device further comprises:

past progress variable storage means for storing a prescribed number of current values for the progress variable every prescribed time; and

comparison display means for displaying images in order of storage to the past progress variable storage means according to each progress condition stored in the past progress variable storage means in a comparison manner.

7. A control method for a game for enabling games to function on a game device including executable game software defining a plurality of game characters constituting a first team made to correspond to a first region, a plurality of game characters constituting a second team made to correspond to a second region, and a ball being arranged at a field provided with the first region and the second region, with the ball being made to move on the field, for executing a ball game where the ball is caused to move to within goals arranged at the first region or second region corresponding to the opposing team, and at least one player-operable controller enabling at least one player to input game operation commands that are operative to control the movement of at least one game character, comprising:

a step of storing a progress variable, comprising numerical data within a range of value, expressing an extent of superiority of the first team during computer-controlled game play;

a step of determining which team is in possession of the ball during game play;

a step of acquiring the ball position and the position of the game character in possession of the ball as a possession position during computer-controlled game play;

a progress variable updating step of (1) executing processing to enable the progress variable to approach a prescribed fixed value when the first team is in possession of the ball and the ball is within a first attacking preparation region common to part or all of the first region during game play during computer-controlled game play by selectively performing incrementing or decrementing, (2) executing processing to increase the progress variable when the first team is in possession of the ball and the possession position is outside of the first attacking preparation region during computer-controlled game play; (3) executing processing to enable the progress variable to approach the fixed value when the second team is in possession of the ball and the ball is within the second attacking preparation region common to part or all of the first region during computer controlled game play by selectively performing incrementing or decrementing, and (4) executing processing to reduce the progress variable when the second team is in possession of the ball and the possession position is outside of the second attacking preparation region during computer-controlled game play: and

a step of displaying according to the progress variable relative superiority of said first team and said second team as periodically determined during computer-controlled game play,

wherein the progress variable has a maximum value and a minimum value, and

the fixed value is set to be an intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value.

8. A non-transitory information storage medium readable by a computer and storing a program for causing a computer to function so as to execute a game that defines a plurality of game characters constituting a first team made to correspond to a first region, a plurality of game characters constituting a second team made to correspond to a second region, and a ball being arranged at a field provided with the first region and the second region, with the ball being made to move on the field, for executing a ball game where the ball is caused to move to within goals arranged at the first region or second region corresponding to the opposing team and responds to at least one player-operable controller enabling at least one player to input game operation commands that are operative to control the movement of at least one game character, wherein the computer functions as:

means for storing a progress variable, comprising numerical data within a range of value, expressing an extent of superiority of the first team during computer-controlled game play;

means for determining which team is in possession of the ball during computer-controlled game play;

means for acquiring the ball position and the position of the game character in possession of the ball as a possession position during computer-controlled game play;

progress variable updating means for (1) executing processing to enable the progress variable to approach a prescribed fixed value when the first team is in possession of the ball and the ball is within a first attacking preparation region common to part or all of the first region during computer-controlled game play by selectively performing incrementing or decrementing, (2) executing processing to increase the progress variable when the first team is in possession of the ball and the possession position is outside of the first attacking preparation region during computer-controlled game play, (3) executing processing to enable the progress variable to approach the fixed value when the second team is in possession of the ball and the ball is within the second attacking preparation region common to part or all of the first region during computer-controlled game play by selectively incrementing or decrementing, and (4) executing processing to reduce the progress variable when the second team is in possession of the ball and the possession position is outside of the second attacking preparation region during computer-controlled game play: and

means for displaying according to the progress variable relative superiority of said first team and said second team as periodically determined during computer-controlled game play,

wherein the progress variable has a maximum value and a minimum value, and

the fixed value is set to be an intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value.