Granted Patent B2

US 12,440,765 · App. 18/339,638 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Inventors: Shinya Sano (Kyoto, JP); Kodai Matsumoto (Kyoto, JP); Takaki Abe (Osaka, JP)

Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.

A63F13/57A63F13/52

Abstract

Claims (73)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored with a game program executable by an information processing apparatus, wherein the game program causes one or more processors of the information processing apparatus to execute:

setting a predetermined position in a virtual space as a target point;

arranging an indicating object having a first portion and a second portion within a predetermined range on the basis of a position of a player character in the virtual space;

moving the player character in the virtual space based on an operation input by a player;

updating an orientation of the indicating object so that the first portion becomes a position closer to the target point than the player character and the second portion becomes a position farther from the target point than the player character, and a horizontal component of a direction toward the first portion from the second portion faces the target point;

updating, based on a component of a height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the player character, a height of an end portion of the first portion on a side of the target point; and

generating, based on a virtual camera in the virtual space, a display image including at least the indicating object and the player character.

2. The storage medium according to the claim 1 , wherein the indicating object includes a first object and a direction indicating portion indicating a direction up to the target point, and the game program further causes the one or more processors to execute:

arranging the first object so as to surround the player character;

updating the orientation of the indicating object by rotating the indicating object around a center of the first object so that the direction indicating portion faces the target point with respect to a horizontal direction; and

updating the height of the direction indicating portion by changing, based on a component of a height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the player character, a lean of the indicating object.

3. The storage medium according to the claim 2 , wherein the first object is a circular-ring-shape or a cylindrical shape, and

the first portion is a first circular arc that is a part of the first object on a side of the direction indicating portion, and the second portion is a second circular arc that is a part of the first object on a side opposite to the direction indicating portion.

4. The storage medium according to the claim 2 , wherein the direction indicating portion is a triangular shape, and

the game program causes the one or more processors to execute arranging the direction indicating portion so that a predetermined tip end of the direction indicating portion faces a side of the target point.

5. The storage medium according to the claim 2 , wherein a part of the first object is rendered with a visual feature different from another part of the first object.

6. The storage medium according to the claim 2 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

generating a second object when a relationship between the player character and the target point satisfies a predetermined condition; and

moving the second object toward the target point from the first object.

7. The storage medium according to the claim 6 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute arranging the indicating object in the virtual space during when the predetermined condition is not satisfied while not arranging the indicating object in the virtual space during when the predetermined condition is being satisfied.

8. The storage medium according to the claim 1 , wherein the first portion has a first end portion and includes an arrow-shaped plane having a tip end at a side of the first end portion, and the second portion has a second end portion and a plane having a tip end at an opposite side to a side of the second end portion, wherein

the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

arranging the first portion and the second portion so as to sandwich the player character; and

deforming the first portion or changing a lean of the first portion so that a height of the first end portion is changed based on a component of the height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the player character.

9. The storage medium according to the claim 8 , wherein the second portion is a shape including a triangular plane, and the game program causes the one or more processors to execute arranging the second portion so that the tip end faces a side of the target point.

10. The storage medium according to the claim 8 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

deforming the first portion or changing the lean of the first portion when the position of the player character is higher than the target point so that the position of the first end portion becomes a position lower than a position of the first end portion in a case where the position of the player character is not higher than the target point; and

deforming the first portion or changing the lean of the first portion when the position of the player character is lower than the target point so that the position of the first end portion becomes a position higher than the position of the first end portion in a case where the position of the player character is not lower than the target point.

11. The storage medium according to the claim 8 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

rotating the first portion so that a part of the arrow-shaped plane of the first portion faces a direction of the virtual camera; and

further deforming the first portion or further changing the lean of the first portion while maintaining the position of the first end portion when the first portion is rotated.

12. A game system comprising one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors executes:

setting a predetermined position in a virtual space as a target point;

arranging an indicating object having a first portion and a second portion within a predetermined range on the basis of a position of a player character in the virtual space;

moving the player character in the virtual space based on an operation input by a player;

updating an orientation of the indicating object so that the first portion becomes a position closer to the target point than the player character and the second portion becomes a position farther from the target point than the player character, and a horizontal component of a direction toward the first portion from the second portion faces the target point;

updating, based on a component of a height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the player character, a height of an end portion of the first portion on a side of the target point; and

generating, based on a virtual camera in the virtual space, a display image including at least the indicating object and the player character.

13. The game system according to the claim 12 , wherein the indicating object includes a first object and a direction indicating portion indicating a direction up to the target point, and a game program further causes the one or more processors to execute:

arranging the first object so as to surround the player character;

updating the orientation of the indicating object by rotating the indicating object around a center of the first object so that the direction indicating portion faces the target point with respect to a horizontal direction; and

updating the height of the direction indicating portion by changing, based on a component of a height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the plyer character, a lean of the indicating object.

14. The game system according to the claim 13 , wherein the first object is a circular-ring-shape or a cylindrical shape, and

the first portion is a first circular arc that is a part of the first object on a side of the direction indicating portion, and the second portion is a second circular arc that is a part of the first object on a side opposite to the direction indicating portion.

15. The game system according to the claim 13 , wherein the direction indicating portion is a triangular shape, and

the game program causes the one or more processors to execute arranging the direction indicating portion so that a predetermined tip end of the direction indicating portion faces a side of the target point.

16. The game system according to the claim 13 , wherein a part of the first object is rendered with a visual feature different from another part of the first object.

17. The game system according to the claim 13 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

generating a second object when a relationship between the player character and the target point satisfies a predetermined condition; and

moving the second object toward the target point from the first object.

18. The game system according to the claim 17 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute arranging the indicating object in the virtual space during when the predetermined condition is not satisfied while not arranging the indicating object in the virtual space during when the predetermined condition is being satisfied.

19. The game system according to the claim 12 , wherein the first portion has a first end portion and includes an arrow-shaped plane having a tip end at a side of the first end portion, and the second portion has a second end portion and a plane having a tip end at an opposite side to a side of the second end portion, wherein

a game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

arranging the first portion and the second portion so as to sandwich the player character; and

deforming the first portion or changing a lean of the first portion so that a height of the first end portion is changed based on a component of the height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the player character.

20. The game system according to the claim 19 , wherein the second portion is a shape including a triangular plane, and the game program causes the one or more processors to execute arranging the second portion so that the tip end faces a side of the target point.

21. The game system according to the claim 19 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

deforming the first portion or changing the lean of the first portion when the position of the player character is higher than the target point so that the position of the first end portion becomes a position lower than a position of the first end portion in a case where the position of the player character is not higher than the target point; and

deforming the first portion or changing the lean of the first portion when the position of the player character is lower than the target point so that the position of the first end portion becomes a position higher than the position of the first end portion in a case where the position of the player character is not lower than the target point.

22. The game system according to the claim 19 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:

rotating the first portion so that a part of the arrow-shaped plane of the first portion faces a direction of the virtual camera; and

further deforming the first portion or further changing the lean of the first portion while maintaining the position of the first end portion when the first portion is rotated.

23. A game control method in a game apparatus comprising one or more processors, wherein the game control method causes the one or more processors to execute:

setting a predetermined position in a virtual space as a target point;

arranging an indicating object having a first portion and a second portion within a predetermined range on the basis of a position of a player character in the virtual space;

moving the player character in the virtual space based on an operation input by a player;

updating an orientation of the indicating object so that the first portion becomes a position closer to the target point than the player character and the second portion becomes a position farther from the target point than the player character, and a horizontal direction of a direction toward the first portion from the second portion faces the target point;

updating, based on a component of a height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the player character, a height of an end portion of the first portion on a side of the target point; and

generating, based on a virtual camera in the virtual space, a display image including at least the indicating object and the player character.

24. The game control method according to the claim 23 , wherein the indicating object includes a first object and a direction indicating portion indicating a direction up to the target point, and the game program further causes the one or more processors to execute:

arranging the first object so as to surround the player character;

updating the orientation of the indicating object by rotating the indicating object around a center of the first object so that the direction indicating portion faces the target point with respect to a horizontal direction; and

updating the height of the direction indicating portion by changing, based on a component of a height direction of a direction toward the target point from the position of the plyer character, a lean of the indicating object.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (20)