IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,364,927
Granted Patent B2
US 12,364,927 · App. 19/006,469 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Storage medium, information processing system, and game processing method

Inventors: Yuya Sato (Kyoto, JP); Takuma Deguchi (Kyoto, JP); Yosuke Sakooka (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
A63F13/56A63F13/44
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,364,927
App. No.
19/006,469
Granted
Jul 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example of an information processing system performs a control for moving a non-player character so as to accompany a player character, and a control for stopping movement of the non-player character within a first range according to stop of movement of the player character. The information processing system executes a control corresponding to the non-player character according to a second operation input performed in a state where a predetermined positional relationship indicating that the player character and the non-player character are near to each other is satisfied. In a case where the player character resumes moving after having been stopped, if the player character is positioned within a second range including the first range, the non-player character does not resume moving along with the player character, and the non-player character resumes moving according to the player character moving out of the second range.

Claims (70)

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of an information processing apparatus to execute information processing comprising:

changing a direction of a virtual camera according to a first operation input;

moving a player character in a virtual space according to a second operation input;

moving at least one non-player character, that accompanies the player character, according to the movement of the player character in the virtual space; and

moving the at least one non-player character, positioned within a field-of-view range of the virtual camera, out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during an aiming mode, wherein the virtual camera is placed at a position behind the player character during a normal mode, and, during the aiming mode, the virtual camera is placed at a position nearer to the player character compared to the normal mode.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

stopping the movement of the non-player character, accompanying the player character, based on the movement of the player character stopping.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

in association with the at least one non-player character being shifted from a non-fighting state to a fightable state, causing the at least one non-player character to attack an enemy character present in the virtual space in the fightable state.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

according to an operation input, shifting the at least one non-player character to an attack readiness state; and

causing the at least one non-player character to execute an attack motion in the attack readiness state.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

after the at least one non-player character is moved out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, moving the at least one non-player character into the field-of-view range of the virtual camera in a situation where the aiming mode shifts to the normal mode.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

during the normal mode, in a state where the player character faces a line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera, moving the at least one non-player character to accompany the player character at a position at a far side of the player character in the line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

changing an advancing direction of the at least one non-player character according to a change in an advancing direction of the player character, in the normal mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-player character is moved out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of an information processing apparatus to execute information processing comprising:

changing a direction of a virtual camera according to a first operation input;

moving a player character in a virtual space according to a second operation input;

moving at least one non-player character, that accompanies the player character, according to the movement of the player character in the virtual space; and

moving the at least one non-player character, positioned within a field-of-view range of the virtual camera, in a direction towards a position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during an aiming mode, wherein the virtual camera is placed at a position behind the player character during a normal mode, and, during the aiming mode, the virtual camera is placed at a position nearer to the player character compared to the normal mode.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

stopping the movement of the non-player character, accompanying the player character, based on the movement of the player character stopping.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

in association with the at least one non-player character being shifted from a non-fighting state to a fightable state, causing the at least one non-player character to attack an enemy character present in the virtual space in the fightable state.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

according to an operation input, shifting the at least one non-player character to an attack readiness state; and

causing the at least one non-player character to execute an attack motion in the attack readiness state.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

after the at least one non-player character is moved in the direction towards the position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, moving the at least one non-player character in an opposite direction of the direction towards the position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera in a situation where the aiming mode shifts to the normal mode.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

during the normal mode, in a state where the player character faces a line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera, moving the at least one non-player character to accompany the player character at a position at a far side of the player character in the line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to execute information processing comprising:

changing an advancing direction of the at least one non-player character according to a change in an advancing direction of the player character, in the normal mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one non-player character is moved in the direction towards the position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

17. A game processing method, comprising:

changing a direction of a virtual camera according to a first operation input;

moving a player character in a virtual space according to a second operation input;

moving at least one non-player character, that accompanies the player character, according to the movement of the player character in the virtual space; and

moving the at least one non-player character, positioned within a field-of-view range of the virtual camera, out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during an aiming mode, wherein the virtual camera is placed at a position behind the player character during a normal mode, and, during the aiming mode, the virtual camera is placed at a position nearer to the player character compared to the normal mode.

18. The game processing method of claim 17 , further comprising:

stopping the movement of the non-player character, accompanying the player character, based on the movement of the player character stopping.

19. The game processing method of claim 17 , further comprising:

in association with the at least one non-player character being shifted from a non-fighting state to a fightable state, causing the at least one non-player character to attack an enemy character present in the virtual space in the fightable state.

20. The game processing method of claim 17 , further comprising:

after the at least one non-player character is moved out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, moving the at least one non-player character into the field-of-view range of the virtual camera in a situation where the aiming mode shifts to the normal mode.

21. The game processing method of claim 17 , further comprising:

during the normal mode, in a state where the player character faces a line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera, moving the at least one non-player character to accompany the player character at a position at a far side of the player character in the line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera.

22. The game processing method of claim 17 , further comprising:

changing an advancing direction of the at least one non-player character according to a change in an advancing direction of the player character, in the normal mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

23. The game processing method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one non-player character is moved out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

24. A game processing method, comprising:

changing a direction of a virtual camera according to a first operation input;

moving a player character in a virtual space according to a second operation input;

moving at least one non-player character, that accompanies the player character, according to the movement of the player character in the virtual space; and

moving the at least one non-player character, positioned within a field-of-view range of the virtual camera, in a direction towards a position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during an aiming mode, wherein the virtual camera is placed at a position behind the player character during a normal mode, and, during the aiming mode, the virtual camera is placed at a position nearer to the player character compared to the normal mode.

25. The game processing method of claim 24 , further comprising:

stopping the movement of the non-player character, accompanying the player character, based on the movement of the player character stopping.

26. The game processing method of claim 24 , further comprising:

in association with the at least one non-player character being shifted from a non-fighting state to a fightable state, causing the at least one non-player character to attack an enemy character present in the virtual space in the fightable state.

27. The game processing method of claim 24 , further comprising:

after the at least one non-player character is moved in the direction towards the position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, moving the at least one non-player character in an opposite direction of the direction towards the position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera in a situation where the aiming mode shifts to the normal mode.

28. The game processing method of claim 24 , further comprising:

during the normal mode, in a state where the player character faces a line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera, moving the at least one non-player character to accompany the player character at a position at a far side of the player character in the line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera.

29. The game processing method of claim 24 , further comprising:

changing an advancing direction of the at least one non-player character according to a change in an advancing direction of the player character, in the normal mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

30. The game processing method of claim 24 , wherein the at least one non-player character is moved in the direction towards the position out of the field-of-view range of the virtual camera during the aiming mode, while the at least one non-player character is moving by accompanying the player character.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-144903 · Sep 12, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 18324075 · May 25, 2023
Related Publication 20250135346A1 · May 1, 2025
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