IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,383,834
Granted Patent B2
US 12,383,834 · App. 18/323,947 · Granted Aug 12, 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.
A63F13/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,383,834
App. No.
18/323,947
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example of an information processing system moves a plurality of non-player characters in a virtual space according to movement of a player character. The non-player characters are allies of the player character. The information processing system performs a first control corresponding to a non-player character, according to a second operation input performed by a user in a state where a predetermined positional relationship indicating that the non-player character and the player character are near to each other is satisfied. The non-player character on which the first control is performed is set as a designated non-player character. The information processing system performs a movement control for the plurality of non-player characters so that a distance between the player character and the designated non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters becomes shorter than a distance between the player character and any normal non-player character.

Claims (47)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program for causing a processor of an information processing apparatus to execute game processing,

the game program causing the processor to execute:

performing a control for moving a player character in a virtual space according to a first operation input performed by a user;

performing a control for moving a plurality of non-player characters in the virtual space according to movement of the player character, the non-player characters being allies of the player character;

performing a first control corresponding to one non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters, according to a second operation input performed by the user in a state where a predetermined positional relationship indicating that the non-player character and the player character are near to each other is satisfied; and

setting the non-player character on which the first control is performed, as a designated non-player character,

the processor performing a movement control for the plurality of non-player characters so that a distance between the player character and the designated non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters becomes shorter than a distance between the player character and any normal non-player character different from the designated non-player character.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor performs a first control corresponding to the normal non-player character, according to the second operation input performed by the user in a state where the designated non-player character is set and the normal non-player character and the player character are in the predetermined positional relationship, and

when the first control corresponding to the normal non-player character has been performed, the processor changes the designated non-player character having been set so far, to a normal non-player character, and sets the normal non-player character on which the first control has been performed, to a new designated non-player character.

3. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

while the plurality of non-player characters are moving according to movement of the player character, the processor performs the movement control for the plurality of non-player characters, with a positional relationship that the distance between the designated non-player character and the player character is shorter than the distance between the normal non-player character and the player character, and

according to stop of movement of the player character, the processor stops movements of the plurality of non-player characters at a position where the distance between the designated non-player character and the player character becomes shorter than the distance between the normal non-player character and the player character.

4. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

while the plurality of non-player characters are moving according to movement of the player character, the processor, according to movement of the player character toward at least one non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters, makes a moving speed of the non-player character lower than a moving speed of the player character.

5. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

if a fighting condition for one of the plurality of non-player characters to fight against another character has been satisfied, the processor moves the non-player character, and

while the non-player character is moving because of the fighting condition having been satisfied, the processor performs the movement control for the plurality of non-player characters, with a positional relationship that the distance between the designated non-player character and the player character is shorter than the distance between the normal non-player character and the player character.

6. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor stops movements of the plurality of non-player characters according to stop of movement of the player character,

in a case where the player character resumes moving after having been stopped, (1) while the player character is moving within a first range, the processor does not resume movement of the designated non-player character according to movement of the player character, and (2) the processor, according to the player character having moved out the first range, resumes movement of the designated non-player character according to movement of the player character,

in a case where the player character resumes moving after having been stopped, (1) while the player character is moving within a second range, the processor does not resume movement of the normal non-player character according to movement of the player character, and (2) the processor, according to the player character having moved out of the second range, resumes movement of the normal non-player character according to movement of the player character, and

the first range is narrower than the second range.

7. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the game program causes the processor to further execute:

setting, for each of the plurality of non-player characters, a stop target position that is a target position for each of the plurality of non-player characters to stop moving according to stop of movement of the player character, and

the processor sets the stop target positions of the plurality of non-player characters so that a distance between the stop target position of the designated non-player character and the player character becomes shorter than a distance between the stop target position of the normal non-player character and the player character.

8. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

in a specific game scene, the processor sets, as the designated non-player character, a non-player character that is associated with the specific game scene among the plurality of non-player characters.

9. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the first control is a control for shifting to a readiness state of a second control that may cause the non-player character to have an influence on another object, and

the game program causes the processor to further execute

performing the second control according to a third operation input performed by the user, in the readiness state of the second control.

10. An information processing system comprising one or more processors,

the one or more processors executing:

moving a player character in a virtual space according to a first operation input performed by a user;

moving a plurality of non-player characters in the virtual space according to movement of the player character, the non-player characters being allies of the player character;

performing a first control corresponding to one non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters, according to a second operation input performed by the user in a state where a predetermined positional relationship indicating that the non-player character and the player character are near to each other is satisfied; and

setting the non-player character on which the first control is performed, as a designated non-player character,

the one or more processors performing a movement control for the plurality of non-player characters so that a distance between the player character and the designated non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters becomes shorter than a distance between the player character and any normal non-player character different from the designated non-player character.

11. A game processing method executed by an information processing system,

the information processing system executing:

moving a player character in a virtual space according to a first operation input performed by a user;

moving a plurality of non-player characters in the virtual space according to movement of the player character, the non-player characters being allies of the player character;

performing a first control corresponding to one non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters, according to a second operation input performed by the user in a state where a predetermined positional relationship indicating that the non-player character and the player character are near to each other is satisfied; and

setting the non-player character on which the first control is performed, as a designated non-player character,

the information processing system performing a movement control for the plurality of non-player characters so that a distance between the player character and the designated non-player character among the plurality of non-player characters becomes shorter than a distance between the player character and any normal non-player character different from the designated non-player character.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2023
From: SATO, YUYA; DEGUCHI, TAKUMA; SAKOOKA, YOSUKE
To: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063767/0083 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-144904 · Sep 12, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240082724A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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