IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,478,877
Granted Patent B2
US 12,478,877 · App. 18/500,697 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Storage medium, game system, game apparatus, and game processing method

Inventors: Naoya Yamamoto (Kyoto, JP); Daigo Shimizu (Kyoto, JP); Tadashi Sakamoto (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
A63F13/5378A63F13/5258A63F13/5372
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,478,877
App. No.
18/500,697
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

When a command is given to perform a long distance movement that causes a location of a player character to move from a departure point where the player character is currently located to a destination away from the departure point and designated based on the user's operation input, at least a portion of a game process is interrupted, a waiting period continuing until the interrupted game process is resumed is started, and until the end of the waiting period, first displaying is performed to display a first map image showing field information of the departure point and surroundings thereof, and after the first displaying, second displaying is performed to display a second map image showing field information of the destination and surroundings thereof, and after the end of the waiting period, the player character is disposed at the destination in the virtual space, and the interrupted game process is resumed.

Claims (115)

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

executing a game process including controlling a player character in a field of a virtual space based on a user's operation input, and displaying a game image including the field based on a virtual camera; and

when a command is given to perform a long distance movement that causes a location of the player character to move from a departure point where the player character is currently located to a destination that is away from the departure point and is designated based on the user's operation input,

interrupting at least a portion of the game process,

starting a waiting period that continues until the interrupted game process is resumed,

until the end of the waiting period,

first displaying a first map image showing field information of the departure point and surroundings thereof, and

after the first displaying, second displaying a second map image showing field information of the destination and surroundings thereof, and

after the end of the waiting period, disposing the player character at the destination in the virtual space, and resuming the interrupted game process.

2 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the game processing further comprises:

third displaying a field map image showing field information in the virtual space based on the user's operation input, and

the command to perform the long distance movement is to designate a location in the field map image as the destination based on the user's operation input during the third displaying.

3 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

the first map image is a range of the field map image around the departure point, and

the second map image is a range of the field map image around the destination.

4 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3 , wherein

the field map image includes a portion in which the field information is disclosed and a portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and

the game processing further comprises:

when an event occurs at a location in the virtual space based on the game process, updating the field map image such that field information of a range corresponding to the location where the event occurs is disclosed.

5 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4 , wherein

in the first displaying, the first map image is generated by capturing a range around the departure point of the field map image including the portion in which the field information is disclosed and the portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and is displayed, and

in the second displaying, the second map image is generated by capturing a range around the destination of the field map image including the portion in which the field information is disclosed and the portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and is displayed.

6 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

during a period of time in the first displaying, the first map image is slid in a direction opposite to a direction from the departure point toward the destination in the map image, and is displayed, and

during a period of time in the second displaying, the second map image is slid in a direction opposite to a direction from the departure point toward the destination in the map image, and is displayed.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

in the first displaying, an icon image showing a location of the player character is displayed at the departure point in the first map image, and subsequently, is deleted with first timing, and

in the second displaying, the second map image without the icon image is displayed, and subsequently, the icon image is displayed at the destination in the second map image with second timing.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the game processing further comprises:

during the waiting period, storing data including at least data of a field of the destination into a memory; and

ending the waiting period after completion of the storing.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein

the first displaying is continued for at least a first period of time, and

after the end of the first period of time, the second displaying is started when a second period of time has elapsed or progression of the storing has reached a level.

10 . A game system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed, cause the game system to perform operations including:

executing a game process including controlling a player character in a field of a virtual space based on a user's operation input, and displaying a game image including the field based on a virtual camera; and

when a command is given to perform a long distance movement that causes a location of the player character to move from a departure point where the player character is currently located to a destination that is away from the departure point and is designated based on the user's operation input,

interrupting at least a portion of the game process,

starting a waiting period that continues until the interrupted game process is resumed,

until the end of the waiting period,

first displaying a first map image showing field information of the departure point and surroundings thereof, and

after the first displaying, second displaying a second map image showing field information of the destination and surroundings thereof, and

after the end of the waiting period, disposing the player character at the destination in the virtual space, and resuming the interrupted game process.

11 . The game system according to claim 10 , wherein

further, third displaying is performed to display a field map image showing field information in the virtual space based on the user's operation input, and

the command to perform the long distance movement is to designate a location in the field map image as the destination based on the user's operation input during the third displaying.

12 . The game system according to claim 11 , wherein

the first map image is a range of the field map image around the departure point, and

the second map image is a range of the field map image around the destination.

13 . The game system according to claim 12 , wherein

the field map image includes a portion in which the field information is disclosed and a portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and

further, when an event occurs at a location in the virtual space based on the game process, the field map image is updated such that field information of a range corresponding to the location where the event occurs is disclosed.

14 . The game system according to claim 13 , wherein

in the first displaying, the first map image is generated by capturing a range around the departure point of the field map image including the portion in which the field information is disclosed and the portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and is displayed, and

in the second displaying, the second map image is generated by capturing a range around the destination of the field map image including the portion in which the field information is disclosed and the portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and is displayed.

15 . The game system according to claim 10 , wherein

during a period of time in the first displaying, the first map image is slid in a direction opposite to a direction from the departure point toward the destination in the map image, and is displayed, and

during a period of time in the second displaying, the second map image is slid in a direction opposite to a direction from the departure point toward the destination in the map image, and is displayed.

16 . The game system according to claim 10 , wherein

in the first displaying, an icon image showing a location of the player character is displayed at the departure point in the first map image, and subsequently, is deleted with first timing, and

in the second displaying, the second map image without the icon image is displayed, and subsequently, the icon image is displayed at the destination in the second map image with second timing.

17 . The game system according to claim 10 , wherein further,

during the waiting period, data including at least data of a field of the destination is stored into a memory, and

the waiting period ends after completion of the storing.

18 . The game system according to claim 17 , wherein

the first displaying is continued for at least a first period of time, and

after the end of the first period of time, the second displaying is started when a second period of time has elapsed or progression of the storing has reached a level.

19 . A game apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed, cause the game apparatus to perform operations including:

executing a game process including controlling a player character in a field of a virtual space based on a user's operation input, and displaying a game image including the field based on a virtual camera; and

when a command is given to perform a long distance movement that causes a location of the player character to move from a departure point where the player character is currently located to a destination that is away from the departure point and is designated based on the user's operation input,

interrupting at least a portion of the game process,

starting a waiting period that continues until the interrupted game process is resumed,

until the end of the waiting period,

first displaying a first map image showing field information of the departure point and surroundings thereof, and

after the first displaying, second displaying a second map image showing field information of the destination and surroundings thereof, and

after the end of the waiting period, disposing the player character at the destination in the virtual space, and resuming the interrupted game process.

20 . A game processing method for causing one or more processors of an information processing apparatus to at least:

execute a game process including controlling a player character in a field of a virtual space based on a user's operation input, and displaying a game image including the field based on a virtual camera; and

when a command is given to perform a long distance movement that causes a location of the player character to move from a departure point where the player character is currently located to a destination that is away from the departure point and is designated based on the user's operation input,

interrupt at least a portion of the game process,

start a waiting period that continues until the interrupted game process is resumed,

until the end of the waiting period,

first display a first map image showing field information of the departure point and surroundings thereof, and

after the first displaying, second display a second map image showing field information of the destination and surroundings thereof, and

after the end of the waiting period, dispose the player character at the destination in the virtual space, and resume the interrupted game process.

21 . The game processing method according to claim 20 , wherein

further, third displaying is performed to display a field map image showing field information in the virtual space based on the user's operation input, and

the command to perform the long distance movement is to designate a location in the field map image as the destination based on the user's operation input during the third displaying.

22 . The game processing method according to claim 21 , wherein

the first map image is a range of the field map image around the departure point, and

the second map image is a range of the field map image around the destination.

23 . The game processing method according to claim 22 , wherein

the field map image includes a portion in which the field information is disclosed and a portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and

further, when an event occurs at a location in the virtual space based on the game process, the field map image is updated such that field information of a range corresponding to the location where the event occurs is disclosed.

24 . The game processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

in the first displaying, the first map image is generated by capturing a range around the departure point of the field map image including the portion in which the field information is disclosed and the portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and is displayed, and

in the second displaying, the second map image is generated by capturing a range around the destination of the field map image including the portion in which the field information is disclosed and the portion in which the field information is undisclosed, and is displayed.

25 . The game processing method according to claim 20 , wherein

during a period of time in the first displaying, the first map image is slid in a direction opposite to a direction from the departure point toward the destination in the map image, and is displayed, and

during a period of time in the second displaying, the second map image is slid in a direction opposite to a direction from the departure point toward the destination in the map image, and is displayed.

26 . The game processing method according to claim 20 , wherein

in the first displaying, an icon image showing a location of the player character is displayed at the departure point in the first map image, and subsequently, is deleted with first timing, and

in the second displaying, the second map image without the icon image is displayed, and subsequently, the icon image is displayed at the destination in the second map image with second timing.

27 . The game processing method according to claim 20 , wherein further,

during the waiting period, data including at least data of a field of the destination is stored into a memory, and

the waiting period ends after completion of the storing.

28 . The game processing method according to claim 27 , wherein

the first displaying is continued for at least a first period of time, and

after the end of the first period of time, the second displaying is started when a second period of time has elapsed or progression of the storing has reached a level.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2023
From: YAMAMOTO, NAOYA; SHIMIZU, DAIGO; SAKAMOTO, TADASHI
To: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065438/0742 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-014039 · Feb 1, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240252923A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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