JPH07328228A - Game device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively display an afterimage with less data capacity and simple processing concerning the game device for displaying the afterimage of a character to move. CONSTITUTION:Data such as the moving direction, speed and position of the character are supplied to an afterimage display position deciding means 1 and corresponding to the moving direction and speed of the character, the display positions of the plural afterimages of the character are decided on the opposite side in the moving direction of the character. A transparency degree deciding means 2 decides the degrees of transparency for the respective after-images which display positions are decided. While using the shape data of the character, data showing the display positions of the respective afterimages and data showing the degrees of transparency for the respective afterimages, an afterimage data generating means 3 generates the image data of respective afterimages in the same shape as the character. While using the generated image data of respective afterimages, the image data of the character, the image data of a background picture on a screen and the image data of other objects on the screen, an image synthesizing means 4 synthesizes the image data of one picture so that the background pictures of respective afterimages can be made transparent corresponding to the degrees of transparency for respective afterimages.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game device, and more particularly to a game device for displaying an afterimage of a character moving on a game screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a game device such as a monitor TV, an audio output device, and an input pad (input device), a player operates a button on the input pad while watching the screen of the monitor TV. And play the game.

In some games played on a video game device, a game is played while a character having a predetermined shape moves on the screen according to the operation of the player and the situation of the game.

In order to give a moving character a sense of speed, conventionally, an afterimage of the character is displayed behind the moving character.

As one conventional method of displaying an afterimage for imparting a sense of speed, required patterns of afterimages corresponding to a moving direction and a moving speed are stored in advance so that the moving direction of a character can be changed. There is a method of selecting an afterimage pattern corresponding to the moving speed and displaying it behind the character.

[0006] As another method, as a method using a general motion blur expression, the shape of the character is changed during movement to express the movement, and on the movement locus that the character has passed during movement, There is a method of displaying the shape of the character at the time of passing as an afterimage.

As another method, there is a method in which a pattern of the character is displayed by blinking behind the character to form an afterimage.

[0008]

In the conventional method of selecting the afterimage pattern corresponding to the moving direction and moving speed of the character and displaying it behind the character, there is a method of changing the type depending on the moving direction and moving speed of the character. It is necessary to store the afterimage pattern. For this reason, when there are many types of character movement, the amount of afterimage pattern data will increase if an afterimage pattern corresponding to all of them is to be obtained.
There is a problem that the required memory capacity becomes large. Conversely, if the type of afterimage pattern is limited, the direction and speed of movement of the character are also limited.

Further, in a method using a general motion blur expression, the afterimage displayed on the trajectory of the character is the shape when passing the display position of the afterimage, so that the shape change of the character is noticeable. There is a problem that the emphasis on speed is weak. In addition, when the number of afterimages displayed behind the character is reduced, there is a problem that the change in shape between adjacent afterimages becomes large and the movement cannot be expressed well. In addition, since it is necessary to calculate a shape change during movement of the character by complicated processing, there is a problem that the game device is required to have high processing capability.

Further, in the method of displaying the character pattern in a blinking manner behind the character to form an afterimage,
There is a problem that flicker is noticeable and the afterimage cannot be expressed well.

Particularly, in the method of controlling the transparency by blinking the character pattern, the transparency depends largely on the length of the blinking time interval. If the time interval is too wide, the effect as an afterimage is produced. In addition, the narrowest blinking interval is limited to blinking for each vertical synchronization signal, and finer blinking cannot be performed. Therefore, it is very difficult to express various transparency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a game device capable of effective afterimage expression with a small data capacity and without requiring complicated processing. .

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in the invention of claim 1, the progress of the game is controlled so that a character having a predetermined shape is moved on the screen of the display device according to the operation of the player or the situation of the game, and the progress of the game is performed. In the game device for displaying an image on the screen of the display device based on the image data of one screen generated in accordance with
Is supplied with data on the moving direction, speed and position of the character, and displays a plurality of afterimages of the character on the opposite side of the moving direction of the character in correspondence with the moving direction and speed of the character. Determine the position.

The transparency determining means 2 determines the transparency of each afterimage whose display position has been determined by the afterimage display position determining means.

The afterimage data generating means 3 uses the shape data of the character, the display position data of each afterimage, and the transparency data of each afterimage to generate image data of each afterimage having the same shape as the character. To do.

The image synthesizing means 4 uses the image data of each of the generated afterimages, the image data of the character, the image data of the background image of the screen, and the image data of another display object on the screen to generate each of the afterimages. The image data of one screen is combined in a state in which the background image of each residual image is transparent according to the transparency of.

In the invention of claim 2, the afterimage display position determining means 1 changes the number of afterimages to be displayed according to the speed of the character.

In the third aspect of the invention, the afterimage display position determining means 1 changes the interval between the afterimages to be displayed according to the speed of the character.

In the invention of claim 4, the transparency determining means 2 changes the transparency of each of the afterimages according to the distance from the position of the character.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the shape of the character is a three-dimensional shape determined by the polygon model according to the change of the viewpoint.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the shape of the character is reduced or enlarged while the character is moving,
The afterimage data generating means 3 generates image data of an afterimage having a size when the character passes through the afterimage display position.

[0022]

According to the invention of claim 1, the display position of the afterimage is determined corresponding to the moving direction and speed of the character, and a plurality of afterimages having the same shape as the character are displayed at the determined display position. Therefore, it is not necessary to have different types of afterimage patterns depending on the moving direction and speed of the character, and it is possible to reduce the required data capacity, and also to increase the moving capacity of the character in any moving direction without increasing the data capacity. It is possible to display an afterimage corresponding to the speed. In addition, it is possible to display an afterimage without performing complicated processing.

Further, since the display position of the afterimage can be changed according to the speed and each afterimage can be displayed semi-transparently, the sense of speed of the character can be expressed more effectively than the conventional device.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the number of afterimages to be displayed is changed according to the speed of the character, it is possible to emphasize and express the sense of speed of the character.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the interval between the afterimages to be displayed is changed according to the speed of the character, it is possible to emphasize and express the sense of speed of the character.

According to the invention of claim 4, since the transparency of each afterimage is changed according to the distance from the position of the character, it is possible to more effectively express the sense of speed of the character.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the character is displayed in the polygon model, the three-dimensional shape of the afterimage also changes in response to the change of the three-dimensional shape of the character according to the change of the viewpoint. It is possible.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the afterimage can be displayed semitransparently when the character is reduced or enlarged while the character is moving, the disorder of the picture in the character due to the reduction or enlargement of the character is inconspicuous. It is possible to do.

[0029]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a game machine 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The game device 11 is the game device body 1
2, an input pad 25, a monitor TV 22, an audio amplifier 23, and a speaker 24.

The game apparatus main body 12 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 13 for overall control, a ROM 14 in which system programs and fixed data are stored, a RAM 15 for temporarily storing various data, and various operations. Timer 1
6, a CD-ROM device 17, a video generator 18 which is controlled by the CPU 13 to supply a video signal to a monitor television (display device) 22, and a sound generator 19 which generates an audio signal.

The audio signal generated by the sound generator 19 is amplified by the audio amplifier 23 and the voice is output from the speaker 24.

The input pad 25 as an input device for game operation has input buttons such as a start button, a direction button, and an attack button.

The data of the game program recorded in the CD-ROM 26 is reproduced by the CD-ROM device 17, read by the CPU 13, and stored in the RAM 15.

The CPU 13 operates the input pad 2 which the player performs in accordance with the game program stored in the RAM 15.
The progress of the game is controlled according to the operation of 5. CPU13
Video generator 1 as the game progresses
8 to supply image data to display a game image on the screen of the monitor TV 22, and to cause the sound generator 19 to generate an audio signal in accordance with the progress of the game so that the speaker 24 outputs the sound effect of the game. .

Next, the display of the afterimage of the character on the game device 11 will be described. Here, a case where the game device 11 controls the progress of the game while moving a character having a predetermined shape on the screen of the monitor TV 22 in accordance with the operation of the player and the situation of the game according to the game program.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a procedure executed by the CPU 13 to generate image data including an afterimage of a character. Further, FIGS. 4 and 5 show display examples of a character and an afterimage.

The player uses the game program CD-R
When the OM 26 is set in the CD-ROM device 17 and the power of the game device 11 is turned on, the CPU 13 reads the game program from the CD-ROM device 17 and RA
Store in M15. After that, the CPU 13 starts the processing of the game program.

During the game, the CPU 13 updates the data such as the position and shape of the character operated by the player, updates the background image data, updates the data of other characters, in accordance with the operation of the player and the game situation. Various processes such as generation of sound effects are performed. In addition to the various processes in this game, the process of generating the image data of FIG. 3 is performed every predetermined time (for example, every one frame).

In FIG. 3, steps 104 and 105 correspond to afterimage display position determining means, and step 1
06 corresponds to the transparency determining means, step 107 corresponds to the afterimage data generating means, and step 108 corresponds to the image synthesizing means.

In step 101 of FIG. 3, the CPU 13
Detects the moving direction of the character. The moving direction of the character is determined by the operation direction of the input pad 25 by the player and the control of the position of the character by the game program.

In step 102, the current position of the character on the screen is detected, and the data of the current position and the data of the position from the present to a predetermined time before are held. For example, from the present, the data of the position up to several seconds before is held every 1/60 seconds. The time management can be performed using the time data of the timer 16.

In step 103, the moving speed of the character is calculated using the character position data held in step 102. For example, the moving speed is calculated from the moving distance and the time required for the movement, using the data of the current position of the character and the position before the predetermined time (for example, 1/60 second).

In step 104, the number of afterimages to be displayed behind the character (on the side opposite to the moving direction) and the afterimage display interval are determined corresponding to the speed of the character calculated in step 103. For example, the faster the character's speed,
By increasing the number of afterimages to be displayed and increasing the distance between adjacent afterimages as the distance from the character increases, the sense of speed of the character can be emphasized and expressed. In this embodiment, the shape of the afterimage is the same as the shape of the character.

4 and 5 show the case where the character is a runner.
4 is an example of the case where the speed of the character in the A direction is slow.
FIG. 5 shows a display example of a character and an afterimage in the case of FIG.
Is a character when the speed of the character in the A direction is high.
7A and 7B show display examples of data and afterimages. In Figure 4, the character
Current position pattern P_S0And 5 afterimage patterns R_S1
~ R_S5Is displayed. In addition, in FIG.
Current position pattern P _F0And the speed is faster than in Fig. 4.
And 10 afterimage patterns R_F1~ R_F10Is displayed
Has been done.

In step 104, only the number of afterimages to be displayed and the afterimage display interval are determined, and the shape of the character and the shape of the afterimage are not specified.

A sense of speed can also be expressed by a method in which the number of afterimages to be displayed is constant and the display interval of afterimages is widened as the speed increases.

In step 105, the display position of each afterimage on the screen is calculated using the data of the detected moving direction and the data of the current position, the number of afterimages and the data of the display interval determined in step 104. .

In step 106, the transparency of each afterimage to be displayed is determined. For example, the farther from the current position of the character, the higher the transparency is set so that the background image can be seen more transparently. As a result, the sense of speed of the character can be emphasized and expressed.

In the example of FIG. 4, the pattern P _{S0 at} the current position of the character is opaque and the five afterimage patterns R _{S1 to} R _S
The transparency of _S5 is set to be higher as it is farther from the current position of the character, and the background image is more transparent. The example of FIG. 5 is similar to that of FIG.

In step 107, the image data of each afterimage on the screen is generated using the character shape data, the display position data of each afterimage determined in step 105, and the transparency data of each afterimage determined in step 106. To do. As shown in the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the shape of the afterimage is the same as the shape of the character at the current position. The image data of one afterimage is composed of data of three colors of R, G, and B for each dot in the afterimage pattern.

In step 108, the image data of the character at the current position, the image data of each afterimage generated in step 107, the image data of the background image on the screen, and the image data of another character on the screen are used to perform the above-mentioned processing. Image data of one screen is combined in a state where the background image of each afterimage is transparent according to the transparency of the afterimage.

In step 109, the image data of one screen combined in step 108 is converted to the video generator 18
And the image of the combination result is displayed on the screen of the monitor television 22.

FIG. 4 shows an example image 41 displayed based on the combined image data of one screen.
In FIG. 4, the character pattern P _S0 at the current position is opaque, the background image 42 cannot be seen, and the afterimage patterns R _{S1 to} R _S5.
Then, the farther away from the current position of the character, the higher the transparency becomes, and the background image 42 is more transparent. In the overlapping portion of the afterimage patterns, the image data is combined so that the afterimage pattern in the rear is hidden. The example of FIG. 5 is also the same as that of FIG. 4, but many afterimage patterns R _{F1 to} R _F10 are displayed because the character speed is high.

It should be noted that the video generator 18 is provided with a transparent expression function, and in accordance with the degree of transparency specified by the CPU 13 to the video generator 18, the video generator 18 generates a transparent afterimage and another image. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which they are combined.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the display position of the afterimage is determined corresponding to the moving direction and speed of the character, and a plurality of afterimages having the same shape as the character are displayed at the determined display position. . Therefore, it is not necessary to have different types of afterimage patterns depending on the moving direction and speed of the character, and the required data capacity can be reduced. Also,
It is possible to display an afterimage corresponding to any moving direction and speed of the character without increasing the data capacity.

Further, the CP associated with the afterimage representation does not require complicated processing like the general motion blur representation method.
The burden on U13 can be reduced.

Further, since the number of afterimages to be displayed and the display interval of the afterimages are changed according to the speed, the sense of speed of the character can be emphasized and expressed. Moreover, since the transparency of each afterimage is changed according to the distance from the position of the character, the speed of the character can be more effectively expressed.

When the character is displayed by the polygon model, the three-dimensional shape of the character changes according to the change of the viewpoint, but in this embodiment, the afterimage has the same shape as the character at the current position. As with the character, it is possible to easily change the three-dimensional shape of the afterimage.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a case where afterimage display by semitransparent display is applied during zoom animation. The example of FIG. 6 is a case where the spherical character is reduced by zooming as it moves in the C direction, and the afterimage patterns R _{Z1 to} R _Z are formed on the movement locus behind the character pattern P _Z0 after the movement is completed. Display _Z4 semi-transparently. The afterimage pattern R _Z4 is located at the position when the character starts to move.

As a procedure for displaying the afterimage, for example, when the character starts moving, data on the moving direction, moving speed, and moving distance to the moving end point is acquired, and based on these data, the moving locus is moved. The display position of the afterimage, the number of afterimages, and the transparency of each afterimage are determined.

After the character starts to move, the afterimages are displayed one by one as the character moves. Therefore, for each afterimage to be displayed, the shape of the character when the character passes the afterimage display point is retained,
Afterimage data having a predetermined transparency is generated by using the held character pattern data, and then image data combined with the background image is generated and displayed on the screen.

As described above, when the character is reduced or enlarged during the movement of the character, the afterimage can be displayed semitransparently, so that the disorder of the picture in the character due to the reduction or enlargement of the character can be made inconspicuous. it can. In particular, when the character is reduced, it is possible to make the disorder of the picture such as color skipping due to the thinning of dots inconspicuous.

Instead of the CD-ROM 26, the game program may be read from the cartridge mounted in the game apparatus main body 12 into the RAM 15 and the program may be executed.

[0064]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1,
The afterimage display position is determined according to the moving direction and speed of the character, and multiple afterimages of the same shape as the character are displayed at the determined display position, so different types of afterimages depend on the moving direction and speed of the character. There is no need to have a pattern, the required data volume can be reduced, and afterimages corresponding to all moving directions and speeds of the character can be displayed without increasing the data volume, and complex processing is possible. The afterimage can be displayed without performing.

Further, since the display position of the afterimage can be changed according to the speed and each afterimage can be displayed semi-transparently, the sense of speed of the character can be expressed more effectively than the conventional device.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the number of afterimages to be displayed is changed according to the speed of the character, the sense of speed of the character can be emphasized and expressed.

According to the invention of claim 3, since the interval between the afterimages to be displayed is changed according to the speed of the character, the sense of speed of the character can be emphasized and expressed.

According to the invention of claim 4, since the transparency of each afterimage is changed according to the distance from the position of the character, the sense of speed of the character can be more effectively expressed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the character is displayed by the polygon model, the afterimage also similarly has the three-dimensional shape in response to the change of the three-dimensional shape of the character according to the change of the viewpoint. Can be changed.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the character is reduced or enlarged while the character is moving, the afterimage can be displayed in a semi-transparent manner, so that the disorder of the picture in the character due to the reduction or enlargement of the character is prevented. You can make it inconspicuous.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a game device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating image data including an afterimage of a character.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a character and an afterimage when the speed is low.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a character and an afterimage when the speed is high.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram in a case where afterimage display by semitransparent display is applied during zoom animation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Afterimage display position determining means 2 Transparency determining means 3 Afterimage data generating means 4 Image combining means 11 Game device 12 Game device body 13 CPU 14 ROM 15 RAM 16 Timer 17 CD-ROM device 18 Video generator 19 Sound generator 22 Monitor TV 23 Audio Amplifier 24 Speaker 25 Input pad 26 CD-ROM

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A one-screen image generated according to the progress of the game by controlling the progress of the game so as to move a character having a predetermined shape on the screen of the display device according to the operation of the player or the situation of the game. In a game device that displays an image on the screen of the display device based on data, data of the moving direction, speed, and position of the character is supplied, and the character is moved in correspondence with the moving direction and speed of the character. Afterimage display position determining means for determining a display position for displaying a plurality of afterimages of the character on the side opposite to the moving direction, and transparency determination for determining the transparency of each afterimage whose display position is determined by the afterimage display position determining means. The same as the character by using means, shape data of the character, display position data of each afterimage, and transparency data of each afterimage. Afterimage data generating means for generating image data of each afterimage having a shape, image data of each of the generated afterimages, image data of the character, image data of a background image of the screen, and images of other display objects on the screen. An image synthesizing unit for synthesizing image data of one screen in a state where a background image of each afterimage is transparent according to the transparency of each afterimage using data. 2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the afterimage display position determining means changes the number of afterimages to be displayed according to the speed of the character. 3. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the afterimage display position determining means changes the interval between the afterimages to be displayed according to the speed of the character. 4. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the transparency determining unit changes transparency of each of the afterimages according to a distance from a position of the character. 5. The game device according to claim 1, wherein a three-dimensional shape of the character is determined by a polygon model according to a change in viewpoint. 6. The shape of the character is reduced or enlarged during movement of the character, and the afterimage data generating means generates image data of an afterimage of a size when the character passes through an afterimage display position. The game device according to claim 1, wherein: