JP7618773B2 - Game system, program and game device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game system, a program, and a game device.

Conventionally, so-called battle royale games (also called "battroi games," "battle royal games," or "survival games") have been popular in games in which multiple players participate, in which a predetermined competition area of the game space (game field) in which each character is placed shrinks, and players fight until only one player's character remains (or until the team to which the player's character belongs remains). (Non-Patent Document 1) Also, conventionally, there have been game systems that display the location where sound is generated on a simple map (Patent Document 1).

Official website of Knives Out [searched on October 1, 2018] (https://www.knivesout.jp/)

Patent Publication No. 2017-55935

In action games, including battle royale games as shown in Non-Patent Document 1 above, players often rely on sound information to attack and defend. For example, the closer the distance, the louder the sound of a gunshot or footsteps sounds, and the farther away they are, the quieter they sound. Therefore, the volume of a sound is very important in judging the distance to an enemy. Furthermore, with the conventional technology shown in Patent Document 1 (see paragraph 0040 and Figure 4 of Patent Document 1), it is possible to visually recognize the location where a sound is generated and the volume of the sound, but there is room for improvement in terms of the direction of the sound, and there is a need for sound technology that will add a high level of interest to games.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a game system, program, and game device that can make it easier to recognize the direction of sound generated within the game space and increase the entertainment value of the game.

(1) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device,
a display control unit that displays given information on a display unit of the first terminal device;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the first terminal device;
a sound reproduction unit that reproduces the sound data at the volume determined by the volume control unit in the first terminal device,
The display control unit,
The present invention relates to a game system that displays directional information suggesting the direction of a sound generated at the sound generation position when the volume is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
A program for a terminal device used in a game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device, comprising:
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
causing a computer to function as an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
The display control unit,
The present invention relates to a program for displaying directional information suggesting the direction of the sound generated at the sound generation position when the sound volume is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

The present invention also relates to a computer-readable information storage medium that stores the above program. The present invention also relates to a server device having the above configuration.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
A game device for use in a game system in which a plurality of game devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each game device,
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
The display control unit,
The present invention relates to a game device that displays directional information suggesting the direction of a sound generated at the sound generation position when the sound volume is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

"Audio data" refers to sound data such as sound effects and environmental sounds, and is also called sound effects.

According to the present invention, when the volume is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, directional information is displayed indicating the direction of the sound generated at the sound generation position, making it easier for the first player to recognize the direction of the sound generated within the game space, thereby making the game more interesting. For example, when the first player hears a loud gunshot, he or she can know the direction from which the gunshot came, and can take measures to have the character controlled by the first player escape from the source of the gunshot.

(2) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention includes:
The display control unit,
Information about the sound generated at the sound generation position may be displayed together with the direction information.

The present invention can also recognize information about the sound generated at the sound generation position, making it easy to recognize in which direction the sound was generated.

(3) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention includes:
A parameter control unit that sets a threshold value in association with each of the plurality of voice data,
The volume control unit,
When the volume of the audio data of the audio generated at the audio generation position is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the audio data, the directional information of the audio generated at the audio generation position may be displayed.

According to the present invention, a threshold value is set in association with each of a plurality of pieces of audio data, and when the volume of the audio data of the audio generated at the audio generation position is equal to or greater than the threshold value set for that audio data, directional information of the audio generated at the audio generation position is displayed, so that the audio directional information can be displayed under appropriate volume conditions.

(4) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention includes:
The storage unit,
when a sound is generated due to a second character operated by a second player corresponding to a second terminal device, storing a relationship between the first character and the second character;
The display control unit,
When a sound is generated due to the second character, a determination may be made as to whether or not to display the directional information based on the relationship between the first character and the second character, and if it is determined that the directional information should be displayed, the directional information may be displayed.

According to the present invention, when a sound is generated due to a second character, for example, if the relationship between the first character and the second character is an ally, the direction information can be controlled to be displayed, and if the relationship between the first character and the second character is an enemy, the direction information can be controlled not to be displayed. For example, the direction information of the sound generated due to the second character (e.g., a distress signal) can be displayed only if the second character is an ally.

(5) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention includes:
The storage unit is
Attributes are associated with each of the multiple voice data and stored;
The display control unit,
The display manner regarding the directional information may be changed depending on at least one of the attributes of the audio data of the audio generated at the audio generation position, the distance between the audio generation position in the game space and the listening position, and the volume of the audio data.

"Attributes" include not only the type of sound (for example, types of sound effects such as "footsteps," "bombing sounds," "reloading sounds," etc.), but also the frequency of the sound and information indicating the relationships between multiple characters.

According to the present invention, the display mode of directional information is changed according to at least one of the attributes of the audio data of the audio generated at the audio generation position, the distance between the audio generation position and the listening position in the game space, and the volume of the audio data, making it easier to visually recognize the attributes, distance, and volume of the audio data.

(6) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention comprises:
The display control unit,
When multiple sounds occur within any of the multiple ranges, collective direction information that combines the direction information for the multiple sounds may be displayed instead of the direction information for each of the multiple sounds.

According to the present invention, when multiple voices are generated, collective directional information is displayed instead of the directional information for each of the multiple voices, thereby avoiding cumbersome displays.

(7) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention includes:
The game device may further include a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the sound data in accordance with the game situation.

According to the present invention, the threshold value is changed according to the game situation, so that directional information can be displayed appropriately, and situations that are too advantageous or too disadvantageous to the player can be prevented, thereby maintaining game balance.

(8) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention comprises:
The game device may further include a parameter control unit that sets a different threshold value associated with the sound data when a given character is located within a specified area in the game space and when the character is located outside the specified area.

According to the present invention, the threshold value associated with the audio data is different when the character is located within a specified area (e.g., within a penalty area) and when the character is located outside the specified area. For example, when the character is located within a specified area, the threshold value can be raised to impose a penalty that makes it difficult to display the direction.

For example, for "footstep" sound data, it is possible to create a situation where directional information is not displayed when the character is within a specified area, but directional information is displayed when the character is outside the specified area. This allows the player to play the game so that the character being controlled does not belong to the specified area, making the game more interesting.

(9) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention comprises:
The game may further include a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the voice data so as to put the player at a disadvantage in the game progress when the first character is located within a specified area within the game space.

According to the present invention, when a first character operated by a first player is located within a specified area, for example, a threshold value associated with the sound data can be increased, making it difficult to recognize directional information of the generated sound.

(10) Furthermore, the game system according to the present invention comprises:
The game may further include a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the voice data so that the first player is favored in game progress when an enemy character is located within a specified area in the game space.

According to the present invention, when an enemy character is located within a specified area, a threshold value associated with sound data (e.g., sound data of a sound generated by the enemy character) is lowered, making it easier for the first player to recognize directional information of the generated sound.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a game system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of a server device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of a terminal device according to an embodiment. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining voice data, attributes, and thresholds according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining information regarding voice generation according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the distance between a sound generation position and a listening position according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between volume and distance according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of attributes associated with volume change conditions according to an embodiment. 13 illustrates an example of an attribute selection screen according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process of volume control when a voice is generated according to an embodiment. 13 shows an example of a game screen displayed on a terminal device 20A according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining direction information according to an embodiment; 13 shows an example of a game screen displayed on a terminal device 20A according to an embodiment. 13 shows an example of a game screen displayed on a terminal device 20A according to an embodiment. 13 shows an example of a game screen displayed on a terminal device 20A according to an embodiment. 13 shows an example of a game screen displayed on a terminal device 20A according to an embodiment. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a direction display process of the terminal device 20A according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining direction information according to an embodiment;

The present embodiment will be described below. Note that the present embodiment described below does not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential components of the present invention.

[1] Game System First, an overview and a general configuration of a game system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration showing the configuration of the game system 1 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the game system 1 of this embodiment is configured such that a server device 10 that provides game services and terminal devices 20 (e.g., terminal devices 20A, 20B, and 20C) can be connected to the Internet (an example of a network).

By accessing the server device 10 from the terminal device 20, the user can play the game transmitted from the server device 10 via the Internet. Furthermore, by accessing the server device 10 from the terminal device 20, the user can communicate with other users.

The server device 10 is an information processing device capable of providing a service that allows users to play games using a terminal device 20 that is connected for communication via the Internet. The server device 10 may also function as an SNS server that provides a communication-type service. Here, the SNS server may be an information processing device that provides a service that allows communication between multiple users.

In addition, when the server device 10 functions as an SNS server, for example,
It has become possible to provide games called social games that are executed using the NS operating environment (API (Application Programming Interface), platform, etc.).

In particular, the server device 10 is capable of providing games that are provided on the web browser of the terminal device 20, such as browser games (games that can be started by simply opening the installation site in a web browser) created in a variety of languages, including HTML, FLASH, CGI, PHP, shockwave, Java (registered trademark) applet, and JavaScript (registered trademark).

Unlike existing online games, social games include games that do not require dedicated client software and can be played with just a web browser and an SNS account. The server device 10 is also configured to connect to other users' terminals (smartphones, PCs, game consoles, etc.) via a network, and provide online games in which users can share the same game progress online at the same time.

On the other hand, the server device 10 may be composed of one (device, processor) or multiple (devices, processors).

Then, the billing information, game information, and other information stored in the memory area of the server device 10 (the memory unit 140 described below) may be stored in a database (broadly speaking, a storage device, memory) connected via a network (an intranet or the Internet), and when functioning as an SNS server, the information stored in the player information storage unit 146, etc., stored in the memory area may be stored in a database (broadly speaking, a storage device, memory) connected via a network (an intranet or the Internet).

Specifically, the server device 10 of this embodiment receives input information based on the operation of the user of the terminal device 20 (i.e., the player who executes the game), and performs game processing based on the received input information. The server device 10 then transmits the game processing results to the terminal device 20, and the terminal device 20 performs various processes to provide the game processing results received from the server device 10 to the terminal device 20 so that they can be viewed by the user.

The terminal device 20 is an information processing device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PHS, a computer, a game device, a PDA, a portable game machine, an image generating device, etc., and is a device that can be connected to the server device 10 via a network such as the Internet (WAN) or a LAN. The communication line between the terminal device 20 and the server device 10 may be wired or wireless.

The terminal device 20 also has a web browser capable of viewing web pages (data in HTML format). That is, the terminal device 20 has a communication control function for communicating with the server device 10, and a web browser function for controlling display using data received from the server device 10 (web data, data created in HTML format, etc.), as well as transmitting user operation data to the server device 10, and executes various processes for providing a game screen to the user, allowing the user to play the game. However, the terminal device 20 may also acquire game control information provided by the server device 10, execute a predetermined game process, and play a game based on the game process.

Specifically, when the terminal device 20 makes a request to the server device 10 to play a predetermined game, the terminal device 20 is connected to the game site of the server device 10 and the game is started. In particular, the terminal device 20 has a configuration that causes the server device 10 functioning as an SNS server to perform a predetermined process by using an API as necessary, or causes the server device 10 functioning as an SNS server to acquire the player information storage unit 146 managed by the server device 10 functioning as an SNS server, and executes the game.

[2] Server Device Next, the server device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the server device 10 of this embodiment. Also, the server device 10 of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (parts) of Fig. 2 are omitted.

The server device 10 includes an input unit 150 for use in administrator and other input, a display unit 190 for performing predetermined displays, an information storage medium 180 in which predetermined information is stored, a communication unit 196 for communicating with terminal devices 20 and others, a processing unit 100 for executing processes mainly related to the game to be provided, and a storage unit 140 for storing various data mainly used in the game.

The input unit 150 is used by a system administrator or the like to input game-related settings and other necessary settings and data. For example, the input unit 150 in this embodiment is configured with a mouse, keyboard, etc.

The display unit 190 displays an operation screen for the system administrator. For example, the display unit 190 in this embodiment is configured with a liquid crystal display or the like.

The information storage medium 180 (a computer-readable medium) stores programs, data, etc., and its functions are realized by optical disks (CD, DVD), magneto-optical disks (MO), magnetic disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, or memory (ROM), etc.

The communication unit 196 performs various controls for communicating with the outside (e.g., terminals, other servers, or other network systems), and its functions are configured by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

The memory unit 140 serves as a work area for the processing unit 100, the communication unit 196, etc., and its functions are realized by a RAM (VRAM) etc. The information stored in the memory unit 140 may be managed in a database.

In addition to the main memory unit 142, the memory unit 140 of this embodiment also includes a game data memory unit 144 in which game information indicating information related to the game is stored, a player information memory unit 146 in which player information indicating information related to each player is stored, and an audio data memory unit 147.

In particular, the game data storage unit 144 stores information about the game space (game field) in which the game is played, information about each character, information about the virtual camera, and other setting values used in the game.

In addition, the player information storage unit 146 stores, for each player, (1) the player's nickname, player ID, and if the player belongs to a team, the name of the team to which the player belongs and the ID (hereinafter referred to as "affiliation information");
(2) Information regarding individual and team performance, such as current points, rewards earned, or game time (hereinafter also referred to as "performance information");
(3) Information regarding the characteristics and attributes of the player character and the types of items (including the abilities of the items) possessed by the player character. (4) Information regarding the game results, such as the number of wins and losses against other player characters and other teams in competitive games against other player characters and other teams (hereinafter, also referred to as "game results information").
,
(5) Position information indicating the position of each player or team within the game field;
(6) Information on whether or not a player has been defeated (whether or not the game is over) (hereinafter, also referred to as "defeat information"); and
(7) Information regarding billing, such as billing history and billing amounts,
is stored.

The performance information, battle record information, and defeat information included in the player information are updated at predetermined times. For example, the predetermined times include every given period (e.g., every 5 minutes), when the player logs out, at a specified time in the game (e.g., 8:00 a.m.), when a specified event occurs (when any individual or team match ends), etc.

The audio data storage unit 147 stores multiple pieces of audio data. Details will be described later.

The processing unit 100 performs various processes using the main memory unit 142 in the memory unit 140 as a work area. The functions of the processing unit 100 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), or by programs.

The processing unit 100 performs various processes of this embodiment based on programs (data) stored in the information storage medium 180. That is, the information storage medium 180 stores programs for causing a computer to function as each part of this embodiment (programs for causing a computer to execute the processes of each part).

For example, the processing unit 100 (processor) controls the entire server device 10 based on a program stored in the information storage medium 180, and performs various processes such as controlling the transfer of data between each unit. Furthermore, the processing unit 100 performs processes to provide various services in response to requests from the terminal device 20.

Specifically, the processing unit 100 of this embodiment has at least a communication control unit 101, a Web processing unit 102, a game management unit 103, a timer management unit 107, and an information provision unit 108.

The communication control unit 101 performs processing to transmit and receive data to and from the terminal device 20 via the network. That is, the server device 10 performs various processing based on information received from the terminal device 20, etc. by the communication control unit 101. In particular, the communication control unit 101 of this embodiment performs processing to transmit information about the game screen to the terminal device 20 of a player based on a request from the terminal device 20 of the player.

The web processing unit 102 functions as a web server. For example, the web processing unit 102 performs a process of transmitting data in response to a request from a web browser installed in the terminal device 20 through a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and a process of receiving data transmitted by the web browser of the terminal device 20.

In this embodiment, the server device 10 is described as having a function as an SNS server, but the server device 10 may be formed as a separate server for the game and a server for the SNS. In addition, the game processing of this embodiment may be performed in part or in whole by the server device 10, or in part by the terminal device 20.

The game management unit 103 works in conjunction with the terminal device 20 to execute various game processes related to the battle royale for each player based on the player's operations input via the terminal device 20.

The game management unit 103 manages various information related to the game and various information related to the virtual camera (e.g., information related to the virtual camera), and transmits various information related to the game to each terminal device 20.

For example, the game management unit 103 executes various processes to impose given constraints on each player's character depending on the playing area present in the game field (i.e., game space) in which the game is played.

The game management unit 103 also executes control over predefined characters such as NPCs.

The timer management unit 107 has a timer function and is used to manage the progress of the game. In particular, the timer management unit 107 works in conjunction with the game management unit 103 to output the current time and preset times to each unit. The timer management unit 107 is also used to synchronize with each terminal device.

The information providing unit 108 generates various game information and provides it to the corresponding terminal device 20 so that the terminal device 20 can process the game.

[3] Terminal Device Next, the terminal device (game device) 20 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device in this embodiment. Also, the terminal device 20 of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (parts) in Fig. 3 are omitted.

The input unit 260 allows the player to input operation data, and this function can be realized by a touch panel or a touch panel display, etc. That is, the input unit 260 has a detection unit 262 capable of detecting two-dimensional pointed position coordinates (x, y) on the screen on which an image is displayed. For example, the input unit 260 has a detection unit 262 capable of detecting two-dimensional contact position coordinates (x, y) in a contact detection area (touch panel).

Note that touch operations on the display screen (hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, referred to as the "touch panel") may be performed using a fingertip or an input device such as a touch pen.

The input unit 260 may also include a button, lever, keyboard, steering wheel, microphone, acceleration sensor, etc. that can input operation information (operation signal) other than the indicated position.

The storage unit 270 serves as a work area for the processing unit 200, communication unit 296, etc., and its functions can be realized by a RAM (VRAM) or the like. The storage unit 270 of this embodiment includes a main storage unit 271 used as a work area, an image buffer 272 in which the final display image and the like are stored, a player information storage unit 273 that shows information about the player, a game data storage unit 274 that stores various data necessary for executing the game, such as table data, and an audio data storage unit 275. Note that some of these may be omitted, or part of them may be configured by the storage unit 140 of the server device 10.

The information storage medium 280 (a computer-readable medium) stores programs, data, etc., and its functions can be realized by optical disks (CD, DVD), magneto-optical disks (MO), magnetic disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, or memory (ROM), etc.

In addition, the information storage medium 280 can store programs for causing a computer to function as each part of this embodiment (programs for causing a computer to execute the processing of each part). Note that the processing unit 200 performs various processes of this embodiment based on the programs (data) stored in the information storage medium 280, as described below.

The display unit 290 outputs the image generated by this embodiment, and its function can be realized by a CRT, LCD, touch panel display, HMD (head mounted display), etc.

In particular, in this embodiment, the display unit 290 also functions as an input unit 260 where the player operates the game by using a touch panel display. Here, the touch panel that can be used may be, for example, a resistive film type (four-wire type, five-wire type), a capacitive type, an electromagnetic induction type, an ultrasonic surface acoustic wave type, or an infrared scanning type.

The sound output unit 292 outputs the sound generated by this embodiment, and its function can be realized by a speaker or headphones, etc.

The communication unit 296 performs various controls for communicating with the outside (e.g., a host device or other terminal device), and its functions can be realized by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

The terminal device 20 may receive, via a network, programs and data for causing a computer to function as each part of this embodiment, which are stored in the information storage medium 180 or memory unit 140 of the server device 10, and store the received programs and data in the information storage medium 280 or memory unit 270. The case in which the terminal device 20 functions by receiving programs and data in this manner is also included within the scope of the present invention.

The processing unit 200 (processor) performs processing such as game processing, image generation processing, and sound generation processing in conjunction with the server device 10 based on input data and programs from the input unit 260.

In particular, in this embodiment, game processing includes processing for starting a game when a game start condition is satisfied, processing for progressing the game, processing for placing objects such as a player object and an enemy object, processing for displaying objects, processing for calculating the game result, and processing for ending the game when a game end condition is satisfied.

The processing unit 200 performs various processes using the memory unit 270 as a work area. The functions of the processing unit 200 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), or by programs.

In particular, the processing unit 200 of this embodiment includes an object space setting unit 210, a display control unit 211, an input reception processing unit 212, a game control unit 213, a game calculation unit 215, a virtual camera control unit 217, a game management unit 218, a sound processing unit 220, and an image generation unit 230. Also, a configuration in which some of these units are omitted may be adopted.

The object space setting unit 210 performs processing to place and set various objects (objects consisting of primitive surfaces such as sprites, billboards, polygons, free-form surfaces or subdivision surfaces) that represent display objects such as objects (player objects, moving objects, enemy objects), movement paths, buildings, trees, pillars, walls, maps (terrain), etc., in object space.

Specifically, the object space setting unit 210 determines the position and rotation angle (synonymous with orientation and direction) of an object (model object), and places the object at that position (X, Y) or (X, Y, Z) with that rotation angle (rotation angle around the X, Y axes) or (rotation angle around the X, Y, Z axes).

Here, object space includes both so-called virtual two-dimensional space and virtual three-dimensional space. Two-dimensional space is a space in which objects are arranged, for example, in two-dimensional coordinates (X, Y), and three-dimensional space is a space in which objects are arranged, for example, in three-dimensional coordinates (X, Y, Z).

When the object space is a two-dimensional space, the objects are arranged based on the priority order set for each of the multiple objects. For example, objects (sprites) that you want to appear to be in the back can be arranged in order, and objects that you want to appear to be in the foreground can be arranged on top of each other.

Also, by placing objects with a large drawing size at the bottom of the image and objects with a small drawing size at the top of the image, the object space corresponding to the top of the screen can be made to appear to be in the back, and the object space corresponding to the bottom of the screen can be made to appear to be in the foreground.

If the object space is a three-dimensional space, the object is placed in the world coordinate system.

The display control unit 211 controls the display of given information on the display unit 290. For example, when the volume of the sound generated at the sound generation position is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the display control unit 211 displays directional information suggesting the direction of the sound generated at the sound generation position. Details will be described later. Note that the display control unit 211 may display information required during the game on the display unit 290 based on information transmitted from the server device 10.

The input reception processing unit 212 receives input instructions from the player inputted via the input unit 260, and outputs the received input instructions to the game control unit 213. For example, the input reception processing unit 212 receives movement instructions and action instructions for the character being operated by the player.

The game control unit 213 executes game processing based on the commands received by the input reception processing unit 212.

For example, the game control unit 213 executes control over the character to be operated (i.e., the player character) or control over enemy characters and other associated characters based on various information (game information) about the game sent from the server device 10 and commands (i.e., input instructions) received by the input reception processing unit 212.

In addition, the game control unit 213 of this embodiment may set attributes that are subject to volume change corresponding to the volume change conditions.

The game control unit 213 also includes a movement control unit 214. For example, the movement control unit 214 performs movement calculations for moving objects (particularly, each character) within the object space. For example, the movement control unit 214 moves the character operated by the player based on the player's operation input. The movement control unit 214 also receives movement information of the character operated by the other player from the terminal device 20 of the other player via the server device 10, and controls the movement of the other character based on the movement information. The movement control unit 214 of this embodiment also receives movement information of non-player characters from the server device 10, and controls the movement of the non-player characters based on the movement information.

The game control unit 213 also performs processing to move the moving object within the object space or to control the operation (motion, animation) of the moving object based on the game information transmitted from the server device 10 and the input data or program (movement algorithm) and various data (motion data) input by the player via the input unit 260.

Specifically, the game control unit 213 of this embodiment performs simulation processing to sequentially obtain object movement information (movement direction, movement amount, movement speed, position, rotation angle, or acceleration) and operation information (position or rotation angle of each part object) for each frame. Here, a frame is a unit of time for performing object movement processing, operation processing (simulation processing), and image generation processing. In this embodiment, the frame rate may be fixed or may be variable depending on the processing load.

The game control unit 213 may be executed in conjunction with the server device 10, or part or all of it may be formed in the server device 10.

The game calculation unit 215 performs various game calculation processes. In particular, the game calculation unit 215 performs calculation processes necessary for executing the game, such as forming a predetermined object space in a shooting game, forming an object space based on a map, progressing the game based on a scenario that is preset in response to user operations, fighting between the player character and an enemy character (another character), and managing parameters during the battle.

The game calculation unit 215 runs in conjunction with the server device 10, but a part or all of it may be formed in the server device 10.

The game calculation unit 215 includes a parameter control unit 216. The parameter control unit 216 controls the variation of game-related parameters (parameters such as stamina value, recovery value, attack value, etc.). In particular, the parameter control unit 216 of this embodiment performs a process of setting a threshold value in association with each of the multiple voice data, and a process of changing the threshold value.

The parameter control unit 216 may be executed in conjunction with the server device 10, or part or all of it may be formed in the server device 10.

The virtual camera control unit 217 controls the virtual camera to generate an image of the game space seen from a given viewpoint. In this case, the virtual camera control unit 217 performs control processing of the virtual camera (viewpoint) to generate an image seen from a given (arbitrary) viewpoint in the object space. Specifically, the virtual camera control unit 217 performs processing to control the position (X, Y, Z) or rotation angle (rotation angle around the X, Y, Z axes) of the virtual camera (processing to control the viewpoint position or line of sight).

For example, when using a virtual camera to capture an image of an object (e.g., a character, a ball, or a car) from behind, the position or rotation angle (orientation of the virtual camera) of the virtual camera is controlled so that the virtual camera follows changes in the position or rotation of the object.

In this case, the virtual camera can be controlled based on information such as the position, rotation angle, or speed of the object obtained by the game control unit 213. Alternatively, the virtual camera may be controlled to rotate at a predetermined rotation angle or move along a predetermined movement path. In this case, the virtual camera is controlled based on virtual camera data for specifying the position (movement path) or rotation angle of the virtual camera.

The virtual camera may be set as the viewpoint of the player character. If there are multiple virtual cameras (viewpoints), the above control process is performed for each virtual camera.

In particular, the virtual camera control unit 217 of this embodiment places a virtual camera within the game space.

The virtual camera control unit 217 may be executed in conjunction with the server device 10, or part or all of it may be formed in the server device 10.

The game management unit 218 works in conjunction with the server device 10, and based on the player's operations input via the input unit 260, sets the player characters and various items to be used in games such as competitive games for each player, and registers them in the player information storage unit 273.

The sound processing unit 220 performs sound processing based on the results of various processes performed in the processing unit 200, generates game sounds such as background music, sound effects, or voice, and outputs them to the sound output unit 292.

The sound processing unit 220 includes a volume control unit 221, an audio playback unit 222, and an audio generation detection unit 223.

The volume control unit 221 determines the volume at which to play back the audio data for a sound based on the location at which the sound is generated within the game space and the listening location within the game space associated with the character. The volume control unit 221 also changes the volume of the audio data for each attribute. Details will be described later.

The audio playback unit 222 plays back the audio data stored in the audio data storage unit 275. In particular, in this embodiment, the audio playback unit 222 plays back the audio data in the terminal device 20 at a volume determined by the volume control unit 221. Details will be described later.

The sound generation detection unit 223 detects sounds generated within the game space. Details will be described later.

The image generation unit 230 performs drawing processing based on various information related to image generation sent from the server device 10 and the results of various processes (game processes) performed by the processing unit 200, thereby generating an image and outputting it to the display unit (display) 290.

In particular, the image generated by the image generating unit 230 may be a so-called two-dimensional image or a so-called three-dimensional image. In particular, the image generating unit 230 generates an image to be displayed on the screen, which is an image seen from a virtual camera in the object space.

Here, when generating a two-dimensional image, the image generating unit 230 draws objects in order starting from the object with the lowest set priority, and when objects overlap, it overwrites and draws the object with the highest priority.

When generating a three-dimensional image, the image generating unit 230 of this embodiment first receives object data (model data) including vertex data (such as vertex position coordinates, texture coordinates, color data, normal vectors, or alpha values) for each vertex of the object (model), and performs vertex processing based on the vertex data included in the input object data. Note that when performing vertex processing, vertex generation processing (tessellation, surface division, polygon division) may be performed to further divide polygons as necessary.

Vertex processing involves geometry processing such as vertex movement, coordinate transformation (world coordinate transformation, camera coordinate transformation), clipping, perspective transformation, and light source processing, and the vertex data given for the vertices that make up the object is modified (updated, adjusted) based on the results of this processing. Rasterization (scan conversion) is then performed based on the vertex data after vertex processing, and the faces of polygons (primitives) are associated with pixels. Following rasterization, pixel processing (fragment processing) is performed to draw the pixels that make up the image (fragments that make up the display screen).

Pixel processing involves various processes such as reading textures (texture mapping), setting/changing color data, semi-transparent compositing, and anti-aliasing to determine the final drawing color of the pixels that make up the image, and outputting (drawing) the drawing color of the perspectively transformed object to image buffer 272 (frame buffer, buffer that can store image information on a pixel-by-pixel basis; VRAM, rendering target). In other words, pixel processing involves per-pixel processing that sets or changes image information (color, normal, brightness, alpha value, etc.) on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

This generates an image that can be seen from a virtual camera (given viewpoint) set within the object space. If there are multiple virtual cameras (viewpoints), the image can be generated so that the images seen from each virtual camera can be displayed as split images on one screen.

The vertex and pixel processing performed by the image generation unit 230 may be realized by hardware that makes the rendering process of polygons (primitives) programmable using a shader program written in a shading language, known as a programmable shader (vertex shader or pixel shader). With a programmable shader, the rendering process content is highly flexible because the vertex and pixel processing can be programmed, allowing for a significant improvement in expressiveness compared to fixed rendering processing by hardware.

When drawing an object, the image generation unit 230 performs geometry processing, texture mapping, hidden surface removal, alpha blending, etc.

Alpha blending (alpha compositing) is a semi-transparent compositing process based on the alpha value (A value) (normal alpha blending, additive alpha blending, subtractive alpha blending, etc.).

The alpha value is information that can be stored in association with each pixel (texel, dot), and is additional information in addition to color information. The alpha value can be used as mask information, semi-transparency (equivalent to transparency and opacity), bump information, etc.

In geometry processing, the object is subjected to processes such as coordinate transformation, clipping, perspective projection transformation, and light source calculation. Then, the object data after geometry processing (perspective projection transformation) (position coordinates of the object's vertices, texture coordinates, color data (brightness data), normal vectors, alpha values, etc.) is stored in the storage unit 270.

Texture mapping involves mapping the texture (texel values) stored in the texture storage section of the storage unit 270 onto an object. Specifically, texture (surface properties such as color (RGB), alpha value, etc.) is read from the texture storage section of the storage unit 270 using texture coordinates and the like set (assigned) to the vertices of the object, and the texture, which is a two-dimensional image, is mapped onto the object. In this case, processing is performed to associate pixels with texels, and bilinear interpolation is used to interpolate the texels.

In this embodiment, when an object is drawn, a process of mapping a given texture may be performed. In this case, the color distribution (texel pattern) of the mapped texture can be dynamically changed.

In this case, textures with different color distributions (pixel patterns) may be dynamically generated, or multiple textures with different color distributions may be prepared in advance and the texture to be used may be dynamically switched. The color distribution of the texture may also be changed on an object-by-object basis.

Hidden surface removal is performed using the Z-buffer method (depth comparison method, Z test) that uses a Z-buffer (depth buffer) in which the Z-values (depth information) of the rendering pixels are stored. That is, when rendering a rendering pixel corresponding to an object's primitive, the Z-value stored in the Z-buffer is referenced, and the Z-value of the referenced Z-buffer is compared with the Z-value of the rendering pixel of the primitive. If the Z-value of the rendering pixel is a Z-value that is closer to the virtual camera (e.g. a small Z-value), rendering processing is performed for that rendering pixel, and the Z-value of the Z-buffer is updated to a new Z-value.

In alpha blending (alpha compositing), the image generation unit 230 performs semi-transparent compositing processing (normal alpha blending, additive alpha blending, subtractive alpha blending, etc.) based on the alpha value (A value). The alpha value is information that can be stored in association with each pixel (texel, dot), and is additional information other than color information, for example. The alpha value can be used as mask information, semi-transparency (equivalent to transparency and opacity), bump information, etc.

[4] Overview The game system of this embodiment is a so-called battle royale game (also called a "battroi game,""battle royal game," or "survival game") system in which multiple people participate in a game in which each character (for example, 100 characters) is placed in a game space, and the player's characters fight until they are the last one (or the last team) left. If the player survives to be the last one (or the last team), he or she wins.

The server device 10 constituting the game system 1 of this embodiment works in conjunction with the terminal devices 20 operated by each player, and is configured to, for example, form one game space (i.e., a game field in a virtual three-dimensional space) and execute a competitive game such as a shooting game or an action game within the game field using the characters operated by each player.

The server device 10 also has a configuration in which a plurality of characters move within a game space to execute a game, and provides information regarding the game to the terminal device 20 .

The terminal device (game device) 20 of this embodiment then determines the volume at which to play back the audio data for the audio, based on the location at which the audio occurred within the game space and the listening position within the game space associated with the character operated by the player corresponding to the player's device. The terminal device 20 then plays back the audio data at the determined volume. For example, when footsteps of enemy character C2 (character C2 operated by player P2) are generated in the terminal device 20A of player P1 operating character C1, the volume of the footsteps is determined, and the audio data of the footsteps of character C2 is played back at the determined volume and output from the sound output unit 292 of the terminal device 20.

In particular, in the audio data storage unit 275 of the storage unit 270 of the terminal device 20 of this embodiment, multiple audio data are stored in association with attributes (for example, types of sound effects such as "footsteps," "bombing sounds," and "reload sounds"), and the volume of audio data for some attributes is controlled to be changed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to, for example, increase the volume of only the footsteps of character C2 who is far away, allowing player P1 to play the game while relying on the footsteps of enemies, which are beneficial for game strategy. In this way, according to this embodiment, a highly entertaining game can be realized by controlling the volume change of audio data for some attributes. Note that in this embodiment, attributes may change during the game.

The game of this embodiment may also have a time limit per game (e.g., 30 minutes).

In addition, in this embodiment, the terminal device 20 withdraws from the competitive game when the vitality value (also called HP value or life value) of the player character (the character controlled by the player) becomes zero.

For ease of explanation, the following description will be directed to an example of processing in which character C1, the operation target of player P1, participates in a battle game on the terminal device 20A of player P1. That is, an example of processing of sounds output by the sound output unit 292 of the terminal device 20A will be described. The battle game of this embodiment is made up of multiple groups. For example, there is at least group G1 made up of characters C1, C3, C5, and C7, and group G2 made up of characters C2, C4, C6, and C8, and victory or defeat is determined by group. Characters C1 and C2 are enemies, and characters C1 and C3 are allies (friends).

The game system 1 of this embodiment controls each of the multiple characters based on the operation input of each player corresponding to each terminal device. In other words, the multiple characters are operated by multiple different terminal devices 20. For example, character C1 is controlled based on the operation input of player P1 corresponding to terminal device 20A, character C2 is controlled based on the operation input of player P2 corresponding to terminal device 20B, and character C3 is controlled based on the operation input of player P3 corresponding to terminal device 20C. Note that in this embodiment, some of the characters appearing in the game may be computer-controlled according to game processing such as a program. In other words, some of the characters may be NPCs (non-player characters) that are not operated by players.

[5] Description of voice data and attributes,
The voice data storage unit 275 of the terminal device 20A of this embodiment stores a plurality of voice data and attributes associated with each of the plurality of voice data.

The information (multiple voice data, attributes, etc.) stored in the voice data storage unit 275 of the terminal device 20A may be stored (shared) in synchronization with the information stored in the voice data storage unit 147 of the server device 10.

Figure 4 shows an example of multiple pieces of audio data stored in the audio data storage unit 275, along with attributes (main attribute, sub attribute, frequency range), and thresholds. For example, the terminal device 20 stores audio data (e.g., file name of MP3 data), attributes (main attribute, sub attribute, frequency range), and thresholds in association with an audio ID (audio identification information).

The main attribute indicates the type of sound, and the sub-attribute is an attribute that is a subordinate concept of the main attribute. The frequency range is the range of the sound's frequency. The threshold is used as a value to determine whether or not to display the direction of the sound's origin.

[6] Detecting sound generation The sound generation detection unit 223 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 in this embodiment detects sound generation in the game space. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the sound generation detection unit 223 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 detects the position where the sound is generated in the game space and the causing character that causes the sound generation in association with the timing of the sound generation (the elapsed time from the start of the game) and the generated sound ID.

When a sound is generated due to another character, the sound generation detection unit 223 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may determine the relationship between the character and the other character and store this as one of the attributes in the storage unit (sound data storage unit).

As shown in FIG. 5, when the sound generation detection unit 223 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 detects that a footstep sound (sound whose main attribute is "footsteps") with sound ID=1 has been generated by the motion control of character C2 operated by player P2, it detects the coordinates (X1, Y1, X1) in the game space of the footstep sound generation position PS2 and the causing character C2 of the sound generation, and stores them in the sound data storage unit 275. In addition, since the relationship between causing character C2 and character C1 is an enemy relationship, the information of "enemy relationship" is stored in the sound data storage unit 275 as relationship information.

For example, when the terminal device 20A of player P1 receives operation information of player P2 from the terminal device 20B of player P2, attack action control is performed to fire rifle A equipped to character C2 operated by player P2 based on the operation information of player P2. In such a case, when the sound generation detection unit 223 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 detects the occurrence of a "gunshot sound" with sound ID = 4, it detects the coordinates (X2, Y2, X2) of the position A2 where the gunshot sound occurred and the cause character C2 of the sound generation, and stores them in the sound data storage unit 275. Furthermore, since the relationship between the cause character C2 and character C1 is an enemy relationship, the information of the "enemy relationship" is stored in the sound data storage unit 275 as relationship information.

For example, when the terminal device 20A of player P1 receives operation information of player P3 from the terminal device 20C of player P3, character C3 operated by player P3 generates a distress signal based on the operation control of player P3. Then, when the sound generation detection unit 223 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 detects that a "distress signal" with sound ID = 12 has been generated, it detects the position where the distress signal was generated (X3, Y3, X3) and character C3 that caused the sound generation, and stores them in the sound data storage unit 275. Furthermore, since the relationship between the causing character C3 and character C1 is an ally relationship, information on the "ally relationship" is stored in the sound data storage unit 275 as relationship information.

[7] Method for determining default volume The volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 determines the default volume as follows. Based on the generation position of the sound generated in the game space and the listening position in the game space associated with the character C1 operated by the player P1, the volume at which the sound data of the sound is played is determined. Note that the default volume means the standard volume or the initial volume.

When generating an image of character C1 as seen from a virtual camera in a first-person perspective, the position of character C1 is defined as the "listening position." When generating an image of character C1 as seen from a virtual camera in a third-person perspective, the position (viewpoint) of the virtual camera capturing the image of character C1 is defined as the "listening position."

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A determines the volume when playing back the audio data of the footsteps with audio ID=1 based on the distance D1 between the listening position L1 and the position PS2 where the sound of the footsteps of the character C2 is generated, and determines the volume when playing back the audio data of the gunshot sound with audio ID=4 based on the distance F1 between the listening position L1 and the position A2 where the gunshot sound of the rifle A fired by the character C2 is generated.

In this embodiment, a given arithmetic formula (given function) is used to calculate the volume from the distance between the sound generation position and the listening position. The arithmetic formula may be prepared for each attribute. The volume control unit 221 reproduces the sound at the same volume as the volume at the sound generation position the closer the distance between the sound generation position and the listening position, and attenuates the volume so that the volume is smaller than the volume at the sound generation position the farther the distance is. For example, the volume may be attenuated so that it is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

If there is an obstacle (blocking object) between the sound generation position (sound generation source) and the listening position, the volume may be corrected by calculating the size of the obstacle or a detour route. If there is a difference in elevation between the sound generation position and the listening position, the volume may be corrected based on the difference in elevation.

For example, FIG. 7 shows an example of the relationship between volume and distance (the distance between the sound generation position and the listening position) for the attribute of footsteps. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the distance between the sound generation position PS2 and the listening position L1 is D1, the volume is determined to be E1.

[8] Method for changing the volume of audio data associated with some attributes The volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may change the volume of audio data associated with some attributes among a plurality of attributes. In other words, the volume control unit 221 controls the volume of the audio data associated with some attributes to be larger than the default value or smaller than the default value.

For example, the volume control unit 221 may change the volume of the audio data associated with the attribute "footsteps" among multiple attributes (main attributes). In this way, the player can hear at least footsteps regardless of how far away they are, and can progress through the game with an advantage.

[8.1] Volume Change Conditions When a volume change condition is satisfied, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may change the volume of the audio data associated with some of the multiple attributes.

A "volume change condition" is a given condition for changing the volume, and is a condition related to the state of the player character. For example, the volume change condition is when the character operated by the player corresponding to the player's device (for example, in the case of terminal device 20A, character C1 operated by player P1) uses (equips) a specified item, a parameter (stamina value) is below a specified value, the number of characters defeated (also called the number of kills) is equal to or greater than a specified number, the number of surviving characters is a specified number (for example, 10 characters) or below a specified number (for example, 10 characters or less), etc.

As shown in FIG. 8, the game control unit 213 sets an attribute of the volume change target corresponding to the volume change condition. For example, the terminal device 20A of player P1 sets "equipping headphones A" of condition ID=1 as a volume change condition, and associates the volume change condition of condition ID=1 with the attribute of "footsteps". In other words, when the character C1 operated by player P1 equips headphones A, it is determined that the volume change condition is satisfied. Then, when the volume change condition of condition ID=1 is satisfied, the volume is controlled to be increased when playing audio data associated with the attribute "footsteps" corresponding to the volume change condition (condition ID=1). Note that the volume may be changed relatively, leaving the volume of the audio data associated with "footsteps" unchanged and decreasing the other volumes.

In this way, player P1 will play the game with the goal of obtaining headphones A so that the controlled character C1 can equip them, which can increase the interest of the game.

The game control unit 213 may also set multiple attributes of the volume change target corresponding to the volume change condition, as shown in FIG. 8. For example, when the volume change condition of "equipping headphones B" (condition ID = 2) is satisfied, the volume control unit 221 controls the volume to be increased when playing back the audio data associated with the "gunshot sound" and "reload sound" corresponding to the volume change condition.

Volume changes also include controls to reduce the volume. For example, when the volume change condition of "equipping headphones C" with condition ID = 3 is satisfied, the volume of the audio data associated with the "bombing sound" corresponding to that volume change condition is controlled to be reduced. This is because the quieter the bombing sound is, the more other sounds can be heard, which is advantageous for the player. Note that the volume of the audio data associated with the "bombing sound" may be left unchanged, and the volume of the other audio data may be increased, making this a relative change.

For example, the game control unit 213 may set the attributes for which volume change is to be performed corresponding to a given volume change condition to "bombing sound" and "footsteps." Then, when the volume change condition is satisfied, the volume control unit 221 controls the volume to be lowered when playing back audio data associated with the "bombing sound" corresponding to the volume change condition, and to be higher when playing back audio data associated with the "footsteps" corresponding to the volume change condition. In this way, in this embodiment, the volume of the audio data associated with the attributes is adjusted to give the player an advantage.

In this embodiment, the amplification range and amplification rate of the volume to be changed may be set. Here, the "amplification range" is a range (three-dimensional range) that is set centered on the position of the character to be operated. For example, the terminal device 20A of player P1 sets the amplification range of character C1 to a range of 360 degrees, in principle, centered on the position of character C1 to be operated by player P1 (for example, a 360-degree circular range centered on the position of character C1 on the XZ plane).

The terminal device 20A of the player P1 can change the amplification range based on at least one of the operation input of the player P1 and a given game condition. For example, based on the operation input of the player P1, the amplification range is set to a range in the front direction of the character C1 operated by the player P1 (for example, a semicircular range of 180 degrees centered on the position of the character C1 on the XZ plane).

For example, when footsteps of character C2 occur within the amplification range (e.g., within the range in front of character C1), terminal device 20A of player P1 controls the volume of the "footsteps" attribute to amplify (increase) the volume of the footsteps. On the other hand, when footsteps of character C2 occur outside the amplification range (e.g., within the range behind character C1), terminal device 20A of player P1 controls the volume of the "footsteps" attribute not to amplify (increase) the volume of the footsteps.

The "amplification rate" is, for example, a value expressed in decibels (dB), with 0 dB meaning that the amplification rate is 1. The terminal device 20A of player P1 defines the amplification rate for each attribute. The amplification rate for each attribute may be changeable based on the operational input of player P1.

[8.2] Selection of Attributes The game control unit 213 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may receive a selection of attributes from the player P1 and set the selected attributes as attributes to be subjected to a volume change corresponding to the volume change conditions. The game control unit 213 sets attributes to be subjected to a volume change corresponding to the volume change conditions before the start of the game or during the game. The attributes to be selected may be any of main attributes, sub attributes, frequency ranges, and relationships with other characters.

For example, the game control unit 213 sets a flag F for each of a number of attributes for each volume change condition (each condition ID) indicating whether or not the attribute is subject to volume change (flag F=1 indicates that the attribute is subject to volume change, and flag F=0 indicates that the attribute is not subject to volume change).

Then, the terminal device 20A displays an attribute selection screen for each volume change condition (each condition ID), accepts the selection of the attribute to be subject to volume change based on the operation input of the player P1, and sets the selected attribute as the attribute to be subject to volume change corresponding to the volume change condition.

For example, when the terminal device 20A of the player P1 satisfies the volume change condition for condition ID=1, which specifies the wearing of headphones A as the volume change condition, that is, when the character C1 operated by the player P1 wears headphones A, the terminal device 20A displays an attribute selection screen GA1 as shown in FIG. 9. Then, based on the operation input of the player P1, the selection of the attribute to be the target of the volume change is accepted. Note that in the example of FIG. 9, the attribute is a main attribute, but it may be a sub-attribute or a frequency range. Then, when the selection is confirmed by pressing the "Confirm" button, the flag F of the attribute selected by the player P1 (for example, the attribute of "footsteps") is set to 1, and the flags F of the other attributes that were not selected are set to 0. Then, the game control unit 213 sets the attribute "footsteps" with flag F=1 as the attribute to be the target of the volume change corresponding to the volume change condition.

In this way, if player P1 wishes to change the volume of "footsteps," he or she can change the volume of "footsteps" by selecting the "footsteps" attribute.

In addition, in this embodiment, the number of attributes that are subject to volume change (the number of attributes for which flag F can be set to 1 (enabled)) may be limited to a predetermined number or less for each volume change condition (each condition ID). For example, the number of attributes that can be enabled may be limited to three or less.

Although not shown, the volume control unit 221 may also control the volume to be adjusted (volume changed) for each attribute with flag F=1 based on the player's operational input. In this way, the player can control the volume of footsteps of an enemy character C2 that is very far away to be increased in order to hear the footsteps accurately, and then return the volume to the original volume (default volume) at their own discretion, allowing for strategic gameplay.

[8.3] Changing the volume of audio data within a frequency range When a volume change condition is satisfied, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may change the volume when playing audio data associated with the frequency range corresponding to the volume change condition.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the volume change condition of "equipment of headphones D" with condition ID=4 is satisfied, the terminal device 20A controls the volume to be increased when playing back audio data associated with the frequency range 200-300 (Hz) corresponding to the volume change condition (condition ID=4). For example, when the frequency range 200-300 (Hz) is a frequency range related to "female voices," it is possible to make female voices easier to hear. For example, when the female character "Jane" is uttering information that is useful for the game progress, increasing the volume of the audio data in the female character's frequency range (200-300 Hz) will give the game an advantage. Note that a relative volume change may be made, such as leaving the volume of the audio data in the frequency range 200-300 (Hz) unchanged and decreasing the volume of other frequency ranges.

[8.4] Changing the volume based on the relationship with another character When a volume change condition is met, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may change the volume when playing back audio data associated with the relationship between the character and another character.

For example, when the volume change condition of "the vitality value of an ally character is below a predetermined value (e.g., below 10)" of ID=5 is satisfied, and the sound of a distress signal (audio ID=12) is generated due to ally character C3 of character C1 operated by player P1, if the relationship between character C1 and character C3 is an ally relationship, the volume control unit 221 of terminal device 20A of player P1 controls the volume to be increased. In this way, the game can be played strategically in team battles, making the game more interesting.

Furthermore, when the volume change condition of "the vitality value of the character being operated (e.g., character C1) with ID=6 is below a predetermined value (e.g., 10 or less)," the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 controls the volume of the sound data of the sounds caused by hostile characters (e.g., footsteps, gunshots, reload sounds, etc. of enemy characters) to be increased. In this way, even in a critical situation, there is room for recovery by relying on the enemy sounds, making the game more interesting.

Although not shown, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may set a volume change condition (e.g., condition ID = 7) as the operated character C1 locking on to an enemy character C2 (e.g., locking on with a weapon such as a rifle). When the volume change condition (condition ID = 7) is satisfied, the volume of the audio data of sounds generated by the character C2 (e.g., footsteps of character C2, gunshot sounds, reload sounds, etc.) is controlled to be increased. In this way, the sounds made by character C2 can be heard more clearly, allowing player P1 to play the game in an advantageous situation.

In addition, when the volume change condition (condition ID=7) is satisfied, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may control the volume of the sound data of the sound (e.g., footsteps, gunshots, reloading sounds, etc.) generated by the character C1 or friendly characters to be reduced or eliminated (volume=0). In this way, the sound of friendly sources that sound like noise can be reduced or eliminated, making it easier to target the enemy. For example, if the volume of the footsteps of friendly characters is eliminated, the player P1 will be led to the hasty conclusion that the "footsteps" are the sound of enemy characters. For example, when a friendly group and an enemy group engage in close-range group combat inside a building with many obstacles, they will be aware of each other's presence but will not be able to see each other. In such a case, the friendly group of the player P1 can play the game in a significantly advantageous situation.

[8.5] Explanation regarding specified areas When character C1 is located within a specified area (e.g., within a penalty area) in the game space, the game control unit 213 of player P1's terminal device 20A may set an attribute to be subject to volume change corresponding to a volume change condition so that the game progress is disadvantageous for player P1.

In addition, when character C1 is located within a specified area in the game space, the volume control unit 221 of player P1's terminal device 20A may change the volume when playing audio data associated with an attribute that is subject to a volume change corresponding to a volume change condition, so as to put player P1 at a disadvantage in progressing through the game.

For example, when character C1 is located within a predetermined area in the game space, the volume control unit 221 of player P1's terminal device 20A controls the volume of the audio data associated with an attribute (e.g., "footsteps") that is the target of volume change corresponding to a given volume change condition (e.g., condition ID = 1) to be lowered. This makes it difficult to determine the location of other characters by relying on sound, which puts player P1 at a disadvantage and increases the interest of the game.

The game control unit 213 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may set an attribute to be subject to a volume change corresponding to the volume change condition so that the game progress is advantageous for the player P1 when an enemy character C2 (character C2 that is hostile to character C1) is located within a predetermined area (e.g., within a penalty area) in the game space. The game control unit 213 and the volume control unit 221 may set an attribute to be subject to a volume change corresponding to the volume change condition so that the game progress is advantageous for the player P1 when an enemy character C2 is located within the predetermined area, on the condition that "character C1 is located outside the predetermined area."

In addition, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may control the volume to be increased when reproducing the sound data associated with the attribute (e.g., "footsteps") that is the target of the volume change corresponding to the volume change condition (e.g., condition ID = 1) so that the game progress is advantageous for the player P1 when the enemy character C2 is located within a predetermined area in the game space. In this way, the location of the enemy character C2 can be easily understood by relying on the sound, which is advantageous for the player P1 and can increase the interest of the game. Note that, the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may control the volume to be increased when reproducing the sound data associated with the attribute (e.g., "footsteps") that is the target of the volume change corresponding to the volume change condition (e.g., condition ID = 1) so that the game progress is advantageous for the player P1 when the enemy character C2 is located within a predetermined area in the game space under the condition that "the character C1 is located outside the predetermined area". Since the volume control unit 221 adjusts the volume so that the game progress is advantageous for the player P1, if the sound to be changed is a "bombing sound," the volume of the bombing sound is controlled to be reduced.

When the specified area is a penalty area, the specified area is an area in which a penalty is imposed on a character that is within the specified area. For example, the parameter control unit 216 may perform control to decrease the vitality value of a character located in the specified area over time.

The specified area may also be an area that is controlled to be advantageous to a character that is within the specified area. In such a case, when character C1 is located within the specified area in the game space, terminal device 20A of player P1 may set an attribute (e.g., an attribute that is subject to a volume change corresponding to a volume change condition) to give player P1 an advantage in progressing through the game. Furthermore, terminal device 20A may change the volume when playing back audio data associated with that attribute to be advantageous to player P1.

For example, if the specified area is a fortress, when character C1 is located inside the fortress (within the specified area) and character C2 is located outside the fortress (outside the specified area), terminal device 20A controls the volume to be increased when playing back audio data associated with an attribute (e.g., "footsteps") that is subject to volume change and corresponds to a volume change condition (e.g., condition ID = 1). In other words, the volume is controlled to be increased so that the footsteps of an enemy character (e.g., character C2) outside the fortress can be clearly heard.

In addition, when character C2 is located inside the fortress (within a specified area) and character C1 is located outside the fortress (outside the specified area), the terminal device 20A of player P1 controls the volume of the sound data associated with the attribute (e.g., "footsteps") that is the target of the volume change corresponding to the volume change condition (e.g., condition ID = 1) to be lowered so that the game progress is disadvantageous for player P1 when character C2 is located inside the fortress (within a specified area). In other words, the terminal device 20B of player P2, who operates character C2, may control the volume to be higher so that the footsteps of character C1, who is outside the fortress, can be clearly heard by player P2, putting player P1 in a disadvantageous situation.

[8.6] Amount of change in volume The volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may change the amount of change in volume depending on the game situation. The "amount of change in volume" is the difference from the default volume. For example, the volume control unit 221 may reduce the amount of change in volume depending on the number of surviving characters. In other words, the fewer the surviving characters, the more the game will be played at the default volume.

The game status is not limited to the number of surviving characters, but can also be, for example, the size (area) of the competition area, the number of surviving characters per unit area (population density), the time elapsed since the start of the game, etc.

For example, if the game situation is the size of the playing area, the change in volume is reduced as the playing area gets smaller. In this way, even if the playing area gets smaller, it is possible to prevent situations where the player is too advantageous or too disadvantageous, and to maintain game balance.

Also, if the game situation is the number of survivors per unit area, the amount of change in volume is reduced as the number of survivors per unit area increases.

Also, if the game status is the time elapsed since the start of the game, the amount of change in volume is reduced as the game progresses (as the game progresses).

[8.7] Changing of Attributes In this embodiment, attributes may be changed during the game. For example, when the character C1 operated by the player P1 is equipped with headphones A and a volume change condition (condition ID=1) is satisfied, the terminal device 20A of the player P1 changes the volume of the volume data associated with the attribute "footsteps" corresponding to the volume change condition (condition ID=1). In this case, for example, when the terminal device 20A detects that the footsteps with the sound ID=1 are generated by the motion control of the character C2 operated by the player P2, the control state is changed from a control state in which the volume is increased when playing the sound data associated with "footsteps" (making it easier for the player P1 to hear) to a control state in which the volume is decreased when playing the sound data associated with "footsteps" (making it harder for the player P1 to hear). In other words, in this embodiment, information on the ease and difficulty of hearing a sound is also controlled as an attribute (sub-attribute), and the attribute is controlled to change. The timing for changing the control state in which the volume of the audio data associated with "footsteps" is increased (making it easier for player P1 to hear) to a control state in which the volume of the audio data associated with "footsteps" is decreased (making it harder for player P1 to hear) can be various, such as when a predetermined period of time has elapsed (for example, a predetermined period of time (for example, 30 seconds) since putting on headphones A) or when player P1 defeats an enemy character.

Furthermore, the terminal device 20A of player P1 may change the attributes when the character C2 operated by player P2 moves and the environment changes. For example, when character C2 moves from a state where it is located on dirt ground to a state where it is located on an iron plate, the sound of footsteps is changed from the sound of footsteps on the dirt ground to the sound of footsteps on the iron plate. In other words, in this embodiment, information on the material of the sound source (e.g., dirt, iron, etc.) is also controlled as an attribute (sub-attribute), and the attribute is controlled to change.

[8.8] Flowchart An example of the flow of processing for volume control when sound is generated in the terminal device 20A of the player P1 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when a sound is generated (step S1), a default volume is determined (step S2). For example, the default volume is calculated based on the sound generation position and the listening position (the position associated with the character).

Then, it is determined whether the volume change condition is met (step S3). If the volume change condition is met (Y in step S3), the process proceeds to step S4, and if the volume change condition is not met (N in step S3), the process proceeds to step S7.

If the volume change condition is met (Y in step S3), it is determined whether the attribute of the generated sound is an attribute associated with the volume change condition (step S4).

If the attribute of the generated sound is an attribute associated with a volume change condition (Y in step S4), the volume is changed to be advantageous to the player (step S5). Then, the sound is output at the changed volume (step S6).

On the other hand, if the volume change condition is not met (N in step S3), or if the attribute of the generated sound is not an attribute associated with the volume change condition (N in step S4), sound is output at the default volume (step S7). This ends the process.

[8.9] Others The terminal device 20A of the player P1 in this embodiment may place an item (such as headphones A) for satisfying a given volume change condition in the game space at a given timing. In addition, in this embodiment, the terminal device 20A may be controlled so that the player P1 can obtain the item for satisfying a given volume change condition based on a given operation input (for example, based on a given lottery process or based on a given billing process) before the start of the game.

[9] Description of Directional Information Next, the directional information will be described. In this embodiment, the terminal device 20A of the player P1 displays given information on the display unit 290. In this case, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A displays directional information suggesting the direction of the sound generated at the sound generation position when the volume of the sound generated at the sound generation position is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The terminal device 20A controls the timing of displaying the directional information of the sound and the timing of playing the sound data of the sound to be the same.

[9.1] Details of Direction Information As shown in FIG. 6, for example, when the "footsteps" of the character C2 are generated at the sound generation position PS2, the terminal device 20A of the player P1 assumes that the distance between the footsteps sound generation position PS2 of the character C2 and the listening position L1 is D1. As shown in FIG. 7, when the volume of the footsteps sound data of the sound ID=1 is reproduced is E1 and the threshold value of the "footsteps" is K1, the volume E1 is equal to or greater than the threshold value K1, so that the direction information suggesting the direction of the "footsteps" of the character C2 is displayed. On the other hand, for example, when the distance between the footsteps sound generation position PS2 of the character C2 and the listening position L1 is assumed to be D2, the volume of the footsteps sound data of the sound ID=1 is reproduced is E2, so that the volume E2 is less than the threshold value K1, and the direction information suggesting the direction of the "footsteps" of the character C2 is not displayed. In this way, in this embodiment, the display/non-display of the direction information is controlled according to the volume.

Figure 11 shows an example of the game screen GA displayed on the terminal device 20A of the player P1. As shown in Figure 11, the terminal device 20A displays directional information indicating that there is footsteps of the character C2. For example, a mark (display) M1 containing the message "footsteps of character C2" is displayed on the left side of the game screen GA. That is, in this embodiment, a directional display indicating the sound generation direction is performed according to the display position of the mark M1. That is, in the example of Figure 11, the mark M1 is displayed on the left side of the game screen, which means that the footsteps have occurred from the left direction with respect to the line of sight of the virtual camera in the terminal device 20A of the player P1. In this way, the player P1 can take measures such as running away from the character C2 or attacking in the direction of the footsteps of the character C2 by recognizing not only the sound of the footsteps but also the directional information, and can proceed with the game advantageously. For example, in this embodiment, the object that causes the sound generation (footsteps of an enemy character, etc.) is not necessarily displayed on the game screen, so the display of the directional information is useful information for the player.

Figure 12 shows the correspondence between ranges in the game space and the display positions of marks displayed on the game screen GA. First, four zones are defined: a range B1 of 45 degrees in front and behind the line of sight V1 of the viewpoint CP1 of the virtual camera CA1 photographing the character C1; a range B2 of 45 to 135 degrees from the line of sight V1; a range B3 of 135 to 225 degrees from the line of sight V1; and a range B4 of 225 to 315 degrees from the line of sight V1.

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 performs control to display directional information by displaying a mark in the upper area J1 of the game screen GA when the sound generation position is located in range B1, displaying a mark in the left area J2 of the game screen GA when the sound generation position is located in range B2, displaying a mark in the lower area J3 of the game screen GA when the sound generation position is located in range B3, and displaying a mark in the right area J4 of the game screen GA when the sound generation position is located in range B4. Note that the areas J1 to J4 do not need to be oval, and may be rectangular or a given shape. Also, a part of each area may overlap.

In the example of Figure 11, the footsteps of character C2 are generated from range B2, so a mark M1 is displayed on the left side J2 of the game screen GA. In this way, according to this embodiment, player P1 can recognize the direction from which the sound is generated based on the line of sight, and can play the game by relying not only on the sound but also on the direction.

Note that J1 to J4 on the game screen shown in FIG. 12 indicate the concepts of up, down, left, and right. In addition, the angle of the sound generation position in the game space may be calculated based on the line of sight V1, and a mark may be displayed at that angle in the center of the game screen GA, based on the upward direction of the game screen. For example, if the footstep generation position in the game space is at 45 degrees based on the line of sight V1, a mark may be displayed in the upper left direction of the game screen GA.

In addition, the method of displaying directional information in this embodiment has been described as an example in which the direction of sound generation is indicated by the display position of a mark, but this is not limited to this.

For example, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may display a message indicating the direction of the sound generation position on a part of the game screen (e.g., the upper part). For example, information indicating a direction based on the line of sight direction V1 (e.g., a message saying "You can hear the footsteps of character C2 in a 45-degree direction") may be displayed on a part of the game screen.

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may also display an onomatopoeic message on the game screen. For example, a message such as "rustling" to represent the sound of grass and trees may be displayed on the game screen.

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may also display a radar image or a map image depicting the XZ plane of the game space on the game screen, and display footstep marks at the sound generation position on the radar image or map image, thereby displaying directional information of the footsteps.

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may also perform special image processing (distortion processing, synthesis processing of a hazy image or a damaged image) on an area on the game screen corresponding to the direction of sound generation (for example, range J1 on the game screen when sound is generated in range B1) to control the area to indicate the direction of sound generation.

[9.2] Given Conditions In this embodiment, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may display directional information indicating the direction of the sound generated at the sound generation position when given conditions are satisfied and the volume of the sound generated at the sound generation position is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

Here, "given conditions" include, for example, the player having a high ranking (e.g., the player being ranked 1st to 10th), the player having defeated a predetermined number of characters, the player using (equipping) a specific item, etc. Note that the player's ranking may also be determined by the score in the game or the number of characters defeated.

[9.3] Display of information related to the sound generated at the sound generation position The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may display information related to the sound generated at the sound generation position together with the direction information. For example, information on the character causing the sound generation (for example, the character name, the relationship between the character C1 and the character causing the sound generation (enemy or ally)), the attribute of the sound data of the generated sound, etc. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a message "footsteps of character C2" is displayed, so "character C2", the character causing the sound generation, and the attribute "footsteps" are displayed. In this way, information related to the sound generated at the sound generation position can also be recognized, so that it is easy to recognize in which direction and what kind of sound has been generated.

[9.4] Thresholds Corresponding to Each Sound Data The parameter control unit 216 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 sets a threshold in association with each of the multiple sound data. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the sound data storage unit 275 of this embodiment stores a threshold in association with each of the multiple sound data (sound ID). In this way, by setting a threshold for each sound data, it is possible to control the threshold appropriate for the sound data. Note that if the threshold is set to 0, the direction will be displayed even at the lowest volume, so the initial value (default value) of the threshold is set to an appropriate value taking into consideration the game balance.

[9.5] Displaying directional information based on the relationship between a first character and a second character When sound is generated due to a second character, for example, character C2 operated by player P2, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may determine whether or not to display directional information based on the relationship between character C1 (an example of a first character) operated by player P1 and character C2 (an example of a second character), and may display the directional information if it is determined that the directional information should be displayed.

In other words, when a sound is generated due to character C2, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may determine whether or not a condition (an example of a given condition) is satisfied based on the relationship between characters C1 and C2, and if the given condition is satisfied and the volume of the sound generated at the sound generation position is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, display directional information indicating the direction of the sound generated at the sound generation position.

For example, when a sound is generated due to character C2, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may determine to display directional information if the relationship between characters C1 and C2 is an enemy relationship, and may determine not to display directional information if the relationship between characters C1 and C2 is an ally relationship.

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may also determine whether or not to display directional information based on the attributes of enemy characters that are advantageous to the player and the attributes of friendly characters. Note that enemy characters are characters that are in an enemy relationship with character C1 (for example, character C2 that is the object of operation of player P2, or a character that is an enemy of character C1 controlled by a computer, etc.).

For example, the game control unit 213 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 sets the attributes of enemy characters that are advantageous to player P1 to "footsteps,""gunshots," and "reloading sounds" based on the operation input of player P1 or computer control. Then, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 determines to display directional information when the sounds of "footsteps,""gunshots," and "reloading sounds" are caused by enemy characters. On the other hand, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 determines to hide directional information when the sounds of "footsteps,""gunshots," and "reloading sounds" are caused by friendly characters.

For example, the game control unit 213 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 sets the attribute of an ally character that is advantageous to player P1 to "distress signal" based on the operation input of player P1 or computer control. Then, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 determines to display directional information if the sound of the "distress signal" is caused by an ally character. On the other hand, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 determines to hide directional information if the sound of the "distress signal" is caused by an enemy character.

In addition, the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may limit the attributes for which the determination is made as to whether or not to display directional information based on the relevance between a first character (e.g., character C1) and a second character (e.g., character C2) to some of the multiple attributes, such as "footsteps," "gunshot sounds," "reload sounds," and "distress signals."

[9.6] Change in Display Mode The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may change the display mode related to the directional information according to at least one of the attributes of the sound data of the sound generated at the sound generation position, the distance between the sound generation position and the listening position in the game space, and the volume of the sound data. In this way, the attributes, distance, and volume of the sound data can be easily visually recognized.

For example, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may predetermine a mark that identifies each attribute and display a mark according to the attribute, allowing the player to easily recognize the attribute of the audio data. For example, for the attribute "footsteps", a foot mark may be displayed, and for the attribute "gunshot sound", a mark imitating a weapon may be displayed. For example, a mark according to a sub-attribute, such as a rifle mark, a machine gun mark, or a shotgun mark, may be displayed.

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may also display the mark in a larger size the closer the distance between the sound generation position and the listening position in the game space. For example, assume that a gunshot is generated from the machine gun of the character C4 in the game space within range B4 based on the line of sight V1. In this case, if the distance between the gunshot generation position and the listening position is less than 10 kilometers, a mark M2 is displayed on the right side of the game screen GA at 1x the size, as shown in FIG. 13. On the other hand, if the distance between the gunshot generation position and the listening position is 10 kilometers or more but less than 20 kilometers, a mark M2-1 is displayed on the right side of the game screen GA at 0.5x the size (for example, the thickness of the arrow is 0.5x the size), as shown in FIG. 14. Also, although not shown, if the distance between the location where the gunshot sound originated and the location where it was heard is 20 kilometers or more, a mark M2-2 is displayed on the right side of the game screen GA at 0.25 times the size (for example, the thickness of the arrow is 0.25 times larger).

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may also display the mark in a larger size as the volume increases. For example, assume that a gunshot occurs from the machine gun of the character C4 in the game space within range B4 based on the line of sight V1. In this case, if the volume of the gunshot is 20 or more, the mark M2 is displayed on the right side of the game screen GA at 1x size, as shown in FIG. 13. On the other hand, if the volume of the gunshot is 10 or more but less than 20, the mark M2-1 is displayed on the right side of the game screen GA at 0.5x size (e.g., the thickness of the arrow is 0.5x) as shown in FIG. 14. Although not shown, if the volume of the gunshot is less than 10, the mark M2-2 is displayed on the right side of the game screen GA at 0.25x size (e.g., the thickness of the arrow is 0.25x).

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may display the mark in a larger size according to the attack power (danger level) of the weapon. In other words, the higher the attack power, the larger the mark displayed.

[9.7] Collective Directional Information When multiple sounds are generated within any of multiple ranges, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may display collective directional information that combines the directional information of the multiple sounds, instead of the directional information of each of the multiple sounds. In this way, it is possible to avoid a cumbersome display.

Figure 15 shows an example of the display of directional information when, out of multiple ranges B1, B2, B4, and B4, machine gun shots are generated by characters C2 and C4 in range B4, and rifle gunshots are generated by characters C6, C8, and C10. In the example of Figure 15, each piece of directional information is displayed, which is cumbersome.

The display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may therefore display collective directional information grouped under the main attribute "gunshot sound" as shown in FIG. 16. In this way, complex information is simplified, resulting in a display that is easy for player P1 to understand. For example, the number of characters responsible for the sound generation may also be displayed.

Although not shown, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may display collective directional information for each sub-attribute when the number of characters causing sound generation is a predetermined number or less (e.g., 10 or less). For example, the display control unit 211 may display collective directional information for the sub-attribute "machine gun" and collective directional information for the sub-attribute "rifle". In such a case, the number of characters causing sound generation may be displayed together for each collective directional information.

[9.8] Changing the Threshold Value The parameter control unit 216 of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may change the threshold value associated with the sound data depending on the game situation.

For example, in the case of a battle royale game, as the number of survivors decreases, not displaying directional information creates a sense of tension and allows the game to be played in a balanced manner, so when the number of survivors is below a predetermined number (e.g., 5 or less), the threshold associated with each piece of audio data may be increased. For example, when the number of survivors is below a predetermined number (e.g., 5 or less), the threshold associated with each piece of audio data may be doubled.

[9.9] Control in a Specified Area The parameter control unit 216 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may change the threshold value associated with the sound data when the character C1 is located within a specified area in the game space (e.g., within a penalty area) and when the character C1 is located outside the specified area (e.g., outside the penalty area).

In other words, when character C1 is located within a specified area, the parameter control unit 216 of player P1's terminal device 20A changes the threshold value associated with the audio data so as to put player P1 at a disadvantage in the game progression.

For example, when character C1 is located within a predetermined area in the game space and "footsteps" of character C2 occur, the parameter control unit 216 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 controls the threshold K1 of "footsteps" to be multiplied by 1.3 to raise the threshold. In this way, player P1 is penalized by making it harder to display the direction of the footsteps of character C2, and player P1 plays the game as if character C1 does not belong to the predetermined area, which increases the interest of the game. On the other hand, when character C1 is located outside the predetermined area in the game space, the parameter control unit 216 changes the threshold to the original value K1 (1x).

In addition, the parameter control unit 216 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may change the threshold value associated with the sound data when the enemy character C2 is located within a specified area in the game space, so that the game progress is advantageous for player P1.

In other words, the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 may determine whether or not a condition (an example of a given condition) is met in which enemy character C2 is located within a specified area in the game space and character C1 is located outside the specified area, and may display directional information suggesting the direction of the sound generated at the sound generation position when the given condition is met and the volume of the sound generated at the sound generation position is equal to or greater than a specified threshold.

For example, when enemy character C2 is located within a specified area and character C1 is located outside the specified area, the terminal device 20A of player P1 can lower the threshold value associated with the audio data of the sound generated by enemy character C2, making it easier for player P1 to recognize the directional information of the sound generated by enemy character C2.

For example, when character C2 is located within a predetermined area and character C1 is located outside the predetermined area, the parameter control unit 216 of the terminal device 20A of player P1 multiplies the threshold value associated with the audio data of the sound of character C2's "footsteps" by 0.8 to lower the threshold value, making it easier to display directional information of character C2's footsteps and imposing a penalty on character C2. Player P1 will come to expect a penalty to be imposed on opponent player P2, making the game more interesting.

Furthermore, the specified area is not limited to a penalty area. In other words, the specified area may be an area that is controlled to give an advantage to the character that is within the specified area. This can also increase the interest of the game.

For example, when character C1 is located inside a fortress (within a specified area) in the game space and enemy character C2 is located outside the fortress (outside the specified area), player P1's terminal device 20A controls to give an advantage to player P1. In other words, player P1's terminal device 20A multiplies the threshold value associated with the audio data of the sound from which character C2's "footsteps" are generated by 0.8, thereby controlling to lower the threshold value, so that, for example, directional information of character C2's footsteps can be more easily displayed for player P1.

On the other hand, the terminal device 20A of player P1 controls the game to be at a disadvantage for player P1 when character C2 is located inside the fortress (within the specified area) in the game space and character C1 is located outside the fortress (outside the specified area). In other words, the terminal device 20B of player P2 may multiply the threshold value associated with the audio data of the sound from which character C1's "footsteps" are generated by 0.8 to lower the threshold value so that, for example, directional information of character C1's footsteps is more easily displayed for player P2 (player P2 who controls character C2).

[9.10] Flowchart An example of the flow of processing for direction display of the terminal device 20A of the player P1 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when a sound is generated (step S11), a process for determining the volume is performed (step S12). The volume may be determined by the process shown in FIG. 10. Then, it is determined whether the volume is equal to or greater than a threshold (step S13). If the volume is equal to or greater than the threshold (Y in step S13), information about the direction of the sound is displayed (step S14). This ends the process.

[9.11] Number of Sections In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which four sections, namely, ranges B1, B2, B3, and B4, are defined based on the line of sight direction V1 of the viewpoint CP1 of the virtual camera CA1 that photographs the character C1 operated by the player P1, but the number of sections does not have to be four. For example, the number of sections may be two, three, five or more.

Furthermore, the terminal device 20A of the player P1 may divide the game space into 8 360 degrees, centered on the viewpoint CP1 of the virtual camera CA1 that captures the character C1 operated by the player P1, as shown in Figure 18. For example, as shown in Figure 18, the game space may be divided into 45-degree ranges in each direction, N (north), NE (northeast), E (east), SE (southeast), S (south), SW (southwest), W (west), and NW (northwest), with the viewpoint CP1 of the player P1 at the center, providing eight sections, R1 to R8.

Then, when the sound of "footsteps" of character C2 is generated at sound generation position PS2, for example, the terminal device 20A of player P1 determines which of the eight sections R1 to R8 the "footsteps" belong to. Then, when the section to which the footsteps belong is determined, directional information (for example, a mark) is displayed in the direction of the section. For example, the position coordinates of a given position in the direction of the section to which the footsteps belong in the three-dimensional game space are converted into the two-dimensional coordinate system of the game screen, and a mark is displayed at the converted position coordinates. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, when the line of sight V1 of character C1 indicates the northwest direction (NW direction), the terminal device 20A displays mark M1 in the upper left direction on the game screen GA.

Furthermore, the terminal device 20A of player P1 may change the precision (angle precision) for dividing the game space according to the volume. The number of sections may be controlled so that the louder the volume of the target attribute, the greater the number of sections. For example, the game space may be divided into 4 sections by dividing it into 4 sections in a 90-degree range around the viewpoint CP1, 8 sections by dividing the game space into 8 sections by dividing it into 45-degree range around the viewpoint CP1, or 16 sections by dividing the game space into 16 sections in a 22.5-degree range around the viewpoint CP1.

Then, when the sound of "footsteps" of character C2 is generated at sound generation position PS2, for example, the louder the volume of the sound of the "footsteps", the more the terminal device 20A of player P1 determines the section to which the "footsteps" belong using direction information with a larger number of sections. For example, if the threshold for determining whether to display the direction display of the "footsteps" is K1, parameters KA1 and KA2 are set so that K1 < KA1 < KA2, and when the volume of the "footsteps" is K1 or more but less than KA1, the section to which the "footsteps" belong is determined using direction information with four sections. When the volume of the "footsteps" is KA1 or more but less than KA2, the section to which the "footsteps" belong is determined using direction information with eight sections. When the volume of the "footsteps" is KA2 or more, the section to which the "footsteps" belong is determined using direction information with 16 sections. In this way, the louder the volume, the more accurate the direction information can be displayed on the game screen, and accurate direction information can be provided to the player.

[10] Application Examples of the Game System [10.1] Application Examples of the Server Device 10 The server device 10 may perform some or all of the processing performed by the terminal device 20 of this embodiment.

For example, this embodiment may be a server device in which a character operated by a player is placed in a game space and the game progresses based on the operation input of the player, the server device including: a storage unit that stores multiple pieces of audio data; a volume control unit that determines the volume at which the audio data of the audio is played back based on the position at which the audio is generated in the game space and the listening position in the game space associated with the character; and an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit, the storage unit stores the multiple pieces of audio data in association with attributes, and when a given volume change condition is satisfied, the volume control unit changes the volume at which the audio data associated with the attribute that is the target of the volume change corresponding to the volume change condition is played back.

This embodiment may also be a server device in which a character operated by a player is placed in a game space and the game progresses based on the operation input of the player, the server device including: a display control unit that displays given information on a display unit of the terminal device; a storage unit that stores multiple pieces of audio data; a volume control unit that determines the volume at which the audio data of the audio is played back based on the location at which the audio is generated in the game space and a listening position in the game space associated with the character; and an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit, and the display control unit may display directional information suggesting the direction of the audio generated at the audio generation position when the volume is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

For example, the server device 10 may function as an object space setting unit 110, a display control unit 111, an input reception processing unit 112, a game control unit 113, a movement control unit 114, a game calculation unit 115, a parameter control unit 116, a virtual camera control unit 117, a sound processing unit 120, a volume control unit 121, an audio playback unit 122, an audio generation detection unit 123, and an image generation unit 130.

The memory unit 140 of the server device 10 may also include a drawing buffer 172.

The communication control unit 201 transmits information about the game, information about the generated images, etc. to the terminal device 20. The communication control unit 201 also receives input information received from the terminal device 20 (e.g., information about commands, operations, and operation history), etc. from the terminal device 20.

The object space setting unit 110 of the server device 10 is similar to the object space setting unit 210 of the terminal device 20, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the server device 10 sets the object space setting common to all players, but the object space setting may be set for each player.

The display control unit 111 of the server device 10 controls the display of the images generated by the image generation unit 130 and information related to the images on the display unit 290 of the terminal device 20. The specific processing is similar to that of the display control unit 211 of the terminal device 20, so a description is omitted. Note that "control of display" means that the server 10 controls the display on the game screen of the game device (terminal device) 20. For example, if the server device 10 generates "control information" to be displayed on the game screen of the terminal device 20 and transmits it to the terminal device 20, the terminal device 20, upon receiving the "control information" from the server 10, displays the game screen based on the "control information".

The specific processing of the game control unit 113 of the server device 10 is similar to that of the game control unit 213 of the terminal device 20, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the server device 10 performs game control for each player based on information (input information and commands) received from the player's terminal device 20.

The specific processing of the movement control unit 114 of the server device 10 is similar to that of the movement control unit 214 of the terminal device 20, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the server device 10 performs movement control for each player.

The specific processing of the game calculation unit 115 of the server device 10 is similar to that of the game calculation unit 215 of the terminal device 20, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the server device 10 performs game calculations for each player.

The parameter control unit 116 of the server device 10 is similar to the parameter control unit 216 of the terminal device 20, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Note that the server device 10 controls the variation of parameters for each player.

The virtual camera control unit 117 of the server device 10 is similar to the virtual camera control unit 217 of the terminal device 20, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Note that the server device 10 controls the virtual camera for each player.

The game management unit 103 of the server device 10 may perform the same processing as the game management unit 218 of the terminal device 20. Note that the server device 10 performs game management for each player.

The sound processing unit 120 of the server device 10 may perform the same processing as the sound processing unit 220 of the terminal device 20. Note that the server device 10 controls the sound processing of each terminal device 20 of each player for each player. The sound processing unit 120 of the server device 10 then controls the sound output unit 292 of each terminal device 20 to output sound.

The volume control unit 121 of the server device 10 may perform the same processing as the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20. Note that the server device 10 controls the volume output to each terminal device 20 of each player for each player.

The volume control unit 121 of the server device 10 may perform the same processing as the volume control unit 221 of the terminal device 20. Note that the server device 10 controls the volume output to each terminal device 20 of each player for each player.

The audio playback unit 122 of the server device 10 transmits audio data playback information (audio ID, audio data itself, volume, etc.) to each terminal device 20 of each player. For example, each terminal device 20 of each player receives information on the audio data to be played and plays it.

The server device 10 may perform the same processing as the voice generation detection unit 123 of the server device 10 and the voice generation detection unit 223 of the terminal device 20. Note that the server device 10 detects the voice generation position, etc., for each player on each terminal device 20 of each player.

The image generating unit 130 of the server device 10 is similar to the image generating unit 230 of the terminal device 20, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the server device 10 generates an image for each player.

Furthermore, the storage unit 140 of the server device 10 may include a drawing buffer 172. Note that storing in the server device 10 means storing in the storage unit 140 of the server device 10, but may also be stored in the storage unit 270 of the terminal device 20. Note that the storage unit 140 of the server device 10 may be a concept that includes the information storage medium 180 of the server device 10.

[10.2] Game Device The terminal device 20 of this embodiment may be a game device (terminal device) 20 that operates as a stand-alone device. Also, it may be a game system made up of a plurality of game devices 20 connected via a network.

[11] Others The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, a term cited in the description of the specification or drawings as a term with a broad meaning or synonymous meaning can be replaced with a term with a broad meaning or synonymous meaning in other descriptions of the specification or drawings.

In this embodiment, the game is not limited to an action RPG. For example, it can be used for action games, fighting games, sports games, and other competitive games, role-playing games (RPGs), and other simulation games.

The present invention includes configurations that are substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (for example, configurations with the same functions, methods, and results, or configurations with the same purpose and effect). The present invention also includes configurations that replace non-essential parts of the configurations described in the embodiments. The present invention also includes configurations that achieve the same effects as the configurations described in the embodiments, or that can achieve the same purpose. The present invention also includes configurations that add publicly known technology to the configurations described in the embodiments.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible that do not substantially depart from the novel aspects and effects of the present invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

10 Server device 20 Terminal device (game device)
100 Processing section 101 Communication control section 102 Web processing section 103 Game management section 107 Timer management section 108 Information provision section 140 Memory section 142 Main memory section 144 Game data memory section 146 Player information memory section 147 Audio data memory section 180 Information storage medium 196 Communication section 150 Input section 190 Display section 200 Processing section 210 Object space setting section 211 Display control section 212 Input reception processing section 213 Game control section 214 Movement control section 215 Game calculation section 216 Parameter control section 217 Virtual camera control section 218 Game management section 220 Sound processing section,
221 volume control unit,
222 audio playback unit,
223 voice generation detection unit,
230 Image generation unit 270 Memory unit 271 Main memory unit 272 Image buffer 273 Player information memory unit 274 Game data memory unit 275 Sound data memory unit 260 Input unit 262 Detection unit 280 Information storage medium 290 Display unit 292 Sound output unit 296 Communication unit

Claims (12)

A game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device,
a display control unit that displays given information on a display unit of the first terminal device;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the first terminal device;
a sound reproduction unit in the first terminal device that reproduces the sound data at the sound volume determined by the sound volume control unit ;
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the sound data so that the game progress becomes disadvantageous for the first player when the first character is located within a predetermined area in the game space,
The display control unit is
A game system characterized in that, when the volume of the audio data of the audio is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the audio data , directional information suggesting the direction from which the audio is originating is displayed. A game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device,
a display control unit that displays given information on a display unit of the first terminal device;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the first terminal device;
a sound reproduction unit in the first terminal device that reproduces the sound data at the sound volume determined by the sound volume control unit;
When an enemy character is located within a predetermined area in the game space, the first play
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the voice data so that the game progress is advantageous for the player;
The display control unit is
A game system characterized in that, when the volume of the audio data of the audio is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the audio data, directional information suggesting the direction from which the audio is originating is displayed. A game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device,
a display control unit that displays given information on a display unit of the first terminal device;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the first terminal device;
a sound reproduction unit in the first terminal device that reproduces the sound data at the sound volume determined by the sound volume control unit;
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the sound data so that the first player is favored in game progress when the first character is located within a predetermined area in the game space,
The display control unit is
A game system characterized in that, when the volume of the audio data of the audio is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the audio data, directional information suggesting the direction from which the audio is originating is displayed. A game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device,
a display control unit that displays given information on a display unit of the first terminal device;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the first terminal device;
a sound reproduction unit in the first terminal device that reproduces the sound data at the sound volume determined by the sound volume control unit;
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the sound data so that the game progress becomes disadvantageous for the first player when an enemy character is located within a predetermined area in the game space,
The display control unit is
A game system characterized in that, when the volume of the audio data of the audio is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the audio data, directional information suggesting the direction from which the audio is originating is displayed. A program for a terminal device used in a game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device, comprising:
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit ;
causing a computer to function as a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with sound data so as to put the first player at a disadvantage in game progress when the first character is located within a predetermined area within the game space;
The display control unit is
A program characterized by displaying directional information suggesting the direction from which the voice is generated when the volume of the voice data of the voice is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the voice data . A program for a terminal device used in a game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device, comprising:
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
causing a computer to function as a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with sound data so that progress of the game becomes advantageous for the first player when an enemy character is located within a predetermined area within the game space;
The display control unit is
A program characterized by displaying directional information suggesting the direction from which the voice is generated when the volume of the voice data of the voice is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the voice data. A program for a terminal device used in a game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device, comprising:
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
causing a computer to function as a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with sound data so that a game progress becomes advantageous for the first player when the first character is located within a predetermined area in the game space;
The display control unit is
A program characterized by displaying directional information suggesting the direction from which the voice is generated when the volume of the voice data of the voice is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the voice data. A program for a terminal device used in a game system in which a plurality of terminal devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each terminal device, comprising:
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
causing a computer to function as a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with sound data so as to put the first player at a disadvantage in game progress when an enemy character is located within a predetermined area within the game space;
The display control unit is
A program characterized by displaying directional information suggesting the direction from which the voice is generated when the volume of the voice data of the voice is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the voice data. A game device for use in a game system in which a plurality of game devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each game device,
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit ;
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the sound data so that the game progress becomes disadvantageous for the first player when the first character is located within a predetermined area in the game space,
The display control unit is
A game device characterized in that, when the volume of the sound data of the sound is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the sound data , directional information suggesting the direction from which the sound is generated is displayed. A game device for use in a game system in which a plurality of game devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each game device,
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
When an enemy character is located within a predetermined area in the game space, the first play
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the voice data so that the game progress is advantageous for the player;
The display control unit is
A game device characterized in that, when the volume of the sound data of the sound is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the sound data, directional information suggesting the direction from which the sound is generated is displayed. A game device for use in a game system in which a plurality of game devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each game device,
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the sound data so that the first player is favored in game progress when the first character is located within a predetermined area in the game space,
The display control unit is
A game device characterized in that, when the volume of the sound data of the sound is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the sound data, directional information suggesting the direction from which the sound is generated is displayed. A game device for use in a game system in which a plurality of game devices and a server device are connected via a network, a plurality of characters are placed in a game space to progress a game, and each of the plurality of characters is controlled based on an operation input by each player corresponding to each game device,
A display control unit that displays given information on a display unit;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of voice data;
a volume control unit that determines a volume of the sound when playing back sound data of the sound, based on a generation position of the sound generated within the game space and a listening position within the game space associated with a first character that is an operation target of a first player corresponding to the player's device;
an audio playback unit that plays back the audio data at the volume determined by the volume control unit;
a parameter control unit that changes a threshold value associated with the sound data so that the game progress becomes disadvantageous for the first player when an enemy character is located within a predetermined area in the game space,
The display control unit is
A game device characterized in that, when the volume of the sound data of the sound is equal to or greater than a threshold value associated with the sound data, directional information suggesting the direction from which the sound is generated is displayed.

Images