US 12,138,539 B2
Interactions between characters in video games
Zak Garriss, Westminster, CO (US); Mark Lyons, Westminster, CO (US); Jonathan Zimmerman, Westminster, CO (US); Andy Weatherl, Westminster, CO (US); Todd Bolinger, Westminster, CO (US); Zachary Shore, Westminster, CO (US); and Philip Lawrence, London (GB)
Assigned to SQUARE ENIX LTD., London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/772,438
Filed by SQUARE ENIX LTD., London (GB)
PCT Filed Mar. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/050845
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/198628, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0379216 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. A63F 13/5372 (2014.01); A63F 13/5375 (2014.01); A63F 13/54 (2014.01); A63F 13/58 (2014.01)
CPC A63F 13/5372 (2014.09) [A63F 13/5375 (2014.09); A63F 13/54 (2014.09); A63F 13/58 (2014.09)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions thereon, wherein the instructions when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
provide a video game comprising a virtual game world presented to a player of the video game, and a plurality of characters in the virtual game world including a first character that is not controlled by the player, and a second character controlled by the player;
generate, for display, a state indication indicating an emotional or physical state of the first character; and
generate, for display, a coupling indication indicating a coupling occurring between the emotional or physical state of the first character and an emotional or physical state of the second character when the second character is closer than a first predetermined threshold distance in the virtual game world from the first character;
wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to generate the state indication when the second character is closer than a second predetermined threshold distance in the virtual game world from the first character; and
wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to generate a first graphical indication of the first predetermined threshold distance in the virtual game world, a second graphical indication of the second predetermined threshold distance in the virtual game world, or both the first graphical indication and the second graphical indication.