Storage medium having stored thereon game program, image processing apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method

Abstract

A face image is acquired during a predetermined game or before a start of the predetermined game, and a first character object is created, the first character object including the face image. Then, in the predetermined game, a game related to the first character object is advanced in accordance with an operation of a player. At least when a success in the game related to the first character object has been determined, the face image is saved in a storage area in an accumulating manner.

1 . A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program to be executed by a computer of a game apparatus that displays an image on a display device, the game program causing the computer to execute:
 an image acquisition step of acquiring a face image and temporarily storing the acquired face image in a first storage area, during a predetermined game or before a start of the predetermined game;   a step of creating a first character object, the first character object being a character object including the face image stored in the first storage area;   a first game processing step of, in the predetermined game, advancing a game related to the first character object in accordance with an operation of a player;   a determination step of determining a success in the game related to the first character object; and   a step of, at least when a success in the game has been determined in the determination step, saving the face image stored in the first storage area, in a second storage area in an accumulating manner.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the image acquisition step, the face image is acquired and temporarily stored in the first storage area before the start of the predetermined game.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 1 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a step of creating a second character object, the second character object being a character object including a face image selected automatically or by the player from among the face images saved in the second storage area, wherein   in the first game processing step, in the predetermined game, a game related to the second character object is additionally advanced in accordance with an operation of the player.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 1 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a step of creating a second character object, the second character object being a character object including a face image selected automatically or by the player from among the face images saved in the second storage area; and   a second game processing step of advancing a game related to the second character object in accordance with an operation of the player.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the game apparatus is capable of acquiring an image from a capturing device, and   in the image acquisition step, the face image is acquired from the capturing device before the start of the predetermined game.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the game apparatus is capable of acquiring an image from a first capturing device that captures a front direction of a display surface of the display device, and an image from a second capturing device that captures a direction of a back surface of the display surface of the display device, the first capturing device and the second capturing device serving as the capturing device, and   the image acquisition step includes:
 a step of acquiring a face image captured by the first capturing device in preference to acquiring a face image captured by the second capturing device; and 
 a step of, after the face image from the first capturing device has been saved in the second storage area, permitting the face image captured by the second capturing device to be acquired. 
   
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 1 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a step of specifying attributes of the face images saved in the second storage area; and   a step of prompting the player to acquire a face image corresponding to an attribute different from the attributes specified from the face images saved in the second storage area.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the first game processing step includes:
 a step of advancing the game related to the first character object by attacking the character objects in accordance with an operation of the player, and 
   in the first game processing step, an attack on the first character object is a valid attack for succeeding in the game related to the first character object, and an attack on the second character object is an invalid attack for succeeding in the game related to the first character object.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 4 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a step of creating a third character object, the third character object being a character object including a face image different from the face image included in the second character object, wherein   the second game processing step includes:
 a step of advancing the game related to the second character obj ect by attacking the character objects in accordance with an operation of the player, and 
   in the second game processing step, an attack on the second character object is a valid attack for succeeding in the game related to the second character object, and an attack on the third character object is an invalid attack for succeeding the game related to the second character object.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 3 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a step of creating a third character object, the third character object being a character object including the face image stored in the first storage area and being smaller in dimensions than the first character object; and   a step of creating a fourth character object, the fourth character object being a character object including a face image different from the face image stored in the first storage area and being smaller in dimensions than the first character object, wherein   the first game processing step includes:
 a step of advancing the game related to the first character object by attacking the character objects in accordance with an operation of the player; 
 a step of, when the fourth character object has been attacked, advancing deformation of the face image included in the first character object; and 
 a step of, when the third character object has been attacked, reversing the deformation such that the face image included in the first character object approaches the original face image stored in the first storage area. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 4 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a step of creating a third character object, the third character object being a character object including the same face image as the face image included in the second character object and being smaller in dimensions than the second character object; and   a step of creating a fourth character object, the fourth character object being a character object including a face image different from the face image included in the second character object and being smaller in dimensions than the second character object, wherein   the second game processing step includes:
 a step of advancing the game related to the second character obj ect by attacking the character objects in accordance with an operation of the player; 
 a step of, when the fourth character object has been attacked, advancing deformation of the face image included in the second character object; and 
 a step of, when the third character object has been attacked, reversing the deformation such that the face image included in the second character object approaches the original face image saved in the second storage area. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the step of creating the first character object, a character object including a face image obtained by deforming the face image stored in the first storage area is created as the first character object, and   the first game processing step includes:
 a step of, when the game related to the first character object has been successful, restoring the deformed face image to the original face image stored in the first storage area. 
   
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 4 , wherein
 in the step of creating the second character object, a character object including a face image obtained by deforming the face image saved in the second storage area is created as the second character object, and   the second game processing step includes:
 a step of, when the game related to the second character object has been successful, restoring the deformed face image to the original face image saved in the second storage area. 
   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the image acquisition step, the face image is acquired and temporarily stored in the first storage area during the predetermined game, and   in the first game processing step, in accordance with the creation of the first character object based on the acquisition of the face image during the predetermined game, the first character object is caused to appear in the predetermined game, and the game related to the first character object is advanced.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 14 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a captured image acquisition step of acquiring a captured image captured by a real camera;   a display image generation step of generating a display image in which a virtual character object that appears in the predetermined game is placed so as to have, as a background, the captured image acquired in the captured image acquisition step; and   a display control step of displaying on the display device the display image generated in the display image generation step, wherein   in the image acquisition step, during the predetermined game, at least one face image is extracted from the captured image displayed on the display device, and is temporarily stored in the first storage area.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 15 , wherein
 in the display image generation step, the display image is generated by placing the first character object such that, when displayed on the display device, the first character object overlaps a position of the face image in the captured image, the face image extracted in the image acquisition step.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 16 , wherein
 in the captured image acquisition step, captured images of a real world captured in real time by the real camera are repeatedly acquired,   in the display image generation step, the captured images repeatedly acquired in the captured image acquisition step are sequentially set as the background,   in the image acquisition step, face images corresponding to the already extracted face image are repeatedly acquired from the captured images sequentially set as the background,   in the step of creating the first character object, the first character object is repeatedly created so as to include the face images repeatedly acquired in the image acquisition step, and   in the display image generation step, the display image is generated by placing the repeatedly created first character object such that, when displayed on the display device, the repeatedly created first character object overlaps positions of the face images in the respective captured images, the face images repeatedly acquired in the image acquisition step.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the game apparatus is capable of using image data stored in storage means for storing data not temporarily, and   in the image acquisition step, before the start of the predetermined game, at least one face image is extracted from the image data stored in the storage means, and is temporarily stored in the first storage area.   
     
     
         19 . An image processing apparatus connectable to a display device, the image processing apparatus comprising:
 image acquisition means for acquiring a face image and temporarily storing the acquired face image in a first storage area, during a predetermined game or before a start of the predetermined game;   means for creating a character object, the character object including the face image stored in the first storage area;   game processing means for, in the predetermined game, advancing a game related to the character object in accordance with an operation of a player by displaying a game related to the character object on the display device;   determination means for determining a success in the game related to the character object; and   means for, at least when a success in the game has been determined by the determination means, saving the face image stored in the first storage area, in a second storage area in an accumulating manner.   
     
     
         20 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 a display device;   image acquisition means for acquiring a face image and temporarily storing the acquired face image in a first storage area, during a predetermined game or before a start of the predetermined game;   means for creating a character object, the character object including the face image stored in the first storage area;   game processing means for, in the predetermined game, advancing a game related to the character object in accordance with an operation of a player by displaying the game related to the character object on the display device;   determination means for determining a success in the game related to the character object; and   means for, at least when a success in the game has been determined by the determination means, saving the face image stored in the first storage area, in a second storage area in an accumulating manner.   
     
     
         21 . An image processing system that displays information including an image on a display device, the image processing system comprising:
 image acquisition means for acquiring a face image and temporarily storing the acquired face image in a first storage area, during a predetermined game or before a start of the predetermined game;   means for creating a character object, the character object including the face image stored in the first storage area;   game processing means for, in the predetermined game, advancing a game related to the character object in accordance with an operation of a player by displaying the game related to the character object on the display device;   determination means for determining a success in the game related to the character object; and   means for, at least when a success in the game has been determined by the determination means, saving the face image stored in the first storage area, in a second storage area in an accumulating manner.   
     
     
         22 . An image processing method performed by a computer that displays an image on a display device, the computer executing:
 an image acquisition step of acquiring a face image and temporarily storing the acquired face image in a first storage area, during a predetermined game or before a start of the predetermined game;   a step of creating a character object, the character object including the face image stored in the first storage area;   a game processing step of, in the predetermined game, advancing a game related to the character object in accordance with an operation of a player;   a determination step of determining a success in the game related to the character object; and   a step of, at least when a success in the game has been determined in the determination step, saving the face image stored in the first storage area, in a second storage area in an accumulating manner.