On May 21, 2001, the U.S. Patent Office issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,954 to Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. The patent relates to a “photographing game machine” that has to be seen to be believed.
What boils down to an arcade cabinet for a camera-themed game complete with camera controllers that players can pick up and point at the screen demonstrates the whimsy apparent in early 2000s video games. It’s as if someone took a light-gun based arcade game like Time Crisis and asked: Why not that, but with photography?
Illustrative Claim:
1. A photographing game machine, comprising: a simulated camera input device being free to move in all directions allowing a subject included in a photo shooting range to be seen through a window, said window being part of said input device wherein said input device is provided with a shutter switch through which a player provides instructions to take a photograph;
a photo shooting position detection mechanism detecting as a photo shooting position a selected position on said game screen, at which said simulated camera input device is pointed;
a display device displaying a predetermined game screen including a targeted portion of said game screen to be photographed;
and a game operation section performing predetermined game operations based on said photo shooting position detected by said photo shooting position detection mechanism, and wherein said game operation section comprising;
an image generating unit for generating image data of said game screen to be displayed on said display device;
a photographed image extraction unit for cutting off as an imitational photographed image an imitational photographed portion of said game screen included in a predetermined range centering around said photo shooting position detected by said photo shooting position detection mechanism, wherein said imitational photographed portion is less than the entire displayed screen;
and a photographing judgment unit for making a judgment concerning whether the player has accomplished a predetermined photographic task, by comparing the display position of said targeted portion of said game screen with said photo shooting position.
