Systems and methods for generating video game content

• US 20070163427A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rigopulos, Alex, Egozy, Eran
• Application Number:
  US11/311,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20070163427A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings

Abstract

Systems and methods for a creating a music-based video game are described as is a portable music and video device housing a memory for storing executable instructions and a processor for executing the instructions. Creating video game content using musical content supplied from a source other than the game includes analyzing musical content to identify at least one musical event extant in the musical event; determining a salient musical property associated with the at least one identified event; and creating a video game event synchronized to the at least one identified musical event and reflective of the determined salient musical property associated with the at least one identified event.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically creating video game content using musical content from a source other than the game, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) analyzing musical content to identify at least one musical event extant in the musical content;

(b) determining a salient musical property associated with the at least one identified musical event; and

(c) creating a video game event synchronized to the at least one identified musical event and reflective of the determined salient musical property associated with the at least one identified event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises determining the occurrence of a musical section change.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (c) comprises creating a video game event synchronized to the occurrence of the musical section change.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises determining the occurrence of a musical phrase.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (c) comprises creating a video game event synchronized to the occurrence of the musical phrase.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises determining timbre associated with the at least one identified event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises determining pitch range associated with the identified event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises determining loudness associated with the at least one identified event.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises creating, while a player is interacting with a video game, a video game event synchronized to the at least one identified musical event and reflective of the determined salient musical property associated with the at least one identified event.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises creating, prior to a player interacting with a video game, a video game event synchronized to the at least one identified musical event and reflective of the determined salient musical property associated with the at least one identified event.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising altering video game visual content responsive to the determined salient musical property associated with the identified musical events.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying a predetermined number of musical events to be a musical phrase.

13. A method for dynamically creating video game content using musical content from a source other than the game, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) analyzing musical content to identify at least one musical event;

(b) creating a video game event synchronized to the at least one identified musical event;

(c) modifying the at least one musical event responsive to player input; and

(d) outputting the modified at least one musical event.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (c) comprises selecting a modified version of the at least one musical event responsive to player input.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein step (c) comprises filtering the audio output of the game responsive to player input.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein step (c) comprises adjusting the volume of the audio output of the game responsive to player input.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein step (c) comprises applying an audio effect to the audio output of the game responsive to player input, the effect selected from the group of reverberation, delay, echo, flange, phase, and attack modification.

18. A portable music and video device housing a memory for storing executable instructions and a processor for executing the instructions, the memory comprising instructions that cause the processor to:

(a) execute a video game stored in the memory and having a game event that is synchronized to a musical event of musical content supplied from a source other than the video game; and

(b) display the video game on a display of the portable music device.

19. The portable device of claim 18 further comprising instructions to affect the audio output of the video game in response to performance of a game player.

20. The portable device of claim 18 further comprising instructions to receive game input from a user.

21. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the game event reflects a salient musical property of the musical event.

22. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the salient musical property is selected from the group consisting of timbre, tone color, pitch range, and loudness.

23. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the musical event is the occurrence a musical phrase.

24. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the musical event is a musical section change.

25. The portable device of claim 18 further comprising instructions to modify the audio output when the game player does not execute a game event.

26. The portable device of claim 18 further comprising instructions to modify the audio output when the game player successfully executes a game event.

27. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the device is an iPod.

28. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the device is a PSP.

37. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the device is a cellular telephone.

29. A method for altering at least one visual property of a video game responsive to musical content from a source other than the game, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a salient musical property associated with at least one musical event extant in the musical content; and

(b) altering a visual property reflecting the determined salient musical property.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein step (b) comprises altering the visual property reflecting the loudness of the musical content.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein step (b) comprises altering the visual property reflecting the timbre of the musical content.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein step (b) comprises altering the visual property reflecting the frequency distribution of the musical content.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein step (b) comprises altering the lighting of the video game reflecting the determined salient property.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein step (b) comprises altering the color of at least one video game element reflective the determined salient property.

35. The method of claim 29 wherein step (b) comprises altering animations included in the video game reflective the determined salient property.

36. The method of claim 29 wherein step (b) comprises altering particle system parameters included in the video game reflective the determined salient property.