GAME CONTROLLER SIMULATING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 20080220864A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Egozy, Eran, Brosius, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,079,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/33
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A simulated musical instrument may be used to alter the audio of a video game, the video aspects of video game, or both. Use of a controller simulating a musical instrument allows a rhythm-action game can be enjoyed in a manner closer to a realistic state of playing an instrument.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating interaction of a player with a music-based video game using a game controller simulating a guitar, the method comprising:

a) providing a game controller comprising a body portion having a strum bar and a neck portion extending outwardly from the body portion and including a first plurality of fret buttons and a second plurality of fret buttons;

b) displaying to a player first target musical data associated with a musical composition;

c) receiving first music performance input from the player using one of the first plurality of fret buttons;

d) displaying to the player second target musical data associated with the musical composition; and

e) receiving second music performance input from the player using one of the second plurality of fret buttons.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises displaying to a player first target musical data associated with one of a verse and a chorus of a musical composition.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising reproducing a portion of the musical composition in response to the received first music performance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises displaying to a player second target musical data indicating that the data represents a solo of a musical composition.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising reproducing a portion of the solo in response to the received second music performance.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises displaying to a first player target musical data associated with a musical composition, the target musical data disposed along a musical time axis that does not lie in the image plane of a display.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising altering gameplay characteristics in response to the second music performance input.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the altered gameplay characteristic is selected from the group consisting of score bonus, star power, player score, character health, character money, in-game power-ups, and crowd excitement.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising altering graphical characteristics of the game in response to the second musical performance input.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the graphical characteristic to be altered is selected from the group consisting of venue lighting, venue brightness, venue animation, crowd animation, crowd excitement, brightness, avatar animation, sustain tail, note brightness, sustain tail brightness, note size, note shape, sustain tail pulsation, and sustain tail size.

11. A method for facilitating interaction of a player with a music-based video game using a game controller simulating a guitar, the method comprising:

a) providing a game controller comprising a body portion having a strum bar and a neck portion extending outwardly from the body portion and including a first plurality of fret buttons and a second plurality of fret buttons;

b) establishing, for each of the second plurality of fret buttons, a correspondence to one of the first plurality of fret buttons;

c) displaying to the player target musical data associated with the musical composition, the target musical data identifying at least a first fret button of the first plurality of fret buttons;

d) receiving music performance input from the player using a second fret button of the second plurality of fret buttons; and

e) evaluating the music performance input based at least in part on whether the second fret button of the second plurality of fret buttons corresponds to the identified first fret button of the first plurality of fret buttons.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein step (c) comprises displaying to the player target musical data associated with the musical composition, the target musical data identifying at least a first button of the first plurality of buttons, and the target musical data also indicating that the second plurality of fret buttons may be used.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the target musical data indicates that the data corresponds to a solo in the musical composition.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising reproducing a portion of the solo in response to the received music performance input.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein step (e) further comprises evaluating said music performance input without a requirement that the user activate the strum bar.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein step (e) further comprises evaluating said music performance input based at least in part on whether the target musical data indicated that the second plurality of fret buttons should be used.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising altering at least one gameplay characteristic in response to the evaluating of the music performance input.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the altered gameplay characteristic is selected from the group consisting of score bonus, star power, player score, character health, character money, in-game power-ups, and crowd excitement.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the gameplay characteristic is altered in a different manner for music performance input received from one of the second plurality of fret buttons than for music performance input received from a corresponding one of the first plurality of fret buttons.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising altering graphical characteristics of the game in response to the evaluating of the musical performance input.