SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ALTERING A VIDEO GAME EXPERIENCE BASED ON A CONTROLLER TYPE

• US 20090088249A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kay, Robert, Teasdale, Daniel Charles, LoPiccolo, Gregory B.
• Application Number:
  US12/139,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/155 Musical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/145 : Multiplayer musical games, e.g. karaoke-like multiplayer videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 : for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 : Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound beam G10H2220/405
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 : Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/435 : Gensound percussion, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a percussion instrument; Control of specific aspects of percussion sounds, e.g. harmonics, under the influence of hitting force, hitting position, settings or striking instruments such as mallet, drumstick, brush, hand spint percussion G10H2230/231
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/441 : Gensound string, i.e. generating the sound of a string instrument, controlling specific features of said sound spint piano G10H2230/065; spint stringed instruments G10H2230/075
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/146 : using a membrane, e.g. a drum; Pick-up means for vibrating surfaces, e.g. housing of an instrument

Abstract

A rhythm-action game for a home gaming platform provides a plurality of different gaming experiences depending on what type of controller is plugged into the game. The different experience may comprise a different set or ordering of songs, a different gameplay mechanism, and/or a different sets level data. For example, a game may vary the song list depending on whether the player has plugged in a simulated drum set or a simulated guitar to the game platform. Or, for example, a player may plug in a microphone to experience the game as a vocalist and be measured based on pitch matching, and then plug in a simulated drum set to experience the game as a drummer and be measured based on timing of drum pad strikes. In this way, a single game can be sold that allows users to select among a plurality of unique instrumental experiences.

Claims

1. A method for altering game content responsive to detecting a type of controller used by a player of a rhythm action game, the method comprising:

a. detecting, by a game executing on a game platform, that a first simulated musical instrument type of a plurality of simulated musical instrument types is connected to the game platform;

b. selecting, by the game in response to the detection, a first song progression from a plurality of song progressions, each song progression corresponding to a different simulated musical instrument type, and wherein at least two of the song progressions comprise different sequences of songs; and

c. providing, by the game, a session of a rhythm-action game with the selected first song progression.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of simulated instrument types comprise a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the song progressions comprise an identical set of songs in different sequential order.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the song progressions comprises a song not included in at least one other song progression.

5. A method for altering game content responsive to detecting a type of controller used by a player of a rhythm action game, the method comprising:

a. detecting, by a game executing on a game platform, that a first simulated musical instrument type of a plurality of simulated musical instrument types is connected to the game platform;

b. selecting, by the game from a plurality of gameplay mechanics each corresponding to a different simulated musical instrument type, a first gameplay mechanic corresponding to the first simulated musical instrument type; and

c. providing, by the game, a session of a rhythm-action game with the selected gameplay mechanic.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of simulated instrument types comprise a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected gameplay mechanic comprises evaluating input signals received from a microphone for at least one of pitch and phoneme.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected gameplay mechanic comprises evaluating input signals corresponding to strikes of a simulated drum pad.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected gameplay mechanic comprises evaluating input signals corresponding to strums and fret button presses of a simulated guitar.

10. A method for altering game content responsive to detecting a type of controller used by a player of a rhythm action game, the method comprising:

a. detecting, by a game executing on a game platform, that a first simulated musical instrument type of a plurality of simulated musical instrument types is connected to the game platform;

b. selecting, by the game from a plurality of collections of level data, each collection corresponding to a different simulated musical instrument type, a first collection of level data corresponding to the first simulated musical instrument type; and

c. providing, by the game, a session of a rhythm-action game with the selected collection of level data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of simulated instrument types comprise a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected collection of level data comprises a sequence of musical target data corresponding to a guitar track of a song.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected collection of level data comprises a sequence of musical target data corresponding to a vocal track of a song.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected collection of level data comprises a sequence of musical target data corresponding to a drum track of a song.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected collection of level data comprises a sequence of cues.