Method of controlling video game, video game device, and medium recording video game program

• US 6,758,756 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimo, Satoshi, Hagiwara, Yoshimasa, Kamio, Masafumi, Nakanishi, Chiaki, Yamada, Eriko, Daitoku, Yukiko, Kato, Ryo, Takahashi, Masayuki, Horigami, Atsushi, Tsugiiwa, Naomitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Binh-An D.
• Application Number:
  US09/355,965
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/32, 463/1-5, 463/30, 463/34, 463/31, 463/33, 463/35, 463/36, 463/40, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/307.A, 434/309, 434/323, 434/327, 700/90, 700/91, 700/92, 700/94
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 : according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 : for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 : for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/663 : for simulating liquid objects, e.g. water, gas, fog, snow, clouds
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 : Music games

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a novel video game in which dancing is used as a factor in the behavior of a character, a machine for the video game, and a medium in which a program for the video game is recorded, and makes it possible to dance characters 611 and 612 displayed using 3-D polygons in time with music, to evaluate their dance skills based mainly on whether dance actions are in time with the music, and to proceed with a story by winning matches with a computer or to match with other players.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a video game designed for enabling a player to determine a behavior of a character on a video screen, said method comprising the steps of:

determining, by said player, a behavioral factor associated with a dance performed in time with music; and

evaluating the dance,

wherein when a multiple rhythm of a least rhythm in the music is used as a timing for performing key operation on the dance command, rhythms are extracted from said music, and among the extracted rhythms, the timing of the rhythm closest to the timing of the key operation by said player is set as the starting point of said multiple rhythm.

2. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 1, wherein the progress of the game is controlled by said evaluating step.

3. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 1, wherein said dance comprises a combination of short segments of a plurality of dance types.

4. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 3, wherein one action is executed when a predetermined dance command is input.

5. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 4, wherein predetermined-dance-command inputting is performed with a controller having keys of a plurality of types by operating the same or different type of keys or more times in predetermined order, simultaneously operating at least two types, operating the same key for not less than predetermined time, or arbitrarily these operations.

6. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 4, wherein, if one predetermined dance command is input, a determination action is made based on character condition that said predetermined dance command fails and no action is executed.

7. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 6, wherein the character condition comprises the condition of said character at the time of said dance command input and the motion of said character at the time of said dance command input.

8. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 4, wherein the evaluation of said dance is performed by determining whether or not dance-command inputting is in time with the rhythm of music.

9. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation of said dance is performed such that, as the difference between timing of dance-command formation and the accent of the rhythm of the music decreases, a higher score is given.

10. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation of said dance is performed such that a score is reduced if command inputting fails or if command inputting is not performed for at least a predetermined time.

11. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation of said dance is performed such that an additional score is given if the inputting of a command having a high level of difficulty succeeds, successive actions succeed, a composite action is performed, no failure in command inputting is detected for at least a predetermined time, and the connection between actions is preferable.

12. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 1, wherein arbitrary music other than music prepared as dance music is used.

13. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 1, wherein a camera perspective position and a light adjustment as to dance performed just before the present dance, or stored dance, are edited and stored.

14. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 1, wherein a character displayed using 3-D polygons is used for said character.

15. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 12, further including:

if motion data of a frame to be displayed is not found, generating interpolation data from motion data of adjacent frames, in response to the rhythms of the prepared music, and displaying the interpolation data.

16. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 5, further including generating vibrations when timing inputting for key operation for command inputting, or command inputting, fails.

17. A method of controlling a video game according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

presenting said dance evaluation to the player.

18. A video game machine for enabling a player to determine a behavior of a character on a video screen, said video game machine comprising:

a controller for determining, by a player, a behavior of a character on a video screen performed in time with music;

a video screen for displaying the behavior of the character and behavior-caused effects of the character; and

a processor for dancing said character on said video screen in accordance with input from a player using said controller and for evaluating the dance of said character,

wherein when a multiple rhythm of a least rhythm in the music is used as a timing for performing key operation on the dance command, rhythms are extracted from said music, and among the extracted rhythms, the timing of the rhythm closest to the timing of the key operation by said player is set as the starting point of said multiple rhythm.

19. A video game machine according to claim 18, wherein said controller controls the progress of a game in accordance with the evaluation of the dance by said processor.

20. A video game machine according to claim 18, wherein said processor is arranged for executing one action constituting the dance in response to a predetermined dance command being input by the player using said controller.

21. A video game machine according to claim 20, wherein said controller includes keys of a plurality of types, and said processor being arranged for determining that a predetermined command has been input in response to (a) the same or different type of keys being operated twice or more times in a predetermined order, (b) at least two types of keys being simultaneously operated, (c) the same key being operated for at least a predetermined time, or (d) at least two of operations (a), (b) and (c) are arbitrarily combined and said processor determines that a predetermined command has been input.

22. A video game machine according to claim 20, wherein said processor, upon receiving a predetermined dance command, determines based on character condition that said predetermined dance command fails and executes no action.

23. A video game machine according to claim 18, wherein said processor is arranged for evaluating said dance with a score based on whether or not dance-command inputting from said controller in response to the player determinations is in time with the rhythm of music.

24. A video game machine according to claim 23, wherein said processor is arranged for evaluating the dance to provide the dance with a higher score in response to decreases in the difference between timing of dance-command formation and the accent of the rhythm of said music.

25. A video game machine according to claim 23, wherein said processor is arranged for reducing the evaluated score of the dance in response to a command inputting failing, and no command is input for at least a predetermined time.

26. A video game machine according to claim 23, wherein said processor is arranged for increasing the evaluated score by an additional score in response to (a) inputting a command having a high level of difficulty succeeding, (b) successive actions succeeding, (c) a composite action being performed, (d) no failure in command inputting being detected for at least a predetermined time, and (e) establishing preferable connections between actions.

27. A video game machine according to claim 18, further including a recorded music player for using arbitrary music other than music prepared as dance music.

28. A video game machine according to claim 18, wherein said processor is arranged for editing and storing a camera perspective position and a light adjustment as to a dance performed just before a presently performed dance, or a stored dance.

29. A video game machine according to claim 18, further including an image processor for controlling a character displayed using 3-D polygons.

30. A video game machine according to claim 18, wherein said processor includes presenting the dance evaluation to the player.

31. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for enabling a player to determine a behavior of a character on a video screen, the medium storing signals for enabling:

said player to determine, a behavioral factor associated with a dance performed in time with music; and

the dance to be evaluated,

wherein when a multiple rhythm of a least rhythm in the music is used as a timing for performing key operation on the dance command, rhythms are extracted from said music, and among the extracted rhythms, the timing of the rhythm closest to the timing of the key operation by said player is set as the starting point of said multiple rhythm.

32. A medium according to claim 31, wherein the progress of the game is controlled in accordance with the evaluation of said dance.

33. A medium according to claim 31, further comprising presenting said evaluation to the player.