Musical video game system, and computer readable medium having recorded thereon processing program for controlling the game system

• US 6,821,203 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Suga, Nobuhiro, Yoshitomi, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/880,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/44, 463/35, 463/30, 463/36, 463/37, 463/9, 463/7, 844/70.R, 844/77.R, 844/78
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• 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 2300/303 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 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/38 Chord
• 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 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086

Abstract

To enable mark-up (i.e., scoring) of improvised (i.e., ad-libbed) musical performance and enable a player to enjoy performance with a degree of freedom in accordance with a performance instruction, a CPU (10) marks up improvised musical performance provided by a player using an actual keyboard (90) (step S920). Hence, a player accustomed to playing a keyboard (80) can be satisfied sufficiently.

Claims

1. A game system which enables a player to play a game for evaluating the accuracy of an operation performed when the player has operated an actual performance operation instrument in accordance with an operation instruction given in connection with a displayed image of a performance operation instrument appearing on a game display screen, the game system comprising:

a mark-up processing device which marks up an improvised musical performance which is played with a degree of freedom of performance of said game by the player through use of the actual performance operation instrument in accordance with a performance operation instruction.

2. The game system of claim 1, wherein the mark-up processing device marks up the improvised musical performance on the basis of a progression of musical chords of the improvised musical performance of the player.

3. The game system of claim 2, wherein the mark-up processing device effects a mark-up operation such that evaluation of the player is increased every time a match between a progression of the musical performance chords and a progression of a plurality of preset mark-up reference chords is found.

4. The game system of claim 3, wherein a progression of the mark-up reference chords is stored in a form of a table.

5. The game system of claim 1, wherein the mark-up processing device marks up the improvised musical performance on the basis of musical performance timing of the improvised musical performance of the player.

6. The game system of claim 5, wherein the mark-up processing device effects mark-up operation such that evaluation of the player is increased every time a match between the musical performance timing and a plurality of preset mark-up reference timings is found.

7. The game system of claim 6, wherein the mark-up reference timings are stored in a form of a table.

8. The game system of claim 1, wherein the mark-up processing device marks up the improvised musical performance on the basis of at least one of a progression of musical performance chords and a musical performance timing of the improvised musical performance of the player.

9. The game system of claim 1, further comprising a guidance information display device which displays guidance information for the improvised musical performance of the player.

10. The game system of claim 9, wherein the guidance information display device changes the display image of a performance operation instrument such that the player can understand details of operation to be performed in accordance with a progression in a musical composition which is an object of improvised musical performance.

11. The game system of claim 9, wherein the guidance information display device displays a musical score such that the player can ascertain the position of an improvised musical performance in a musical score of a musical composition which is an object of improvised musical performance.

12. The game system of claim 9, wherein the guidance information display device displays a correct progression of chords of a musical composition which is an object of improvised musical performance.

13. A game system which enables a plurality of players to play a game for evaluating the accuracy of operations performed when the players have operated actual performance operation instruments in accordance with operation instructions given in connection with a displayed image of a performance operation instrument appearing on a game display screen, the game system comprising:

a mark-up processing device which marks up an improvised duet musical performance said duet musical operation being playable with a degree of freedom of performance of said game by the players through use of the actual performance operation instruments in accordance with performance operation instruction.

14. The game system of claim 13, wherein the mark-up processing device gives a player a low evaluation when a time required for playing improvised musical performance played by the player fails to fall within a permissible improvised musical performance time preset for each player.

15. The game system of claim 14, further comprising a mark-up result display device which displays mark-up results such that each of the players can ascertain mark-up results thereof through comparison.

16. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a processing program to be used for controlling operation of a game system which enables a player to play a game for evaluating the accuracy of an operation performed when the player has operated an actual performance operation instrument in accordance with an operation instruction given in connection with a display image of a performance operation instrument appearing on a game display screen, the processing program comprising:

a mark-up processing routine for controlling a processor to mark up an improvised musical performance which is played with a degree of freedom of performance of said game by the player through use of the actual performance operation instrument in accordance with a performance operation instruction.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the mark-up processing routine includes marking up of the improvised musical performance on the basis of a progression of musical chords of the improvised musical performance of the player.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the mark-up processing routine includes marking up of the improvised musical performance on the basis of musical performance timing of the improvised musical performance of the player.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the mark-up processing routine includes marking up of the improvised musical performance on the basis of a progression of musical performance chords and musical performance timing of the improvised musical performance of the player.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the processing program further comprises a processing routine for displaying guidance information for the improvised musical performance of the player.

21. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a processing program to be used for controlling the operation of a game system which enables a plurality of players to play a game for evaluating the accuracy of operations performed when the players have operated actual performance operation instruments in accordance with operation instructions given in connection with a display image of a performance operation instrument appearing on a game display screen, the processing program comprising:

a mark-up processing routine for controlling a processor to mark up an improvised duet musical performance which is played with a degree of freedom of performance of said game by the players through use of the actual performance operation instruments in accordance with performance operation instruction.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the mark-up processing routine results low evaluation of a player when a time required for playing improvised musical performance played by the player fails to fall within a permissible improvised musical performance time preset for each player.