Facilitating interaction with a music-based video game

• US 8,003,872 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kay, Robert, Lopiccolo, Gregory B., Sussman, Daniel K., Egozy, Eran B., Brosius, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millikin; Andrew R
• Application Number:
  US11/609,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 846/09, 463/7, 463/43
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• 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 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/145 Multiplayer musical games, e.g. karaoke-like multiplayer videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/401 3D sensing, i.e. three-dimensional (x, y, z) position or movement sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/045 Special instrument [spint], i.e. mimicking the ergonomy, shape, sound or other characteristic of a specific acoustic musical instrument category
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/135 Spint guitar, i.e. guitar-like instruments in which the sound is not generated by vibrating strings, e.g. guitar-shaped game interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/281 Spint drum assembly, i.e. mimicking two or more drums or drumpads assembled on a common structure, e.g. drum kit
• 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 or hand
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/441 Gensound string, i.e. generating the sound of a string instrument, controlling specific features of said sound

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, executed on a game console in communication with a display, for facilitating interaction of a player with a music-based video game using a game controller simulating a musical instrument and having a note-producing mechanism simulating that of an instrument the game controller simulates, the note-producing mechanism comprising a plurality of input elements, the game controller also comprising a secondary input mechanism, different than the note-producing mechanism, the method comprising:

a) displaying, on the display, target musical data associated with a musical composition, the target musical data corresponding to one of the input elements of the note-producing mechanism, the target musical data additionally indicating input from the secondary input mechanism may be provided;

b) receiving a first music performance input comprising input from the input element of the note-producing mechanism that corresponds to the target musical data;

c) reproducing a portion of the musical composition in response to the received first music performance;

d) receiving a second music performance input from the secondary mechanism of the game controller; and

e) altering a gameplay characteristic of the music-based video game in response to the received second music performance input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises displaying the target musical data disposed along a musical time axis that does not lie in the image plane of the display.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises displaying target musical data associated with the guitar track of a musical composition.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises displaying to a first player target musical data associated with the percussion track of a musical composition.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises displaying to a first player target musical data associated with the bass track of a musical composition.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises displaying to a first player target musical data associated with the keyboard track of a musical composition.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises receiving second music performance input from the player, the second performance input comprising tilting the game controller.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises receiving second music performance input from the player, the second performance input comprising shaking the game controller.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises receiving second music performance input from the player, the second performance input comprising slapping the game controller.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (d), the second performance input comprises manipulation of a tremolo bar disposed on the game controller.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (d), the second performance input comprises pushing a tremolo bar disposed on the game controller.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (d), the second performance input comprises pulling a tremolo bar disposed on the game controller.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises receiving second music performance input from the player, the second performance input comprising manipulation of a pitch bend wheel disposed on the game controller.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) further comprises altering sound quality of the reproduced portion of the musical composition in response to the second musical performance input.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the altered sound quality is selected from the group consisting of frequency, pitch, distortion, simulated feedback, flange, fuzz, vocoder, echo, reverb, chorus, delay and volume.

16. The method of claim 1 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.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) further comprises altering graphical characteristics of the game in response to the second musical performance input.

18. The method of claim 17 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, sustain tail size and sustain tail brightness.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the target musical data indicates input from the secondary input mechanism may be provided by having a sustain tail.

20. A method executed on a game console in communication with a display for facilitating interaction of a player with a music-based video game using a game controller simulating a guitar, the game controller having a plurality of buttons and a whammy bar, the method comprising:

a) displaying, via the display, a lane divided into a plurality of sub-lanes wherein each sub-lane corresponds to a button of the plurality of buttons of the game controller;

b) displaying, via the display, a cue in one of the sub-lanes indicating both a button of the plurality to be activated and that input comprising manipulation of the whammy bar may be provided;

c) receiving a first music performance input comprising activation of the button indicated by the cue;

d) reproducing a portion of a musical composition in response to the received first music performance;

e) receiving a second music performance input comprising manipulation of the whammy bar; and

f) altering a gameplay characteristic of the music-based video game in response to the received second music performance input.

21. A method executed on a game console in communication with a display for facilitating interaction of a player with a music-based video game using a game controller simulating an instrument, the game controller having a plurality of buttons and a pitch altering mechanism, the method comprising:

a) displaying, via the display, a lane divided into a plurality of sub-lanes wherein each sub-lane corresponds to a button of the plurality of buttons of the game controller;

b) displaying, via the display, a cue in one of the sub-lanes indicating both a button of the plurality to be activated and that input comprising manipulation of the pitch altering mechanism may be provided;

c) receiving a first music performance input comprising activation of the button indicated by the cue;

d) reproducing a portion of a musical composition in response to the received first music performance;

e) receiving a second music performance input comprising manipulation of the pitch altering mechanism; and

f) altering a gameplay characteristic of the music-based video game in response to the received second music performance input.

22. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transient computer-readable storage medium, for facilitating interaction of a player with a music-based video game using a game controller simulating a musical instrument and having a note-producing mechanism simulating that of an instrument the game controller simulates, the note-producing mechanism comprising a plurality of input elements, the game controller also comprising a secondary input mechanism, different than the note-producing mechanism, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

a) display, via a display in communication with the data processing apparatus, target musical data associated with a musical composition, the target musical data corresponding to one of the input elements of the note-producing mechanism, the target musical data additionally indicating input from the secondary input mechanism may be provided;

b) receive a first music performance input comprising input from the input element of the note-producing mechanism that corresponds to the target musical data;

c) reproduce a portion of the musical composition in response to the received first music performance;

d) receive a second music performance input from the secondary mechanism of the game controller; and

e) alter a gameplay characteristic of the music-based video game in response to the received second music performance input.

23. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transient computer-readable storage medium, for facilitating interaction of a player with a music-based video game using a game controller simulating an instrument, the game controller having a plurality of buttons and a pitch altering mechanism, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

a) display, via a display in communication with the data processing apparatus, a lane divided into a plurality of sub-lanes wherein each sub-lane corresponds to a button of the plurality of buttons of the game controller;

b) display, via the display, a cue in one of the sub-lanes indicating both a button of the plurality to be activated and that input comprising manipulation of the pitch altering mechanism may be provided;

c) receive a first music performance input comprising activation of the button indicated by the cue;

d) reproduce a portion of a musical composition in response to the received first music performance;

e) receive a second music performance input comprising manipulation of the pitch altering mechanism; and

f) alter a gameplay characteristic of the music-based video game in response to the received second music performance input.