Musical combat game

• US 9,704,350 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crooker, Kasson D., Boch, Matthew C., Rigopulos, Alexander, Perlot, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pinheiro, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/831,224
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 463 2, 463 35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/38 Ball games; Shooting apparatus

Abstract

A computerized technique for use with a game console, the technique including providing, using the game console, a combat video game that includes a weapon, providing, using the game console and an audiovisual system, music as a player plays the video game, analyzing, using the game console, at least one of i) the music, and ii) metadata relating to the music, to determine a property, and controlling the operation of the weapon, using the game console, as a function of the property.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide a shooter combat video game having an on-screen character with a weapon situated in a virtual world, in which a player controls when the on-screen character triggers the weapon;

provide music as the player plays the video game;

analyze at least one of i) the music, and ii) metadata relating to the music, to determine a timing parameter related to the music; and

cause the on-screen character to fire projectiles from the weapon, wherein firing the projectiles comprises varying a parameter of the projectiles fired from the weapon as a function of the timing parameter.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to analyze by determining a trigger point; and

the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles as a function of the trigger point.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles as a function of whether the player triggers the weapon at substantially the same time as the trigger point.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by modulating damage caused by the projectiles as a function of how close a triggering time is to the trigger point.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

provide a visual indicator to the player to indicate the timing of the trigger point.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to analyze by determining a plurality of trigger points; and

the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles as a function of whether the player performs a plurality of actions substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by modifying a multiplier as a function of how many actions the player performs substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by causing at least one of the projectiles to track a motion of a target as long as the player performs the plurality of actions substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by causing the at least one of the projectiles to stop tracking the motion of the target, and to continue on a previous course, when the player stops performing actions substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to analyze by determining a time of a note in the music; and

the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles as a function of whether the player triggers the weapon at substantially the same time as the note.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by controlling at least one of the size, color, shape, and amount of damage of the projectiles as a function of the property.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to analyze by determining a trigger point; and

the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by detonating at least one of the projectiles at substantially the same time as the trigger point.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to analyze by determining a tempo of the music; and

the instructions further cause the computer to fire projectiles at a rate corresponding to the tempo of the music.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the computer to analyze by determining at least one of:

tempo, triggering point timing, loudness, downbeat timing, pitch, frequency spectrum, timbre, and section boundary.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles as a function of the property by controlling at least one of:

range, intensity, power, damage path, splash zone radius, splash zone shape, amount of damage, and splash zone orientation.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by varying a range of the projectiles.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by varying a velocity of the projectiles.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by varying damage caused by the projectiles.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the computer to vary the parameter of the projectiles by varying an ability of the projectiles to penetrate solid objects situated in the virtual world.

20. A computerized method for use with a game console, the method comprising:

providing, using the game console, a shooter combat video game having an on-screen character with a weapon situated in a virtual world, in which a player controls when the on-screen character triggers the weapon;

providing, using the game console and an audiovisual system, music as the player plays the video game;

analyzing, using the game console, at least one of i) the music, and ii) metadata relating to the music, to determine a timing parameter related to the music; and

causing the on-screen character to fire projectiles from the weapon, wherein firing the projectiles comprises varying a parameter of the projectiles fired from the weapon as a function of the timing parameter.

21. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein:

analyzing includes determining a trigger point using the game console; and

varying the parameter of the projectiles includes varying the parameter as a function of the trigger point.

22. The computerized method of claim 21 wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes modulating damage caused by the projectiles as a function of how close a triggering time is to the trigger point.

23. The computerized method of claim 21 further comprising providing a visual indicator to the player to indicate the timing of the trigger point.

24. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles varying the parameter as a function of whether the player triggers the weapon at substantially the same time as the trigger point.

25. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein:

analyzing includes determining a plurality of trigger points; and

varying the parameter of the projectiles varying the parameter as a function of whether the player performs a plurality of actions substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

26. The computerized method of claim 25 wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes modifying a multiplier as a function of how many actions the player performs substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

27. The computerized method of claim 25, wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes causing at least one of the projectiles to track a motion of a target as long as the player performs the plurality of actions substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

28. The computerized method of claim 27, wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes causing the at least one of the projectiles to stop tracking the motion of the target, and to continue on a previous course, when the player stops performing actions substantially synchronously with the trigger points.

29. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein:

analyzing includes determining a time of a note in the music using the game console; and

varying the parameter of the projectiles includes varying the parameter as a function of whether the player triggers the weapon at substantially the same time as the note.

30. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes controlling at least one of the size, color, shape, and amount of damage of the projectiles as a function of the property.

31. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein:

analyzing includes determining a trigger point; and

varying the parameter of the projectiles includes detonating at least one of the projectiles at substantially the same time as the trigger point.

32. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein:

analyzing includes determining a tempo of the music; and

controlling the operation of the weapon to fire projectiles at a rate corresponding to the tempo of the music.

33. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein analyzing includes determining at least one of:

tempo, triggering point timing, loudness, downbeat timing, pitch, frequency spectrum, timbre, and section boundary.

34. The computerized method of claim 20 wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles as a function of the property includes controlling at least one of:

range, intensity, power, damage path, splash zone radius, splash zone shape, amount of damage, and splash zone orientation.

35. The computerized method of claim 20, wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes varying a range of the projectiles.

36. The computerized method of claim 20, wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes varying a velocity of the projectiles.

37. The computerized method of claim 20, wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes varying damage caused by the projectiles.

38. The computerized method of claim 20, wherein varying the parameter of the projectiles includes varying an ability of the projectiles to penetrate solid objects situated in the virtual world.