Systems and methods for reinstating a player within a rhythm-action game

• US 8,439,733 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kay, Robert, Teasdale, Daniel, Foster, Chris, Schmidt, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH-VO V
• Application Number:
  US12/139,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20080311970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/24
• 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 13/245 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

Band members use their own performance during a song to reinstate a band member who has failed during the course of the song. Once a band member has failed, options are given to other members of the band who have achieved a predetermined bonus or performance level to save the fallen band member. Once saved, the failed member returns to normal play of the song. In this manner, failure still has the consequence of removing a player from a song at least temporarily, and perhaps permanently if bandmates are unable or unwilling to save the fallen member. However, by providing the option of reinstatement, band members can prevent their friends from long stretches of inactivity following a failure. This may have the added benefit of encouraging band members to perform strongly in order to be able to save their friends.

Claims

1. A method for reinstating an avatar within a rhythm action game on a game console, the method comprising:

changing a status of the avatar from an active play status to an inactive play status based on an accuracy level of a first musical performance received from a first input device at the game console during a song, the changing of the status of the avatar being based on a determination that the accuracy level is below a first predetermined threshold;

progressively reducing a group performance level during a period of time in which the avatar is in the inactive play status;

determining that an accuracy value associated with a second musical performance received from a second input device during the song exceeds a second predetermined threshold;

detecting an action from the second input device to reinstate the avatar which is in the inactive play state; and

reinstating the avatar to the active play status based on i) the accuracy value exceeding the second predetermined threshold and ii) the detected action associated with the second input device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the status of the avatar from the active play status to the inactive play status further comprises removing, from a game display, a lane corresponding to the avatar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the accuracy value associated with the second musical performance received from the second input device during the song exceeds the second predetermined threshold comprises determining that the second musical performance has successfully played a predetermined number of predetermined note phrases.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the accuracy value associated with the second musical performance received from the second input device during the song exceeds the second predetermined threshold further comprises displaying a graphical indication that the action from the second input device is capable of reinstating the avatar.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the action from the second input device comprises detecting a tilt of the second input device, wherein the second input device is a simulated musical instrument.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the action from the second input device comprises detecting a sound from the second input device during a predetermined period of time, wherein the second input device is a microphone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the action from the second input device comprises detecting a strike of the second input device, wherein the second input device is a drum pad.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing an amount of bonus allocated to the second musical performance in response to reinstating the avatar.

9. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising executable code for reinstating an avatar within a rhythm action game, the computer readable media having:

executable code for changing a status of the avatar from an active play status to an inactive play status based on an accuracy level of a first musical performance received from a first input device at a game console during a song, the changing of the status of the avatar being based on a determination that the accuracy level is below a first predetermined threshold;

executable code for progressively reducing a group performance level during a period of time in which the avatar is associated with the inactive play status;

executable code for determining that an accuracy value associated with a second musical performance received from a second input device during the song exceeds a second predetermined threshold;

executable code for detecting an action from the second input device to reinstate the avatar which is in the inactive play state; and

executable code for reinstating the avatar to the active play status based on i) the accuracy value exceeding the second predetermined threshold and ii) the detected action associated with the second input device.

10. The computer readable media of claim 9, further comprising executable code for removing, from a game display, a lane corresponding to the avatar.

11. The computer readable media of claim 9, further comprising executable code for determining that the second musical performance received from the second input device during the song has successfully played a predetermined number of predetermined note phrases.

12. The computer readable media of claim 9, further comprising executable code for displaying a graphical indication that the action from the second input device is capable of reinstating the avatar.

13. The computer readable media of claim 9, further comprising executable code for detecting a tilt of the second input device, wherein the second input device is a simulated musical instrument.

14. The computer readable media of claim 9, further comprising executable code for detecting a sound from a microphone during a predetermined period of time.

15. The computer readable media of claim 9, further comprising executable code for detecting a strike of the second input device, wherein the second input device is a drum pad.

16. The computer readable media of claim 9, further comprising executable code for reducing an amount of bonus allocated to the second musical performance in response to reinstating the avatar.