Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INCORPORATING MUSIC INTO A VIDEO GAME USING
GAME PARAMETERS
[0001 ] The current invention relates to a system that provides for
interaction between a video
game's in-game parameters and a player's music, including playback
recommendation,
composition, and associated social network.
[0002] Video game music has traditionally been viewed as highly repetitive and
often
disconnected from gameplay. In part as a response to the repetitive looping
nature of game
music, game composition has developed to be interactive to the player's
movements and actions
and adaptive to the game-play events. In real-time, compositions may adjust to
the in-game
parameters, as transitional sequences bring the music from section to section
to reflect game
events. Despite the attempts of composers to create dynamic scores and
soundtracks for games
today, many users still play the game for many hours on end, and the
repetition of the music
remains a distraction for some. One solution to this problem, personalizable
music, became a
part of game hardware systems around the time of the sixth generation of video
game consoles
(Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2). When Microsoft introduced their Xbox 360
console in 2005
they made it mandatory that all games produced for the Xbox 360 must allow for
user-
personalizable soundtracks. That is, the player must be allowed to plug in a
CD, their iPod or
another MP3 player, and the game music would be shut off and the player's
music would play
instead.
[0003] This external personalized music is incorporated into a game by playing
it as
"background music" rather than integrating it into the game. For game
composers, this trend
means a step backwards in terms of the idea of the music as a part of the
entire gesamtkunstwerk
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(total work of art) of the game as well as integration with game-play
parameters or events. While
personalization might be a desired trait for the consumer, the designers of
the game (along with
the composer/s) must relinquish control over the musical soundtrack to the
game, in particular,
the affective properties of the game and the music's interactivity.
[0004] The present invention includes ways of improving the integration of
player-selected
music into a video game, in which the music is tied to in-game parameters
and/or events
(hereafter listed as parameters). A software engine reads a player's playlist
and makes decisions
about where to incorporate songs into the game based on parameters in the
game.
[0005] Parameters include (but are not limited to): Number/action of non-
playing characters;
Number/action of playing characters; Actions; Locations (place, time of day,
etc.); Scripted or
unscripted events; Player health or enemy health; Difficulty; Timing; Player
properties (skills,
endurance); Bonus objects; Movement (speed, direction, rhythm); "Camera"
angle.
[0006] Musical content for parameters is selected by the music engine based on
keywords
associated with those songs and the affective properties of the songs (as
defined by file meta-data
or audio extraction techniques tied to a database of affective properties of
music/sound).
[0007] A player may input their own music collection from a music player, the
internet, or
streamed from a server, or choose to have songs recommended for them by the
music engine or
the affiliated social network.
[0008] If the player is choosing not to use selections from the social
network, they may plug in
an iPod or other music player, stream media from a music collection on the
internet, or otherwise
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input music from a collection. Once the music is input, the player's
collection is then scanned for
metadata (e.g. ID3 tags) that have been already input into the database of the
music engine
system. Songs that have not already been input are scanned using audio
extraction technology
and suggested keywords are attached in metadata to the song. The metadata is
then added to the
database.
[0009] Based on parameter keywords, the player's collection is explored for
matches. If there is
more than one match, a random number generator selects a song from the list of
matches. If no
song occurs as a match, parameters can be attached to an algorithmic music
generator system
that creates music in real-time based on set parameters.
[00010] Parameters may be given priority numbers for playback. If more than
one parameter
occurs at the same time, priority is based on assigned priority numbers. A
music file is played
when parameter occurs. When a new event occurs of higher priority or the song
ends, a cross-
fade is instigated or a segue is generated by the algorithmic engine and a new
song occurs.
[00011 ] Players can use a social network to obtain recommendations of songs
for particular
games or game parameters. The network includes a ranking system for both the
song and the
person making the recommendation (the "DJ"). The player may then use songs
from their own
existing collection or purchase the recommended songs through an option to
link to an online
music store.
[00012] Players can also recommend songs either by their own choice or by what
was chosen
automatically from their playlist by the engine. Players can create playlists
for entire games by
attaching songs to most or all parameters, or recommend songs for a single
parameter.
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[00013] Players may compose their own music for the game or specific
parameters, and these
players become DJ-Composers with special status and a separate ranking system
on the social
network.
[00014] Based on player ratings of song selections (on the social network, on
the player's private
system, or both), the music engine can store information on preferred songs,
in an artificially
intelligent system that learns their preferences.
[00015] FIG 1. shows example structure for the overall process by which music
can be
incorporated into a game based on game parameters;
[00016] FIG 2. shows example structure for the overall process by which
algorithmic generative
software may be incorporated into the soundtrack engine;
[00017] FIG 3. shows how the process by which music can be tied to a
recommendation and
ranking system by social network.
[00018] FIG 4. shows the process by which the player may incorporate or
compose their own
music for the system, and then associate it with a social network.
[00020] The following description relates to embodiments of a music engine
that is intended to:
incorporate player's music from a playlist, from a portable or non-portable
music player, or
streamed from the internet; have player-selected music affectively associated
to game content;
be simple to use; have music tied to game parameters or events; be able
prioritize parameters; be
able to use audio extraction/retrieval techniques or audio meta-data to
determine musical
parameters; be tied to a social network that enables a ranking and
recommendation system; be
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able to cross-fade between files or algorithmically generate sonic segues
between files; be
associated with a database of keyword tags for both events and musical
content; be represented
visually in a textual or graphic fashion; be associated with one or more
online stores where
players may purchase recommended titles; incorporate a database of existing
analysed songs into
the game; be directly written into the game code or exist in a software
"wrapper" around a game;
may incorporate a music songwriting system that enables players to write their
own music; may
incorporate a system that allows players to input and share their own composed
music; may learn
the player's preferences to make intelligent predictions about preferences for
future songs to be
associated with events.
[00021 ] In the present embodiment, game parameters are assigned a parameter
number by the
game's developers or by the DJ wrapper. Parameter numbers are associated with
keywords in the
game and/or in a database in the music engine. Keywords in the database may be
organized by
musical properties (tempo, emotion, etc.) or by type of game event (e.g.
combat, enemy). Game
parameter numbers and keywords are stored on the network, music engine
software, or directly
in the game. When a parameter-associated event occurs, the parameter number is
sent to the
music engine.
[00022] In this embodiment, players may rank the song selection and either
store the ranking in
their own system or share the ranking online in a social network.
[00023] In a social network embodiment, in the game wrapper or within the
game, songs for that
event number by associating keywords of the music file with keywords of the
game event or
parameter. If the player has those songs available, they may choose to play
the songs
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recommended for those parameters. Players may also follow specific DJs and
select to use their
playlists. Players may be given the option of purchasing the songs through
affiliated or
incorporated stores. Players may vote on the use of songs associated with that
event, thereby
ranking the DJ that selected that song. High ranking DJs are given special
status on the social
network (e.g. Leaderboard).
[00024] The embodiments herein propose a way of incorporating music into a
videogame,
whereby selected parameters may be tagged by a sound designer or developer of
a game, and
associated with keywords that can be matched to a database and music engine
that will make
decisions regarding what musical choices to make.
[00025] It will be understood that there may be modifications to the
embodiments described
herein as will be understood by one of skill in the art. For example, the game
designers may
themselves make recommendations for songs or music to be associated with the
game, or with
parameters in the game. Further, additional songs composed by the game's
composer may be
added as optional songs from which the player may select.
[00026] It will further be understood that the embodiments may be implemented
as systems or
methods and may be implemented in hardware or software or a combination
thereof. When
implemented using software, the software may comprise computer readable
instructions on a
physical media which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing
device to
perform the required functions.
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