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Nintendo patents what I believe could be Wii Music U

R

Rösti

Unconfirmed Member
On April 23, 2013, Nintendo Co., Ltd. filed in the US a patent application for "Storage Medium Having Stored Therein Information Processing Program, Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing System, and Information Processing Method". It was published today, on May 22, via the USPTO. Inventors are Takehiko Hosokawa (director, Metroid: Other M) and Goro Abe (director, Game & Wario). The name isn't interesting at all, but the application describes something that is eerily close to Wii Music U.

As usual, it's patent language (on a general level though). Let's start with the abstract:

An image including at least a part of a virtual world is generated as a first display image, a first sound created in the virtual world is generated, and a second sound forming a part of the first sound is selected in accordance with a user operation. Then, control is performed such that the first display image is displayed on a first display apparatus. Control is performed such that the generated first sound is output from a first loudspeaker in synchronization with the first display image displayed on the first display apparatus. Control is performed such that the selected second sound is output from a second loudspeaker.

The description provides a bit more general language, I've bolded the background and summary as it's the most important:

FIELD

[0002] The technology shown here relates to a storage medium having stored therein an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and an information processing method, and in particular, relates to a storage medium having stored therein an information processing program for, for example, outputting a sound from a loudspeaker, and an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and an information processing method for, for example, outputting a sound from a loudspeaker.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

[0003] Conventionally, there is a game apparatus that outputs the sound of performing one composition as an ensemble using a plurality of instruments. In the game apparatus, a user selects a part to be assigned to the user themselves. When the selection of the assigned part is completed, the ensemble is started. Then, the user can participate in the ensemble by performing an input operation based on the assigned part.

[0004] The game apparatus, however, can merely provide the audio output of the composition performed as an ensemble from, for example, a pair of loudspeakers provided in a monitor. Thus, even a composition performed as an ensemble may lack variety, as compared to other types of sound outputs.

[0005] Therefore, it is an object of an exemplary embodiment to provide a storage medium having stored therein an information processing program capable of a wide variety of sound outputs, and an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and an information processing method that are capable of a wide variety of sound outputs.


[0006] To achieve the above object, the exemplary embodiment can employ, for example, the following configurations. It should be noted that it is understood that, to interpret the descriptions of the claims, the scope of the claims should be interpreted only by the descriptions of the claims. If there is a conflict between the descriptions of the claims and the descriptions of the specification, the descriptions of the claims take precedence.

[0007] An exemplary configuration of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program according to the exemplary embodiment is executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for outputting an image and a sound to a first display apparatus having a first loudspeaker and for outputting at least a sound to another apparatus having a second loudspeaker. The information processing program causes the computer to execute: generating an image including at least a part of a virtual world as a first display image; generating a first sound created in the virtual world; selecting, in accordance with a user operation, a second sound forming a part of the first sound; performing control such that the first display image is displayed on the first display apparatus; performing control such that the generated first sound is output from the first loudspeaker in synchronization with the first display image displayed on the first display apparatus; and performing control such that the selected second sound is output from the second loudspeaker.

And of course the images:

wiimusicu_1i2sse.png


wiimusicu_26bsvr.png


wiimusicu_39msf8.png


wiimusicu_49cs6k.png


wiimusicu_5sssq2.png


wiimusicu_6hcsgz.png


wiimusicu_7ljs2x.png


wiimusicu_8jysbx.png


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a non-limiting example of an information processing system 1;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing non-limiting examples of images displayed in the information processing system 1;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing non-limiting examples of an entire image of a virtual world displayed on a monitor 4 and a sound output from the monitor 4;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing non-limiting examples of a display image displayed on a terminal apparatus 2 and an output sound output from the terminal apparatus 2 and non-limiting examples of a display image displayed on the monitor 4 and an output sound output from the monitor 4 when a selection object has been selected;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a non-limiting example where the selection object and the output sound are controlled by an operation on the terminal apparatus 2;

[0035] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing non-limiting examples of main data and programs stored in a memory 6 of an information processing apparatus 3;

[0036] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a non-limiting example of composition data Dc;

[0037] FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a non-limiting example of the first half of the information processing performed by the information processing apparatus 3; and

[0038] FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a non-limiting example of the second half of the information processing performed by the information processing apparatus 3.
Source: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...s1=Nintendo.AS.&OS=AN/Nintendo&RS=AN/Nintendo

If the link doesn't work, search for document number 20140141879 here.

The detailed descriptions of the non-limiting embodiments are lengthy and quite technical. They deal mainly with how different instruments are processed and stored in the memory. Of importance are terminal operation data Da; operation object position data Db; composition data Dc; first sound data Dd; second sound data De; display image data Df; and the like. More information about these and how they are handled starting from [0058].

I don't generally report on software patents, but as it deals with what is most likely Wii Music U, I couldn't help myself. We all know that Wii Music did not become the success Nintendo was hoping for (though it stood at 2.65 million copies sold worldwide by Q3 of Nintendo's FY09), so I'm wondering what their thought is here. Sure, the competition isn't that huge as it was back in 2009 with Guitar Hero, but is Wii Music U a title that's really appropriate for the console "right now"? Of course, this is only a patent and the described system does not need to be used in an actual game; though as mentioned, it's strikingly similar to Wii Music U (which is a trademark in the EU btw).

Ah well, Nintendo's Digital Event at E3 is in 18 days from now so we will know soon what this is about.
 

kunonabi

Member
I'd love to see a wii music u. I sucked at the original but it was still fun to play around with. the miiverse functionality would be really beneficial too.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
Nintendo simultaneously being out of touch with the market and giving their fans what they want.
 

BatDan

Bane? Get them on board, I'll call it in.
Guys... it's a patent. It might not mean anything.

Remember that one Sony patent (or MS, I forget which) where you could skip ads by screaming the product name? And how nothing came of that?
 

Salih

Member
I bet half of the people bitching here haven't even played the first one.
My siblings and I had our fair share of fun with Wii Music. consider me interested.
 

Ludist210

Member
Wasn't the Wii U the system that, in their own words, was supposed to win back the core crowd? Because Wii Music U wouldn't be a way to do that...

If this were an eShop game for $15, that'd be one thing. The original was an interesting concept, and I'd bite at that price. But I doubt it.
 

Effect

Member
Cool. I liked Wii Music. Maybe it could have a stronger music variety.

It really does get more hate then it deserves. I've always felt Nintendo presented the game the wrong way and confused people. People assumed it was like Guitar Hero, etc. When it wasn't but was instead a music manipulator program and not a rhythm game. Nintendo had that already, minus the plastic instruments in the likes of Rhythm Heaven.

The song selection sucked of course. There isn't any doubt about that. It cost to much as well. However for what it was I enjoyed it in the end for the time I did play it. Would I want a sequel? Not really. Especially if they're going to stick to public domain songs. Forget that.
 
Please god no.. Hopefully it's not what Miyamoto is working on or I'll die on the inside. I would probably still buy the game if it had fully orchastrated versions of the amazing Wii U soundtracks that have come out recently, but we're probably going to get the same shitty "one instrument making obnoxious slightly off beat sounds" that was found in Wii Music.
 
Combined with alcohol, Wii Music is still one of the most amazing local multiplayer games ever made. The bit where you get to design an album cover especially.

Sharing that shit with Miiverse would be incredible.
 

idlewild_

Member
Well, I guess this and Wii Chess are the only ones that don't have a Wii U release (counting Nintendoland in place of Wii Play.) That said, those two did very poorly critically and commercially compared to the other titles, so I don't really think it's worth the effort.
 
Here's hoping it turns out to be something like a music synthesizing game and you can save and upload your music.

But of course knowing Nintendo it will be Wii Music U : (
 
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