JP2003311019A - Game apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game apparatus which can analyze game music and can play back a game music without a sense of incompatibility within the range of the limited number of sound sources possessed by a sound source device. <P>SOLUTION: Priority information, which is set based on the musical analysis of the contents of the game music, is provided in terms of the game music. The priority information serves as standards for determining which sound data among game sound data should be played back with priority. The musical analysis means consideration, for example, of the code configuration of the sound data and parts for playing back the sound data. A priority determining means determines the priority of the sound data at each point of time during the advance of a game in accordance with the priority information and determines lowest-priority sound data serving as sound data whose priority is the lowest. A channel opening means opens a channel corresponding to the lowest-priority sound data. Since the priority information is determined according to the musical analysis of the game sound data, the sound data are not played back when it is determined that the low-priority sound data are not played back, so that the sense of the incompatibility, which is to be given to the playback of the whole game music, can be minimized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game device and a program for reproducing game music without a feeling of strangeness under the constraint of the number of sound sources of the game device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a game device such as a home-use game machine has a built-in sound source device, and by utilizing this sound source device, BGM (Back Ground Music) played during a game,
Game sound data corresponding to a sound effect or the like that is reproduced according to the operation of the player during the game is reproduced as game music.

Such a sound source device included in the game device includes sound sources for a plurality of channels, and each sound source produces the sound of one track in the game sound data. That is, each of the sound sources of these plural channels is assigned to the track of the game sound data, and the sound source of each channel reproduces the game sound data. By simultaneously producing sounds assigned to the sound sources of a plurality of channels, it is possible to reproduce game music composed of chords and ensemble of a plurality of musical instruments.

However, since the number of sound source channels of the sound source device is limited by the hardware design of the game device, the game device stores game sound data such as BGM and sound effects during the game in the number of sound source channels. Must be played within the range (so-called maximum polyphony). Therefore, depending on the progress of the game, if the number of channels required to reproduce the game sound data that composes the game music exceeds the number of channels of the sound source of the game device, the game device will not play all of the game sound data. There is a problem that the sound of can not be reproduced.

Actually, since the number of sound effects to be reproduced during the game play depends on the user's play, the sound source device of the game device uses the predetermined number of channels to perform BGM.
If the player performs many operations and inputs while playing, the number of channels required to play multiple game sound data including BGM and sound effects exceeds the number of sound source channels of the game device. There are often situations in which this happens. In such a situation, it is not possible to reproduce all the game sound data, so it is unavoidable to reproduce any sound in the game sound data. However, if some of the game sound data forming the game music is not reproduced, the game music may become unnatural and unnatural.

In order to solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-2000
Japanese Patent No. 229173 describes a method of setting a priority order for each track of game sound data and reproducing the game sound data according to the priority order. Here, the priority order is set so that important parts such as the main melody become higher. If there is a limit to the number of game sound data that can be played by the game device due to the limit of the number of channels that the sound source device of the game device has, the device described in the above publication does not play the game sound data in order from the lowest priority. . In this way, the device described in the above publication reduces the adverse effect on the entire game music by reducing the actual number of pronunciations.

[0007]

However, in the device described in the above publication, depending on how to prioritize a plurality of tracks constituting the game sound data, the sound which has a great influence on the whole game music is erased. There can be That is, the feeling of strangeness of the game music is greatly influenced by the method of prioritizing, but the above publication does not particularly describe the method of prioritizing.

Further, the priority order of each track in the game sound data such as BGM is not always constant over the entire game music, but may change in the middle of the music. For example, in a given game music, the piano part may be the most important part in one measure, but the violin may be the most important part in the next measure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and analyzes game music and assigns an appropriate priority from a music point of view to a plurality of tracks constituting the game music. An object of the present invention is to provide a game device and a program capable of reproducing game music without a feeling of discomfort within the range of the number of sound sources of the sound source device.

[0010]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game device which reproduces game sound data including a plurality of sound data corresponding to a plurality of channels. A sound source having a channel of
Storage means for storing priority information set by musical analysis of the game sound data; priority determination means for determining priority in reproducing the sound data by referring to the priority information; Channel releasing means for releasing the channel corresponding to the lowest priority sound data which is the sound data whose priority is determined to be the lowest by the priority determining means.

According to the game device configured as described above, the game sound data corresponding to the music in the game is structured as a plurality of sound data corresponding to a plurality of channels. The game sound data is, for example, B reproduced during the game.
It includes sound effects corresponding to GM and player operations during the game, and inputs. The game device is provided with a sound source having a plurality of channels, and each channel reproduces the sound data supplied to the channel, whereby the game sound data is reproduced as a whole.

Regarding the game sound data, priority order information set based on a musical analysis of the contents thereof is prepared and stored. Musical analysis means, for example, considering the chord structure of sound data, the part that reproduces sound data, and the like. The priority information is information serving as a reference for determining which sound data in the game sound data should be reproduced preferentially. The priority determining means determines the priority of the sound data at each point in time during the game according to the priority information, and determines the lowest priority sound data which is the lowest priority sound data. The channel opening unit opens the channel corresponding to the lowest priority sound data, for example, when it is necessary to reproduce sound data in a number exceeding the number of channels of the sound source.

In this way, for example, when it is necessary to open the channel in use, the sound data with the lowest priority is not reproduced, and the channel corresponding to the sound data is opened. Therefore, there is a limit to the number of channels that the sound source of the game device has, and as a result, if all the sound data in the game sound data cannot be reproduced, the sound data with a lower priority is not reproduced.
Since the priority information is determined based on the musical analysis of the game sound data, if the low priority sound data is not reproduced, the sound data of the entire game music is not reproduced by not reproducing the sound data. It is possible to reduce the discomfort given to reproduction as much as possible.

In one aspect of the above-mentioned game device, the priority order information includes a chord priority order set for each constituent sound of a chord forming the game sound data, and the priority order determining means sets the chord priority order. The lowest priority sound data can be determined based on the rank.

According to this aspect, the priority order of the sound data is determined according to the chord priority order set for each constituent sound of the chords constituting the game sound data. Therefore, since the sound data that is not reproduced is determined in consideration of the priority level at the detailed level of the constituent sounds in the chords that compose the game sound data, even if all the sound data in the game sound data cannot be reproduced. , It is possible to reduce the discomfort of the entire game music to be played.

In another aspect of the above-mentioned game device, the priority order information is the first chord priority order information used when the chord component sounds of the game sound data being played back are duplicated, and the priority order information being played back. The second chord priority information used when the chord constituent sounds of the game sound data do not have duplication, and the priority determining means determines whether or not the chord constituent sounds of the game sound data being reproduced have duplication. And a selection means for selecting either the first code priority order information or the second code priority order information based on the detection result of the detection means.

According to this aspect, the priority order information is discriminated and used depending on whether or not the code constituent sounds of the game sound data being reproduced overlap. The influence on the entire game music when the chord constituent tones are not reproduced differs depending on whether or not the chord constituting sounds of the sound data being reproduced overlap. Therefore, by switching the priority order information depending on whether or not the chord component sounds of the sound data being reproduced overlap, it is possible to reduce the influence on the entire game music in each situation.

In still another mode of the above-mentioned game device, the priority order information includes part priority order information indicating a priority order among a plurality of parts reproducing the plurality of sound data, and the priority order determining means. When a plurality of parts are reproducing the lowest priority sound data, the sound data reproduced in the lowest priority part is determined as the lowest priority sound data by referring to the part priority information. To do.

According to this aspect, when the lowest priority sound data is reproduced by a plurality of parts, the sound of the lowest priority part is reproduced by referring to the priority information for each part. By determining the data to be the lowest priority sound data, the channel used for reproducing the lowest priority part is released. That is, the sound data is not reproduced. Accordingly, when the reproduction of any of the game sound data is stopped, it is possible to reduce the influence on the reproduction of the entire game music by considering the influence of each part of the game sound data.

In still another mode of the above-mentioned game device, the priority order information includes a minimum number of pronunciations indicating the number of pronunciations for each part necessary for reproducing the game sound data without a sense of discomfort, and the priority order. The determining means determines, as the lowest priority sound data, the sound data reproduced in the lowest priority part within the range in which each part can secure the lowest number of sounds.

According to this aspect, the lowest priority sound data is determined so that the preset lowest number of sounds can be maintained for each part. That is, the sound data that is not reproduced is determined based on the maintenance of the lowest number of sounds. The minimum pronunciation is
This is the number required to play the sound of that part without any discomfort. Therefore, by determining the sound data that will not be played so that it can be maintained, it is possible to prevent the sound played by each part from becoming uncomfortable. it can.

In still another mode of the above-mentioned game device, the part priority information and / or the minimum pronunciation number information can be set for each temporal division of the game sound data. According to this aspect, the part priority information and the minimum pronunciation number information are set for each time division of the game music, for example, for each bar. As a result, the reproduction of the sound data having the lowest priority at each time point of the game music, that is, the sound data having the least influence when the reproduction is not performed, is stopped, and at each time point during the reproduction of the game music. The optimum sound data can always be selected and the playback can be stopped.

In another aspect of the present invention, a program executed by a computer having a sound source having a plurality of channels and reproducing game sound data including a plurality of sound data corresponding to the plurality of channels is the game sound. Storage means for storing priority information set by musical analysis of data, priority determination means for determining priority in reproducing the sound data by referring to the priority information,
The computer is caused to function as a channel opening unit for opening the channel corresponding to the lowest priority sound data which is the sound data having the lowest priority by the priority determining unit.

By executing the above program by a computer, the above game device can be realized. Further, each aspect of the above-mentioned game device can be similarly realized.

[0025]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Structure of Game Device] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of a game device to which the present invention is applied. This game device executes a predetermined game in accordance with a game program recorded in a DVD-ROM 15 as a storage medium.
Output GM and sound effects.

This game device has a monitor 9 and a speaker 1.
0a and 10b, controller 12, auxiliary storage device 1
3, a DVD-ROM 15, and a game console body 16. The monitor 9 has a home-use television receiver and the speaker 1
The built-in speaker of the television receiver is generally used for 0a and 10b. The speaker has two channels, a right channel speaker 10a and a left channel speaker 10b. The controller 12 functions as an input device, and an operation member that receives an operation by the player is provided therein.

The auxiliary storage device 13 is a storage medium for storing data relating to the game progress status and the like, and for example, a semiconductor memory or the like can be used. DVD
-The ROM 15 stores programs and data necessary for executing the game, and details thereof will be described later. Instead of the DVD-ROM 15, a CD-R
Various storage media such as OM and semiconductor memory may be used.

On the other hand, the game machine main body 16 includes a CPU 1 composed mainly of a microprocessor and its CPU.
ROM2 and RAM3 as main memory for 1
It has a graphics processing unit (GPU) 4 and a sound processing unit (SPU) 6 for image processing and audio processing, buffers 5 and 7 for these units, and a DVD-ROM reader 8. An operating system as a program necessary for controlling the operation of a plurality of game machines is written in the ROM 2. The RAM 3 has a DVD as a storage medium
The game program and data read from the ROM 15 are written as necessary.

The GPU 4 receives the image data from the CPU 1, draws a game screen on the frame buffer 5, converts the drawn image data into a predetermined video reproduction signal, and outputs it to the monitor 9 at a predetermined timing. . The SPU 6 reproduces game sound data such as voices and musical sounds read from the DVD-ROM 15 and recorded in the sound buffer 7 and outputs them from the speaker. Also,
The SPU 6 is equipped with sound sources for a plurality of channels, each of which produces the sound of one track in the game sound data.

The DVD-ROM reading device 8 reads a program or data recorded on the DVD-ROM 15 according to an instruction from the CPU 1 and outputs a signal corresponding to the read content.

A communication control device 11 is connected to the CPU 1 via a bus 14, and a controller 12 and an auxiliary storage device 13 are detachably connected to the device 11. The communication control device 11 has a fixed cycle (for example, 1
/ 60 seconds), the operating state of the operating member of the controller 12 is scanned, and a signal corresponding to the scanning result is output to the CPU 1. The CPU 1 controls the controller 12 based on the signal.
Determine the operation state of. A plurality of controllers 12 and auxiliary storage devices 13 can be connected to the communication control device 11 in parallel.

[Basic Principle] Next, the basic principle of the present invention will be described. In the present specification, “tone” refers to a scale, and indicates “C”, “D”, “E”, etc. The "sound data" is data corresponding to a predetermined sound. That is, by reproducing the sound data,
The sound corresponding to the sound data is generated. Further, the “game sound” is a concept including BGM output during the progress of the game and a sound effect output according to the player's operation, input, etc., and is a sound constituting game music. Also,
"Game sound data" is data of game sounds.

As described above, the number of sound source channels that can be mounted on the game device is limited due to the hardware design of the game device. Game devices generally use BG as game music.
Play M and sound effects. BGM is a music that is basically continuously reproduced during the progress of the game. In contrast,
The sound effect is a sound that is played irregularly during the progress of the game. The sound effect is generated when, for example, a predetermined situation occurs during the progress of the game (for example, when the character operated by the player reaches a specific stage or when a new enemy character appears), or when the player controls the controller. Is a sound output when an input is performed by operating (for example, when an attack is performed in a battle game).

Generally, during the course of the game, the game device uses a predetermined number of channels of the mounted sound source to play the BG.
M is playing. Then, when it becomes necessary to reproduce the sound effect according to the operation of the player, the game device reproduces the sound effect using another channel of the sound source. However, when a situation arises in which a large number of sound effects must be output at the same time as the game progresses, the number of sound source channels may be insufficient. For example, a game device has a 24-channel sound source, one of which is
It is assumed that BGM is output using sound sources for eight channels. Here, if it is necessary to reproduce the sound effect for 8 channels by the operation of the player, the number of sound source channels required at that time is 26, and the sound source for 2 channels is insufficient. Therefore, it is impossible to reproduce two channels of the BGM sound data and the sound effect sound data.

In such a case, the game device of the present invention is
First, the sound data of the sound effect is reproduced with priority over the sound data of BGM. Therefore, the game device does not reproduce the sound data for two channels among the sound data of BGM. Among the BGM sound data, the sound data that is not reproduced is analyzed by analyzing the music content of the BGM from a musical point of view,
The sound that has less influence on the music content of will be decided in order. As a result, when the game music is output within the range of the number of channels of the sound source of the game device, even if the sound data for some channels is not reproduced,
The content of the BGM music to be output should not be affected by a feeling of strangeness or unnaturalness.

The game device of the present invention determines the sound data not to be reproduced according to a predetermined priority order. Specifically, the sound generation control unit 70 (the above-mentioned CPU
1 and the SPU 6 execute a predetermined program) to determine the sound data not to be reproduced by using the chord priority table and the part priority table described below.

[Code Priority Table] First, the code priority table will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the chord priority table is a table in which the priority order of notes is set based on the concept of chord progression of music. The chord priority table is composed of chords 21, constituent notes and priorities. A chord is a chord in which three or more tones are pronounced simultaneously, and there are various types of chords.

The "constituent sound" is a sound that constitutes a chord of a predetermined chord. The “priority order” is referred to by the pronunciation control unit 70 when determining a sound to be not reproduced according to the limit of the number of channels of the sound source, and has a small influence on the chord among the constituent sounds of a certain chord. The priority order is set lower from the one. That is, in the chord priority table, for each constituent sound of each chord, a note having a higher importance in a chord to which the constituent sound belongs has a higher priority, and a note having a lower importance has a lower priority. To be done. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the priority order is set higher as shown on the left. Specifically, the code “C (hereinafter, referred to as“ C major ”) shown in FIG. 2A is composed of constituent sounds“ C ”,“ E ”, and“ G ”, and the order of priority is "E" is the highest,
"C" is the lowest.

The code priority table is shown in FIG.
2 are separately prepared for the case where there is an overlap in the currently sounding constituent sounds and the case where there is no overlap in the currently sounding constituent sounds shown in FIG. 2 (b). The duplication of the constituent sounds currently being pronounced will be described later in detail, for example, when the piano part and the saxophone part are simultaneously pronouncing the "G" sound of the chord "C major". . On the other hand, if only the piano part is producing the sound of "G" and the other parts are not producing it, there is no overlap in the constituent sounds. When the constituent sounds are duplicated, the chord priority table shown in FIG. 2A is used, and when the constituent sounds are not duplicated, the chord priority table shown in FIG. 2B is used.

As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the priorities differ depending on whether or not the constituent tones currently being sounded overlap. The code "C major" will be specifically described. The constituent sounds of "C major" are "C", "E", and "G", where "C" is the main chord, "E" is the neutral sound, and "G" is the generic chord.

The main chord is the most important fundamental sound among the constituent tones of the chord. Further, the generic chord is an important sound that complements the main chord and expands the melody. The neutralization sound is an important sound in determining the major or minor of the chord. However, in order to give a chord feeling, a neutral chord should be added first.

When the constituent tones currently being sounded are duplicated, since the main chord is sounded by a plurality of parts and can be replaced, a neutralizing tone that gives a chord feeling is more important than the main chord. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2A, the main chord “C” has the lowest priority and the neutralization tone “E” has the highest priority. On the other hand, when there is no overlap between the constituent tones currently being pronounced, the main chord is necessary as a basic note among the constituent tones of the chord. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, the main chord “C” has the highest priority and the neutralization tone “E” has the lowest priority.

The priorities of the chords other than "C major" are set from the music point of view, as in the above. According to this, when any sound data in the game sound data is not reproduced due to the limitation of the number of channels of the sound source, the sound not to be reproduced is determined based on the priority order set from the music point of view. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the adverse effect on the entire game music, the discomfort, and the like caused by not reproducing the sound.

[Part Priority Table] Next, the part priority table will be described with reference to FIGS.
The part priority table is, as shown in FIG.
It is composed of a part 22 and a part priority for each measure 23 and a minimum number of pronunciations.

"Track" is a key of the part priority table and is a component of the game sound data. That is, one game sound data is composed of a plurality of tracks. The sound sources for the plurality of channels that the SPU 6 has are assigned to the respective tracks, and the sounds processed for reproduction are superimposed and sounded for each channel.
Plays game sound data in which chords and sounds of multiple instruments are layered. A specific example of the game sound data 30 is shown in FIG.

The part 22 is associated with each track, and in FIG. 3, musical instruments such as sax, bass, and piano are set. It is also possible to arbitrarily set a melody part other than a musical instrument, a section part, etc. in the part 22.

The bar 23 is a unit constituting the time signature of music, and in the part priority table, the part priority order and the minimum number of pronunciations of each part are set for each bar. The reason that the part priority order and the minimum pronunciation number are set for each bar is that the part priority order and the minimum pronunciation number of each part are not always constant in the game sound data corresponding to one game music. . That is, depending on the game music, the part priority and the minimum number of pronunciations may change each time the measure changes.

The "part priority order" is referred to when predetermined sound data is not reproduced due to the limitation of the number of channels of the sound source, and the sound data of the part among a plurality of parts. The part priority is set in order from the part that has the least effect on the game music when is not played. In other words, the game sound data 30 is analyzed for each measure, and the priority order is set relatively high for the part that engraves the melody or the basic rhythm. On the other hand, an auxiliary part such as a back chorus has a relatively low priority.

The "minimum number of pronunciations" is the minimum required number of channels to be assigned for pronunciation for each part. If the number of allocated channels is less than the minimum number of pronunciations, the sound of the part cannot be sufficiently pronounced, and the possibility that the game music will be uncomfortable increases. Therefore, when playing the game sound data, it is necessary to maintain the lowest number of pronunciations possible. Similarly to the part priority order, the minimum number of pronunciations is also set by analyzing the game sound data 30 for each bar.

Specifically, in the part priority table shown in FIG. 3, the track 1 is assigned a sax as a part. The sax part, which is track 1 in bar I, has the highest priority. Further, since the minimum number of pronunciations is set to 1, at least one channel needs to be assigned to the sax part which is the track 1. On the other hand, a string is assigned to the track 4 as a part. In bar I, the string part on track 4 has the lowest priority. Further, since the minimum number of pronunciations is set to 2, it is necessary to assign at least two channels to the string part which is the track 4.

In the present invention, due to the limitation of the number of channels,
When determining the sound data not to be reproduced, the pronunciation control unit 70 determines the sound data not to be reproduced based on the part priority order and the minimum number of pronunciations set from the music point of view. The influence on the whole can be minimized. Further, in one game sound data 30, the part priority order and the minimum number of pronunciations are not always constant, but are set by analyzing each bar. Therefore, the sound data that is not reproduced is determined in order from the sound having the least influence for each bar, and the sound data is more consistent than when the game sound data corresponding to one game music is always set to a constant value. It is possible to further reduce the influence on the game music caused by not playing.

[Functional Block Diagram] FIG. 5 shows a functional block diagram of the game machine of the present invention. Each function shown in FIG.
It is realized by the CPU 1 executing the program recorded in the VD-ROM 15 and controlling the constituent elements such as the SPU 6 as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 5, the game machine of the present invention is
Functionally, chord priority storage means 47, part priority storage means 48, minimum sound number storage means 49, scheduled sound data calculation means 50, in-play sound data calculation means 51,
Channel confirmation means 52, code priority selection means 5
3, a part priority order selection means 54, a minimum sound generation number selection means 55, a reproduction stop sound data determination means 56, a channel opening means 57, a sound data reproduction means 58, and a reproduction completion confirmation means 59. Of these, scheduled reproduction sound data calculation means 50, in-reproduction sound data calculation means 51, channel confirmation means 52, chord priority order selection means 53, part priority order selection means 54, minimum sound number selection means 55, reproduction stop data determination means. 56 and the channel opening means 57 constitute the sound generation control section 70.

The code priority storage means 47 stores a code priority table. The chord priority table analyzes the game sound data based on the chord progression, and the chord priority is set so that the chord priority is lowered from the chord constituent sounds that have less effect on the game music without being pronounced. It is created by setting.

The part priority order storage means 48 stores the part priority order. Part priority is set so that when multiple parts are pronouncing the same sound, the part priority will be lowered from the one that has less effect on the game music even if it is not pronounced. It The minimum pronunciation number storage means 49 stores the minimum pronunciation number, which is the minimum number of channels assigned for pronunciation in each part. The part priority order storage means 48 and the minimum sound generation number storage means 49 store the contents of the part priority order table illustrated in FIG.

The to-be-reproduced sound data calculation means 50 calculates the sound data to be reproduced next based on the game program and the game sound data preloaded in the RAM 3 or the sound buffer 7. On the other hand, the playing sound data calculation means 51 calculates the sound data currently being played based on the game program and the game sound data preloaded in the RAM 3 or the sound buffer 7. The channel confirmation unit 52 determines that an empty channel (that is, a channel that is not used for reproducing the sound data) based on the reproduction sound data calculated by the reproduction sound data calculation unit 51 and the information about the number of channels included in the SPU 6. Check if there is.

The chord priority order selection means 53 is a scheduled reproduction sound data calculation means 50 and a reproduction sound data calculation means 51.
It is determined whether or not the chord component sounds overlap, based on the scheduled reproduction sound data and the reproduction-in-progress sound data calculated by When the chord component sounds overlap, the chord priority selection unit 53 calculates the chord 21 of the duplicate sound, and gives the highest priority among the duplicate sounds based on the chord priority table (duplication exists). Select a sound with a low ranking. On the other hand, when there is no overlap in the chord component sounds, the chord priority selection unit 53 selects the lowest priority sound based on the scheduled reproduction sound data, the reproduction sound data, and the chord priority table (no duplication).

The part priority selecting means 54 judges whether or not there are a plurality of sounds having the lowest priority. The case where there are a plurality of corresponding sounds is a case where the sound is sounded in a plurality of parts. Therefore, the part priority order selection unit 54 calculates the part 22 and the bar 23 of the corresponding sound based on the scheduled reproduction sound data and the currently reproduced sound data, and further, based on the part priority table, has the lowest part priority. Select the sound of the part.

The minimum sound generation number selection means 55 determines whether or not the number of channels of the part that emits the sound selected as the sound with the lowest priority based on the minimum sound generation number in the part priority table is greater than the minimum sound generation number. Determine whether. Then, the minimum number of pronunciations selection means 55 selects the sound with the lowest priority among them while maintaining the minimum number of pronunciations as much as possible.

The reproduction stop sound data determining means 56 is a chord priority selecting means 53, a part priority selecting means 54,
Also, the sound with the lowest priority selected by the minimum sound generation number selection means 55 is determined as the sound not to be sounded. That is, the sound data corresponding to the sound is determined as the reproduction stop sound data.

The channel releasing means 57 does not reproduce the reproduction stop sound data determined by the reproduction stop sound data determining means 56, so that the channel of the SPU 6 becomes 1
Open one. That is, the channel releasing means 57 secures one of the channels when there is a free channel, and releases one channel from the currently used channel when there is no free channel.
Then, the sound data reproducing means 58 reproduces the sound data to be reproduced next based on the reproduction scheduled sound data by using the channel opened by the channel opening means 57.

The reproduction completion confirming means 59 confirms whether or not the reproduction of the game sound data corresponding to the predetermined game music has been completed. If the reproduction of all the game sound data is completed, the game sound data reproduction process is ended. On the other hand, if the reproduction of the game sound data is not completed, the reproduction processing of the game sound data is performed for the sound data to be reproduced next.
For example, when the player is continuing the game and it is necessary to reproduce the game sound data such as the BGM and the sound effect, the above-mentioned respective units continue the reproduction processing of the game sound data.

[Game Sound Data Reproduction Process] Next, the game sound data reproduction process will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 5 and the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7.
The game sound data reproduction process is a process of reproducing the game sound data corresponding to the game music while the game is in progress.
6 is a main routine of the game sound data reproduction processing, and FIG. 7 is a subroutine of the reproduction stop sound data determination processing in FIG.

The processing described below is executed by the CPU 1 functioning as each means based on the game program read from the DVD-ROM 15 shown in FIG. 1 and loaded in the RAM 3. However, CPU
Not only 1 but in collaboration with SPU 6 or SPU 6
The game sound data reproduction process may be executed by making only 6 function.

In FIG. 6, the reproduction scheduled sound data calculation means 50 first performs reproduction scheduled sound data calculation processing (step S1). This is the reproduction scheduled sound data calculation means 50.
Is a process of calculating sound data to be reproduced next, based on the game program and the game sound data preloaded in the RAM 3 or the sound buffer 7. Specifically, for the sound data to be reproduced next, it is determined whether the sound data is a sound effect,
Also, the chord 21, part 22, measure 23, etc. are calculated. When the discrimination and calculation of the sound data to be reproduced next are completed, the scheduled reproduction sound data calculation means 50 temporarily stores the result in the RAM 3 as the scheduled reproduction sound data.

Next, the reproducing sound data calculation means 51 performs reproducing sound data calculation processing (step S2). This is a process in which the playing sound data calculation means 51 calculates the sound data currently being played based on the game program and the game sound data preloaded in the RAM 3 or the sound buffer 7. In particular,
For all sound data currently being reproduced, it is determined whether or not the sound is a sound effect, and chord 21, part 22,
Measures such as the measure 23 are performed. Reproduction sound data calculation means 51
When the discrimination and calculation of the sound data being currently reproduced are completed, the result is temporarily stored in the RAM 3 as the sound data being reproduced.

Next, the channel confirmation means 52 carries out a channel confirmation process (step S3). That is, the channel confirmation unit 52 confirms whether or not there is an empty channel based on the sound data being reproduced and the channel of the SPU 6. If there is no free channel, the channel confirmation means 52 performs a reproduction stop sound data determination process (step S4). If there is a vacant channel, the channel confirmation means 52 skips the reproduction stop sound data determination processing and proceeds to the sound data reproduction processing.

The reproduction stop sound data determination process does not reproduce the sound data that has the least influence on the game music when the new sound data corresponding to the scheduled reproduction sound data cannot be reproduced due to the limitation of the number of channels of the SPU 6, that is, This is a process of opening a channel by not producing a sound corresponding to the sound data, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the game sound data, when the BGM and the sound effect are reproduced at the same time, the sound effect must be preferentially reproduced. The sound effect is game sound data that is reproduced according to the development of the game in order to enhance the realism of the game. In the situation where the sound effect is reproduced, the sound effect is BG.
This is because it is considered to be more important than M.

Further, in the BGM, the elapsed sound has the highest priority. The transitional sound is a sound other than the constituent sounds of the chord, and produces the effect of connecting the sounds in a scale to create a smooth melody. When the elapsed sound is erased, the effect on the game music is larger than when the constituent sound of the predetermined chord is erased. From the above, the target of the reproduction stop sound data determination processing shown in S4 of FIG.
Only M sounds are available.

In the reproduction stop sound data determination processing, first, the chord priority order selection means 53 judges whether or not the chord constituent sounds overlap based on the BGM reproduction scheduled sound data and the reproducing sound data ( Step S10). Since the sound data of the sound effect is always reproduced preferentially over the BGM, the scheduled sound data of the sound effect and the sound data being reproduced are not the target of the reproduction stop sound data determination process.
In addition, since the elapsed sound is produced in BGM preferentially over the chord constituent sound, the scheduled reproduction sound data and the in-reproduction sound data of the elapsed sound are not included in the reproduction stop sound data determination processing.

When the chord component sounds are duplicated, the chord priority selection means 53 calculates the chord 21 of the duplicated sound based on the to-be-reproduced sound data and the currently reproduced sound data. Then, the chord priority selection unit 53 duplicates the chords 21 of the duplicate sounds and the chord priority table (with duplication) shown in FIG. 2A set by the chord priority storage unit 47. The sound having the lowest priority is selected from the sounds being played (step S11).

The case where the chord constituent sounds overlap is a case where the same sound is sounded in a plurality of parts. In this case, even if you stop the pronunciation of one of the overlapping sounds, the same sound is pronounced in the other parts, so rather than stopping the pronunciation of the non-overlapping sounds, the game music Has little effect on. Further, the chord priority table (with duplication) shown in FIG. 2 (a) is based on the result of analyzing the music content from a musical point of view when chord constituent tones are sounded redundantly in a plurality of parts. The priority is set to low in order from the sound that has less influence on the game music. Therefore, if there are duplicate chord constituent notes, select the note with the lowest priority in the chord priority table (with duplication), and decide that note as the note that will not sound,
It has the least effect on game music.

Further, the part priority order selection means 54 is
It is determined whether or not there are a plurality of selected sounds having the lowest priority (step S12). For example, when the lowest priority sound is "G", if "G" is pronounced in each part 22 of the saxophone, piano, and string, there are a plurality of corresponding sounds.

When there are a plurality of applicable sounds, the part priority selecting means 54 determines the part 22 and the bar 2 of the applicable sound based on the scheduled reproduction sound data and the reproducing sound data.
Calculate 3. Then, the part priority order selection means 54
Is the calculated data and the part priority storage means 4
Based on the part priority table shown in FIG. 3 set by step 8, the sound of the part with the lowest part priority is selected (step S13). For example, in bar I, if it is assumed that the sax, piano, and string parts duplicate the same sound (the lowest priority sound selected in step S11), the sax part priority is 1, Since the part priority of the piano is 3 and the part priority of the string is 5, the part priority selecting means 54 determines that the sound of the part with the lowest part priority is
You will choose the sound of the string.

The part priority table shown in FIG. 3 shows that when a predetermined sound is sounded in duplicate in a plurality of parts, the influence on the game music is based on the result of analyzing the music contents from a musical point of view. The order of priority is low, starting from the smallest part. Therefore, if a sound is pronounced multiple times in multiple parts, selecting the sound with the lowest priority in the part priority table and deciding the sound that does not sound will minimize the effect on the game music. You can

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that the chord constituent tones do not overlap, the chord priority selection means 53 is set by the to-be-reproduced sound data, the currently-playing sound data, and the chord priority storage means 47. Figure 2
Based on the chord priority table (no duplication) shown in (b), the lowest priority note is selected (step S1).
4). The chord priority table (no duplication) shown in FIG. 2 (b) shows that when the chord component sounds do not overlap, based on the result of analyzing the music contents from a musical point of view, the sounds that have little influence on the game music are The order of priority is set to low. Therefore, if there are no duplicate chord sounds,
By selecting the sound with the lowest priority in the chord priority table (no duplication) and deciding the sound not to be pronounced, the influence on the game music can be minimized.

Now, steps S11, S13 and S14
When one of the sounds having the lowest priority is selected, the minimum sound generation number selection means 55 selects the corresponding sound based on the minimum sound generation sound of the part priority table shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not the number of currently sounding channels of the sounded part is larger than the lowest number of sounds (step S15). When the number of currently sounding channels of the part that sounds the corresponding sound is less than the minimum number of sounds, the minimum number of sounds selection unit 55 determines that the corresponding sound is other than the scheduled sound data and the currently playing sound data. It is determined whether or not the part is sounded (step S16).
If the corresponding sound is also pronounced in another part, a sound with the lowest part priority is selected in the same loop other than the previously selected parts (step S17). And
Steps S15 and S16 are performed again.

The minimum number of pronunciations is the minimum required number of channels allocated for pronunciation in each part.
If the number of channels allocated for pronunciation is less than the minimum number of pronunciations, the sound of the part cannot be sufficiently pronounced, and the possibility that the game music will be uncomfortable increases. Therefore, when producing sounds in each part,
It is necessary to maintain the lowest number of pronunciations possible. For this reason, if the minimum number of pronunciations in the part cannot be maintained unless the sound determined to be the sound not to be generated by the processing up to step S15 is generated (step S15; NO), S
The processing of 16 and S17 is performed, and the processing of determining the sound not to be pronounced in another part is performed.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S16 that the corresponding sound is not sounded in another part, it is allowed that the minimum number of sounds shown in the part priority table cannot be maintained, and steps S11, S13 and S1 are performed.
The sound selected in 4 is selected as a sound not to be sounded (step S18), and the sound data corresponding to the selected sound is determined as the reproduction stop sound data.

If it is determined in step S15 that the number of channels of the part that produces the corresponding sound is greater than the minimum number of pronunciations, the minimum number of pronunciations of that part can be maintained without producing that sound. , Select the corresponding sound as a sound not to be pronounced (step S19),
The sound data corresponding to the selected sound is determined as the reproduction stop sound data. Then, the channel opening unit 57 opens one channel by not producing the selected sound, that is, by not playing the playback stop sound data (step S).
20). The sound selected here is a sound that has been pronounced as a sound that constitutes BGM up to that point. Therefore, by stopping the reproduction of the sound, the CPU 1 opens one channel, and the reproduction stop sound data determination process is performed. To finish.

When the reproduction stop sound data determination process is thus completed, the process returns to the main routine shown in FIG. 6, and the sound data reproducing means 58 performs the sound data reproducing process (step S5). In the sound data reproduction process, the sound data to be reproduced next is reproduced based on the reproduction planned sound data by using the channel released by the reproduction stop sound data determination process. When the sound data to be reproduced next is determined to be the reproduction stop sound data by the reproduction stop sound data determination process, the sound data reproduction process of the sound is not performed.

Further, channel confirmation processing (step S
In 3), when it is determined that there is a free channel, the reproduction stop sound data determination process is not performed, and the sound data reproduction unit 58 performs the game sound data reproduction process based on the reproduction planned sound data.

Then, the reproduction completion confirming means 59 judges whether or not the reproduction of the game sound data is completed (step S6). If all the game sound data has been played,
The sound data reproduction process ends. On the other hand, if the reproduction of the game sound data is not completed, the game sound data reproduction process is performed again. Specifically, when the player is continuing the game and it is necessary to reproduce the game sound data such as BGM and sound effects, each unit continues the game sound data reproduction process.

Next, an example to which the present invention is applied will be specifically described centering on the reproduction stop sound data determination process (step S4).

For example, at some point during the game progress, BG
In bar I of the game sound data of M, the sax part sounds the constituent sounds "E" and "G" of the "C major chord", and the bass part sounds "E" and "G" of the "C major chord". And the piano part pronounces the constituent sounds “E”, “G”, and “C” of the “C major chord”. In this case, the number of channels used for sounding the sax, bass and piano parts is seven. It is assumed that the sound source device of the game device that reproduces the game sound data has nine channels.

Here, it is assumed that the game sound data of three sound effects is to be reproduced at the same time as the bar I of BGM, and that three channels are required to reproduce the sound effects. The game device has nine sound source channels, and the number of channels used by BGM is seven.
Therefore, there are only two free channels. Therefore, it is necessary to set one of the sounds produced by the sax, bass, and piano parts as the BGM to a sound that does not sound, and open one channel for the sound effect. In this case, the reproduction stop sound data determination process (step S4) shown in FIG. 7 is performed.

First, in step S10, it is determined whether or not the chord component sounds overlap. In this example, the constituent sounds "E, G" of "C major" are duplicated in the sax, bass, and piano parts. Therefore, step S1
In step 1, the chord priority selection unit 53 selects the lowest priority note from the chord priority table (with duplication) shown in FIG. In this example, the constituent sounds "E, G" of "C major" are duplicated, and based on the chord priority table (with duplication), "G" is selected as the lowest priority note.

Next, the process proceeds to step S12, and the chord priority order selection means 53 judges whether or not there are a plurality of selected sounds. Since "G" selected in this example is sounded redundantly in the three parts of the sax, bass, and piano, it is determined that there are a plurality of "G". Therefore, the process proceeds to step S13, and the part priority order selection means 54
Selects the sound of the part with the lowest part priority from the part priority table shown in FIG. Comparing the part priorities of the sax, bass, and piano in bar I of the part priority table, the sax is 1, the bass is 2, and the piano is 3. That is, the piano has the lowest priority,
In step S13, the part priority selection means 54 selects the sound of the piano part "G" as the sound of the part having the lowest priority.

Next, the process proceeds to step S15, and it is determined whether or not the number of channels of the part which produces the selected tone is greater than the minimum number of pronunciations. In bar I of the part priority table, the minimum number of pronunciations of the piano part is three. In this example, the piano part sounds the constituent sounds "E", "G", and "C" of "C major", and sounds in three channels. That is, since the number of channels of the piano part that produces the selected note is the same as the minimum number of notes that can be produced, the process proceeds to step S16. This is because the sound of the piano part "G" is determined as a sound not to be pronounced, and when the channel is opened, the number of pronunciations of the piano part becomes two, which is below the minimum number of pronunciations. When the number of pronunciations is lower than the minimum number of pronunciations, it is not possible to sufficiently pronounce the sounds, and there is a high possibility that the game music feels strange. Therefore, the sound not to be pronounced is determined so that each part keeps the minimum number of pronunciations.

In step S16, the part priority selecting means 54 determines whether or not the selected "C major""G" sound is also pronounced in other parts. In this example, the "G" sound of "C major" is also pronounced in the sax and bass part, so step S17.
Go to. Then, the sound of the part having the lowest part priority other than the parts extracted in the past in the same loop is selected. Here, the part extracted in the past is a piano part. That is, the sound "G" of the bass part is selected as the sound of the part having the lowest part priority among the parts other than the piano that is producing the sound "G" of "C major".

Then, the process again proceeds to step S15, and it is determined whether or not the current pronunciation number of the bass part is more than the minimum pronunciation number. In bar I of the part priority table, the minimum pronunciation number of the bass part is 1. In this example,
The bass part pronounces the constituent tones "E, G" of "C major" and is pronounced in two channels. That is,
Since the number of channels of the bass part that produces the selected note is greater than the minimum number of pronunciations, the process proceeds to step S19, and the note "G" of the bass part is determined as the note that is not to be produced. That is, the sound data corresponding to the sound of the constituent sound "G" of "C major" of the bass part in bar I of BGM is determined as the sound data to be stopped for reproduction.

In step S20, one channel is opened by not producing the sound "G" of the determined bass part. As a result, the number of channels used for BGM reproduction is reduced to 6, and new sound effects are reproduced on 3 channels, so that the game sound data including the new sound effects can be obtained with the total number of channels of the game device of 9. There is to be able to play. Therefore, a sound corresponding to the game sound data of the sound effect is generated using the opened channel.

As described above, in the game sound data reproducing process according to the present invention, first, the chord priority selecting means 53 selects the constituent sound from the sound data currently being reproduced and the sound data to be reproduced next. It is determined whether or not are duplicated, and then the lowest priority note is selected based on the chord priority table. The code priority table is shown in Figure 2.
The code priority table (with duplication) shown in (a), and
2 of the code priority table (no duplication) shown in FIG.
There are types, and each is set based on a musical point of view. Therefore, both when the constituent sounds overlap and when the constituent sounds do not overlap, it is possible to select the sound that has the lowest priority from a music point of view and has a small influence on the game music as a sound that is not reproduced. it can.

When the constituent sounds are duplicated and the duplicated sounds are pronounced in a plurality of parts, the part priority order selecting means 54 gives the highest priority based on the part priority table shown in FIG. Select the sound of the lower ranked part. The part priority table is not always constant in one game sound data, but is analyzed for each measure from a musical point of view such as chord progression, and the part priority and the minimum number of pronunciations are set. Therefore, when the constituent sounds are duplicated and sounded in a plurality of parts, it is possible to select the sound of the part that has the lowest priority and has less influence on the game music as a sound that is not sounded.

[First Modification] In the above embodiment, the sound effect and the background sound of BGM are excluded from the reproduction stop sound data determination processing. However, by setting the part priority and the minimum number of pronunciations for the sound effects and the background sounds of the BGM from a music point of view, it is possible to reproduce the game sound data for all the sound data to be reproduced and the sound data being reproduced. It is also possible to process.

As a result, by simultaneously reproducing a plurality of sound data corresponding to a plurality of sound effects, the SPU is not reproduced even though the sound data corresponding to the BGM is not reproduced.
The present invention can be applied even when the number of channels included in 6 is insufficient.

[Second Modification] As another example, in the game sound data reproduction process, when the sound with the lowest priority is selected, the sound with no sound is generated without considering the minimum sound number of the part. It is also possible to make a selection, that is, to determine reproduction stop sound data. According to this, it is not necessary to set the minimum number of pronunciations for each part based on the analysis of the game sound data from the musical viewpoint for each bar, so that the amount of the game program can be reduced. In addition, in the reproduction stop sound data determination process, it is not necessary to determine the minimum number of pronunciations when determining the reproduction stop sound data. Therefore, the determination of the reproduction stop sound data can be performed more quickly than when determining the minimum number of pronunciations. can do.

[0099]

As described above, according to the present invention,
If all sound data cannot be played due to hardware restrictions such as the number of channels that the sound source of the game device has, sound data that is not played is determined based on the priority set from a musical point of view. It is possible to minimize the influence on the game music due to not playing.

Further, in one game sound data, the part priority order and the minimum number of pronunciations are not always constant, and are set for each measure of music by analyzing from a musical point of view. That is, the adverse effect on the game music caused by not reproducing the sound data can be further reduced as compared with the case where one game sound data is constantly set. Therefore, when determining sound data that is not played due to hardware restrictions such as the number of sound source channels, sound data that is not played is determined based on the priority set from a musical point of view in each game music. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the influence on the game music by not reproducing the sound data.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of a game device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an example of a code priority table.

FIG. 3 is an example of a part priority table.

FIG. 4 is an example of a musical score applied to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of functions realized by the program of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a game sound data reproduction process.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a reproduction stop sound data determination process included in the game sound data reproduction process of FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 4 GPU 5 frame buffer 6 SPU 7 sound buffer 8 DVD-ROM reader 9 monitors 10a right channel speaker 10b Left channel speaker 11 Communication control device 12 Controller 13 Auxiliary storage device 14 bus 15 DVD-ROM 16 Game console body 21 code 22 parts 23 measures 30 game sound data

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A game device for reproducing game sound data including a plurality of sound data corresponding to a plurality of channels, comprising: a sound source having a plurality of channels for reproducing the plurality of sound data; Storage means for storing priority information set by musical analysis; priority determination means for determining priority in reproducing the sound data by referring to the priority information; priority by the priority determination means And a channel opening means for opening the channel corresponding to the lowest priority sound data which is the sound data determined to have the lowest rank. 2. The priority order information includes a chord priority order set for each constituent sound of a chord constituting the game sound data, and the priority order determination means is based on the chord priority order, and the lowest priority. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the order sound data is determined. 3. The first priority information used when the chord component sound of the game sound data being reproduced overlaps with the chord component sound of the game sound data being reproduced. A second chord priority information used when there is no information, and the priority decision means detects the duplication of chord constituent sounds of the game sound data being reproduced, and the detection. 3. A selection means for selecting either the first code priority order information or the second code priority order information based on the detection result of the means.
The game device according to 1. 4. The priority order information includes part priority order information indicating a priority order among a plurality of parts for reproducing the plurality of sound data, and the priority order determining means sets a plurality of the lowest priority order sound data. 2. When the part is being reproduced, the sound data reproduced in the part having the lowest priority is determined as the lowest priority sound data by referring to the part priority information. The game device according to any one of 3 above. 5. The game device according to claim 4, wherein the part priority information is set for each temporal division of the game sound data. 6. The priority order information includes a lowest number of pronunciations indicating the number of pronunciations for each part necessary for reproducing the game sound data without a feeling of strangeness, and the priority order determining means includes the lowest number of pronunciations for each part. 6. The game device according to claim 4, wherein the sound data reproduced in the part having the lowest priority is determined as the lowest priority sound data within a range in which the number can be secured. 7. The game device according to claim 6, wherein the information of the minimum sound generation number is set for each temporal division of the game sound data. 8. A sound source having a plurality of channels,
A program executed by a computer that reproduces game sound data including a plurality of sound data corresponding to a plurality of channels, the storage unit storing priority information set by musical analysis of the game sound data, Priority determining means for determining priority in reproduction of the sound data by referring to priority information, corresponding to lowest priority sound data which is sound data determined to have the lowest priority by the priority determining means A program for causing a computer to function as channel opening means for opening the channel. 9. The priority order information includes a chord priority order set for each constituent sound of a chord constituting the game sound data, and the priority order decision means is based on the chord priority order, and the lowest priority. The program according to claim 8, wherein the order sound data is determined. 10. The priority information overlaps the first chord priority information used when the chord component sound of the game sound data being reproduced overlaps, and the chord component sound of the game sound data being reproduced. A second chord priority information used when there is no information, and the priority decision means detects the duplication of chord constituent sounds of the game sound data being reproduced, and the detection. 10. The selection means for selecting either the first code priority order information or the second code priority order information based on the detection result of the means.
The program described in. 11. The priority order information includes part priority order information indicating a priority order among a plurality of parts for reproducing the plurality of sound data, and the priority order determining means sets a plurality of the lowest priority order sound data. 9. When the part is being reproduced, the sound data reproduced in the part having the lowest priority is determined as the lowest priority sound data by referring to the part priority information. 11. The program according to any one of 11. 12. The program according to claim 11, wherein the part priority information is set for each temporal division of the game sound data. 13. The priority order information includes a minimum number of pronunciations indicating the number of pronunciations for each part necessary for reproducing the game sound data without a feeling of strangeness, and the priority order determining means includes the minimum number of pronunciations for each part. 13. The program according to claim 11, wherein the sound data reproduced in the part having the lowest priority is determined as the lowest priority sound data within a range in which the number can be secured. 14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the information of the minimum number of pronunciations is set for each temporal division of the game sound data.