Music action game machine, performance operation instructing system for music action game and storage device readable by computer

A music action game machine comprising:

• a main body;
• an operation input device disposed on a front side of the main body so as to be adjacent to hands of a player facing the front side of the main body, the operation input device having a plurality of operation members;
• a storage device for storing data of a musical composition and data of a performance procedure associated with the musical composition;
• a music play device for playing the musical composition based on the data stored in the storage device;
• an operation instructing device for giving the player a visual instruction to operate the operation members in accordance with progress of a play of the musical composition based on the data stored in the storage device;
• an effect producing device for producing a performance effect in response to a performance operation performed by the player to each of the operation members;
• an estimation device for estimating the performance operation of the player based on a relationship between the performance procedure defined by the data stored in the storage device and the performance operation of the player;
• and
• an estimation informing device for informing the player of an estimation result determined by the estimation device,
• wherein the operation instructing device comprises:
• an indicator disposed on the front side of the main body and provided with at least one track extending in a predetermined direction;
• a mark indicating device capable of indicating index marks each of which is provided for indicating operation timing of each of the operation members, in such a manner that each of the index marks moves along the track and then reaches to a fixed operation position defined in the track when the operation timing associated with each of the index marks comes,
• and wherein the mark indicating device changes a length of each of the index marks in said predetermined direction in accordance with a length of an operation continuation time during which each of the operation members must be operated.

A music action game machine comprising:

• a main body;
• an operation input device disposed on a front side of the main body so as to be adjacent to hands of a player facing the front side of the main body, the operation input device having a plurality of operation members;
• a storage device for storing data of a musical composition and data of a performance procedure associated with the musical composition;
• a music play device for playing the musical composition based on the data stored in the storage device;
• an operation instructing device for giving the player a visual instruction to operate the operation members in accordance with progress of a play of the musical composition based on the data stored in the storage device;
• an effect producing device for producing a performance effect in response to a performance operation performed by the player to each of the operation members;
• an estimation device for estimating the performance operation of the player based on a relationship between the performance procedure defined by the data stored in the storage device and the performance operation of the player;
• and
• an estimation informing device for informing the player of an estimation result determined by the estimation device,
• wherein the effect producing device produces sound effects different from each other in response to respective operations of the operation members, each of the sound effects corresponding to said performance effect,
• and wherein a relationship between each of the operation members and the sound effect to be produced in response to the operation thereto is changed in accordance with the progress of the play of the musical composition.

A music action game machine comprising:

• a main body;
• an operation input device disposed on a front side of the main body so as to be adjacent to hands of a player facing the front side of the main body, the operation input device having a plurality of operation members;
• a storage device for storing data of a musical composition and data of a performance procedure associated with the musical composition;
• a music play device for playing the musical composition based on the data stored in the storage device;
• an operation instructing device for giving the player a visual instruction to operate the operation members in accordance with progress of a play of the musical composition based on the data stored in the storage device;
• an effect producing device for producing a performance effect in response to a performance operation performed by the player to each of the operation members;
• an estimation device for estimating the performance operation of the player based on a relationship between the performance procedure defined by the data stored in the storage device and the performance operation of the player;
• and
• an estimation informing device for informing the player of an estimation result determined by the estimation device, wherein
• the main body has a plurality of operating sections, each of which is provided with the operation input device;
• the estimation device estimates the performance operation separately for each of the operating sections;
• and
• the estimation informing device informs the estimation result separately for each of the operating sections.

A storage device readable by a computer which stores data defining a procedure for operating operation members provided in each of operating sections in a game system in association with a predetermined music, and a program for instructing a player to operate the operation members through a screen of a display device provided in the game system, said program being prepared for causing the computer to execute steps of:

• displaying an image of an instruction on the screen of the display device to operate the operation members based on the data defining the procedure;
• producing a performance effect in response to an operation of the operation members performed by the player;
• estimating the operation of the operation members based on a relationship between the data defining the procedure and the operation performed by the player;
• and
• informing a result of said estimating step to the player,
• wherein said program is configured such that the same performance procedure is instructed to each of the operating sections with respect to the same musical composition at said displaying step,
• the performance operation is separately estimated for each of the operating sections at said estimation step, and
• the estimation result is separately informed for each of the operating sections at said informing step.

A storage device readable by a computer which stores data defining a procedure for operating operation members provided in each of operating sections arranged in a lateral direction in a game system in association with a predetermined music, and a program for instructing a player to operate the operation members through a screen of a display device provided in the game system, said program being prepared for causing the computer to execute steps of:

• displaying an image of an instruction on the screen of the display device to operate the operation members based on the data defining the procedure;
• producing a performance effect in response to an operation of the operation members performed by the player;
• estimating the operation of the operation members based on a relationship between the data defining the procedure and the operation performed by the player;
• and
• informing a result of said estimating step to the player,
• wherein a display manner of the display device at said displaying step can be changed between a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode being prepared to display images for indicating timing of the performance operation on the screen of the display device with leaving a space between each of the images in the lateral direction in accordance with an arrangement of the operating sections, and the second display mode being prepared to display the images for indicating timing in such a manner that a space therebetween is less than that in the first display mode.