Systems and methods for indicating input actions in a rhythm-action game

A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, for rendering, on a screen display, a foot-pedal cue in a rhythm-action video game, the computer program product including executable instructions operable to cause a game platform to:

• render on the screen display, to a player of the rhythm-action video game, a lane divided into at least two sub-lanes, each sub-lane containing cues indicating a drum input element;
• render on the screen display, an additional cue spanning a plurality of the sub-lanes and not confined to a distinct sub-lane, the additional cue indicating a foot pedal action;
• and
• render on the screen display a cue contained within a sub-lane and overlaid over the additional cue spanning a plurality of the sub-lanes.

A method executed by a game platform for rendering, on a screen display, cues in a rhythm-action video game to indicate a specific input element, the method comprising:

• a. displaying, via the screen display, to a player of the rhythm-action video game, a lane divided into X sub-lanes, each sub-lane containing cues indicating a unique one of a set of X input actions;
• and
• b. displaying, via the screen display, to the player, an additional cue spanning a plurality of the sub-lanes and not confined to a distinct sub-lane, the additional cue indicating a first input action not in the set of X input actions;
• c. displaying via the screen display, to the player, a cue contained within one of the X sub-lane and overlaid over the additional cue spanning a plurality of the sub-lanes.

A system comprising:

• a display device;
• and
• a game platform comprising a processor, the processor configured to:
• display, via the display device, a lane divided into at least two sub-lanes, each sub-lane containing cues indicating a drum input element;
• display, via the display device, an additional cue spanning a plurality of the sub-lanes and not confined to a distinct sub-lane, the additional cue indicating a foot pedal action;
• and
• display, via the display device, a cue contained within a sub-lane and overlaid over the additional cue spanning a plurality of the sub-lanes.