Information processing system and computer program thereof, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system capable of increasing efficiency of editing work of operation instruction data used for a game.SOLUTION: In an information processing system for editing operation instruction data for instructing operation that a player should perform in accordance with content reproduced in a game, an editing screen for editing the operation instruction data is displayed, each of multiple sections of the content is set as linked sections SC1, SC2 to which a linking relationship is set on the basis of a user's section setting operation corresponding to display of the editing screen, operation designated by the user on the basis of the user's common editing operation is determined, and operation instruction data are edited such that operation corresponding to the determined operation is set as operation that a player should performed in the respective linked sections SC1, SC2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system that edits action instruction data for instructing a game player on an action to be performed, based on a user's instruction. [Background technology]

[0002] There are well-known game systems that display action instruction marks on a game screen based on action instruction data that instructs actions to be performed in accordance with content such as music played in the game. Another known system that allows a user to edit the action instruction data is one that records the placement of marks in a section of a song specified by the user in a cut buffer area of ​​memory and allows the recorded marks to be copied to another section of the song (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3261110 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The task of specifying actions one by one to match content such as music requires considerable effort and time. Even if a copy operation is possible as in Patent Document 1, the complexity of the editing process may not be fully resolved. For example, if you want to specify the same or similar actions in a section where the same phrase is repeated, using the copy function can reduce the amount of work required. However, the process can become complicated when you need to re-edit the mark placement in the original section, taking into account factors such as the balance of the entire song, and then re-copy the re-edited mark placement.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing system and the like that can improve the efficiency of editing operation of action instruction data compared to the conventional art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing system that edits action instruction data based on user instructions to instruct a player on actions to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, and includes a computer that functions as an editing screen display means for displaying an editing screen for editing the action instruction data on a display device, and a data editing means for editing the action instruction data based on the user's operation corresponding to the display of the editing screen, wherein the data editing means functions as a linkage setting means for setting each of a plurality of sections of the content as a linked section to which a linkage relationship has been set based on the user's section setting operation, and a common editing means for determining an action specified by the user based on the user's common editing operation that specifies the action as a setting target for each of the plurality of linked sections, and editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linked section.

[0007] A computer program according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer program applied to an information processing system that edits, based on user instructions, action instruction data for instructing a player on actions to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, and is configured to cause a computer included in the information processing system to function as: an editing screen display means for displaying, on a display device, an editing screen for editing the action instruction data; and a data editing means for editing the action instruction data based on the user's operation corresponding to the display of the editing screen; and the data editing means is further configured to function as: a linkage setting means for setting each of a plurality of sections of the content as a linkage section to which a linkage relationship has been set, based on the user's section setting operation; and a common editing means for determining an action specified by the user based on the user's common editing operation that specifies the action as a setting target for each of the plurality of linkage sections, and editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linkage section.

[0008] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method for editing, based on user instructions, action instruction data for instructing a player on actions to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, by causing a computer to function as an editing screen display means for displaying, on a display device, an editing screen for editing the action instruction data, and a data editing means for editing the action instruction data based on an operation by the user corresponding to the display of the editing screen, and further causing the data editing means to function as a linkage setting means for setting each of a plurality of sections of the content as a linked section to which a linkage relationship has been set, based on a section setting operation by the user, and a common editing means for determining an action specified by the user based on a common editing operation by the user that specifies the action as a setting target for each of the plurality of linked sections, and editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linked section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a game system including an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen in a game played on a user device. [Figure 3] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of changes in the display mode of a marker displayed on a game screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an editing screen displayed when editing action instruction data on a user device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a section setting operation for setting a linking section. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the display on the time series display unit when setting an operation in a linked section. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the time interval between an action set for a linkage period and an action already set violates a restriction. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of inconveniences that occur when an action is set in an overlapping section; [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of exception processing applied when multiple sets of linked sections are set. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of operation settings when multiple sets of linkage sections are set and exception handling is not applied. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the logical configuration of a control system of a user device. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a music score editing process executed by an editing control unit. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a linked section setting process executed by an editing control unit. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for linked section editing processing executed by an editing control unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of setting an operation in a linked section using a common time series display unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A game system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The game system of this embodiment includes an information processing system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the game system. The game system 1 in FIG. 1 is configured as a client-server system including a game server 2 and a plurality of user devices 3 and game machines 4 as clients connected to the game server 2 via a network NT (for example, the Internet).

[0011] The game server 2 provides various services related to the game to the user device 3 and the game machine 4, such as a service for distributing computer programs and data for playing the game to the user device 3 and the game machine 4, a service for storing user play data, and a service for matching users with each other. In the following, users of the various services provided by the game server 2 may be referred to as users, and users who play the game may be referred to as players, to distinguish between the two. The game server 2 may be configured by appropriately combining multiple server units, or may be configured by a single server unit. The game server 2 may also be configured as a cloud server using cloud computing technology.

[0012] The user device 3 is a device used daily by a user and is an information communication terminal device equipped with an information communication function via a network NT. As an example, the user device 3 may be a smartphone 3a equipped with a communication function, a tablet terminal 3b, or a PC (short for personal computer) 3c. The user device 3 may also be a personal or home-use stationary game machine provided as a so-called consumer game machine.

[0013] The game machine 4 is provided as an arcade game machine that allows users to play games or provides users with game-related services in exchange for payment of a predetermined play fee. The game machine 4 is installed in a store 5, which is an example of a facility where a business using the game machine 4 is conducted. While one store 5 is shown in FIG. 1, there are actually many stores 5. The game machine 4 is not limited to commercial facilities such as stores 5, but may also be installed in public facilities and various other facilities where the game machine 4 can be used. At least one game machine 4 is installed in each store 5. Note that the arcade game machine referred to here is not limited to a type that charges users a play fee each time a game is played. A game machine that receives a comprehensive fee from users in the form of an admission fee or membership fee and, in exchange, allows users to freely play games within a predetermined range is also included in the category of arcade game machines.

[0014] The game machine 4 has a configuration adapted for playing a predetermined music game. In a music game, a player is instructed to perform actions in time with music played during the game, and the player is evaluated based on the degree to which the instructions and the player's actions match. The music played during the game is an example of content played in the game. The content referred to here may be anything that is played in the game as an audiovisual output object that forms the basis for the progress of the game. Therefore, content is not limited to music, and may include various forms of expression and creation, such as images, videos, and text. The player's actions are, for example, touch operations on the operation panel unit 4a provided on the game machine 4 or the operation panel unit 101 (see FIG. 2) displayed on the user device 3. An overview of the operation panel unit will be described later.

[0015] By implementing a predetermined computer program on the user device 3, the user device 3 can play a music game similar to that of the game machine 4. Furthermore, the user device 3 can also be used as a device for the user to edit music score data used in the music game. As a result, the user device 3 also functions as an example of an information processing system according to the present invention. The music score data describes the positions and times of touch operations that the player should perform in time with the music played in the game, and is an example of action instruction data. The time here is equivalent to a position in the music. Therefore, the time may be defined by the elapsed time from the start position of the music playback, or by the number of bars and beats in the music. The music score data edited by the user is stored in the game server 2. The stored music score data can be used in the games provided by the user device 3 and the game machine 4, respectively.

[0016] Next, an overview of the music game will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 shows an example of a game screen displayed when playing a music game on a user device 3. The game screen 100 in Figure 2 is configured assuming that a smartphone 3a or a tablet terminal 3b is used as the user device 3 and that the user device 3 is used with the display device screen oriented vertically. The game screen 100 is also configured assuming that a touch panel input device is provided on the user device 3 so as to overlap the display device screen.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the game screen 100 includes an operation panel section 101 and a game information section 102. The operation panel section 101 is provided with a plurality of operation sections 103. As an example, the operation panel section 101 is provided with 16 operation sections 103 arranged in a matrix of four sections each. In FIG. 2, to avoid complication, the reference symbol 103 is representatively assigned to only some of the operation sections. In the following drawings, for multiple components that share the same reference symbol, the reference symbol may be representatively assigned to some of them. Each operation section 103 is roughly square-shaped, and the operation sections 103 have the same shape and size. However, the shape of the operation sections 103 may be changed as appropriate. The operation sections 103 may have different shapes and sizes.

[0018] The operation panel unit 101 also functions as an operation instruction area for instructing the player to perform an operation. For example, a marker 104 is displayed on the operation panel unit 101 based on music score data. The marker 104 is an example of an operation indicator that instructs the player on which operation unit 103 to perform a touch operation and when to perform that touch operation. The position at which the marker 104 is displayed corresponds to the position of the operation unit 103 at which the touch operation is to be performed. The marker 104 is displayed for a predetermined length of time before and after the time at which the touch operation is to be performed. Hereinafter, the time at which the touch operation is to be performed will be referred to as the operation time, and the period from the start to the end of the display of one marker 104 will sometimes be referred to as the display period. The operation time is an example of the action time at which the player should perform an action. The display mode of the marker 104 gradually changes within the display period. An example of the change in the display mode of the marker 104 is shown in FIG. 3.

[0019] In FIG. 3, time Tx is the operation time specified in the music score data, time Ts is the start of the display period, and time Te is the end of the display period. In the example of FIG. 3, the marker 104 is configured as a combined graphic of multiple mountain-shaped regions 104a-104c. The regions 104a-104c are displayed in different ways by differentiating visual elements such as color, pattern, and tone. At time Ts, the display of the marker 104 begins, and as time passes, in other words, as the song progresses, the display of the marker 104 dynamically changes so that each region 104a-104b gradually appears from the lower edge of the operation unit 103 and gradually extends upward. At operation time Tx, the second region 104b (illustrated in white) reaches the upper edge of the operation unit 103, and the character string "TOUCH" indicating that it is operation time Tx is also displayed. After time Tx, the third region 104c extends upward to cover the second region 104b, and at time Te at the end of the display period, the region 104c almost reaches the upper edge of the operation unit 103. Thereafter, the marker 104 disappears.

[0020] The display periods Ts to Te can be set as appropriate. For example, a time range of about one to two bars of a song is set as the display period before and after the operation time Tx. The display period does not necessarily have to be set symmetrically before and after the operation time Tx. For example, the display period may be set so that it is longer at the beginning of the song than the operation time Tx and shorter at the end. The display period does not necessarily have to be set in units of bars or beats of a song. The display period may be set in absolute time, such as setting a display period of one second before and after the operation time Tx.

[0021] The change in the display mode of the marker 104 is not limited to the example in Fig. 3. As long as the marker 104 is displayed during the display period Ts to Te and the arrival of the operation time Tx is presented to the player, the change in the display mode of the marker 104 may be set as appropriate. For example, the operation time Tx may be presented to the player by applying, alone or in combination, a change such as gradually enlarging the marker 104 toward the operation time Tx and gradually shrinking after the operation time Tx has passed, or a change such as gradually darkening the tone of the marker 104 toward the operation time Tx and gradually lightening the tone after the operation time Tx has passed.

[0022] In either case, the position of the displayed marker 104 indicates the position of the operation unit 103 that the player should operate, and the display mode of the marker 104 indicates to the player the operation time when the operation unit 103 should be operated. As a result, the player is required to touch the operation unit 103 on which the marker 104 is displayed at the timing when the character string "TOUCH" appears on the marker 104. The position and operation time of the touch operation indicated by the marker 104, i.e., the position and operation time of the touch operation described in the music score data, are compared with the position and operation time of the touch operation actually performed by the player, and each operation of the player is evaluated based on the degree of agreement. For example, operating an operation unit 103 different from the operation unit 103 on which the marker 104 is displayed is evaluated as a mistake. When the player touches the operation unit 103 on which the marker 104 is displayed, the amount of deviation between the operation time Tx indicated by the marker 104 and the actual time of the touch operation is determined, and the smaller the deviation, the higher the player's evaluation.

[0023] Regarding the evaluation of the timing of the touch operation, as an example, a certain evaluation range is set around the operation time Tx, and the evaluation range is further divided into multiple stages. The smaller the amount of timing deviation, the higher the evaluation. If the amount of timing deviation falls outside the evaluation range, it is evaluated as a mistake. The player's score is calculated based on the evaluation of the operation indicated by each marker 104. Note that the evaluation range does not necessarily coincide with the display period of the marker 104. For example, the evaluation range is set narrower than the display period. As a more specific example, the display period is set to a time length equivalent to two bars of a song, and the evaluation period is set to a time length equivalent to one bar or a shorter number of beats.

[0024] Returning to FIG. 2 , the game information section 102 displays various pieces of information related to the game. For example, the game information section 102 includes a song information section 106 that displays information about the song selected in the game, a score section 107 that displays the score during play, and a music bar 108. The song information section 106 displays, for example, a symbol image, such as a jacket image, that represents the song, the song title, and the difficulty level of the game. The score section 107 displays, for example, a gauge and numerical value of the score obtained by the player. The music bar 108 indicates the degree of density of operations that the player must perform in association with each position in the song. For example, the left end of the music bar 108 is the start position of the song, and the right end is the end position of the song, and the density of operations at each position in the song is represented by the height of the blocks in the vertical direction. The higher the density, the greater the block height. Instead of the density of operations, the height of the blocks in the music bar 108 may indicate an indication of the difficulty of the operations. Generally, the higher the operation density, the higher the relative difficulty level tends to be, but the operation density and the difficulty level do not necessarily correlate precisely. The music bar 108 also displays a bar-shaped cursor 108a that indicates the current playback position of the song.

[0025] Similar to the operation panel 101 of FIG. 2 , the operation panel 4a of the game machine 4 also has 16 operation units arranged in a matrix of four vertically and four horizontally. The operation units of the operation panel 4a may be arranged in the same layout as the operation unit 103 of the user device 3. The size of the operation units of the operation panel 4a does not necessarily have to match the size of the operation unit 103 of the user device 3. The operation units of the game machine 4 may be configured using a touch panel input device, or may be configured by combining physical push button switches and a display device for displaying the marker 104 for each operation unit. The display of the marker 104 is also common between the game machine 4 and the user device 3. In other words, the operation panel 101 of the user device 3 and the operation panel 4 of the game machine 4 are substantially the same as each other in terms of input interface. However, the operation panel 4a of the game machine 4 may be configured to separate the operation units by, for example, a physical frame. Furthermore, the game screen displayed on the display device of the game machine 4 may include a game information unit similar to the game information unit 102 of FIG. 2 .

[0026] Whether the music game is played on the user device 3 or the game machine 4, the operations to be performed by the player are categorized depending on which operation unit is operated. In other words, the player's operations can be categorized into multiple types based on which operation unit is operated. The operation type corresponds to an example of multiple action types related to the actions to be performed by the player. Even if an operation is performed on the same operation unit, if the operation can be further classified into multiple types, the action type may be categorized according to the operation unit, and the action type may be further categorized according to the operation type for the same operation unit. In other words, the action types may be categorized hierarchically. For example, if multiple types of operations with different operation types, such as the operation duration or operation direction, are set for an operation on a single operation unit, the action types may be further categorized depending on the operation type, such as the operation duration or operation direction.

[0027] Next, the function of editing score data using the user device 3 will be described. Below, various items incorporated into the editing function will be explained in order, categorizing them into cases. Note that a user who uses the editing function does not necessarily have to be a player of the music game. Here, the term "user" is used to mean an entity that edits score data. A user may play the music game themselves using the score data that they have edited, or they may edit the score data with the purpose of providing the score data for other people's play, regardless of whether they use the score data in their own play.

[0028] (1) Displaying the editing screen FIG. 4 shows an example of an editing screen displayed when editing music score data on the user device 3. Like the game screen 100 of FIG. 2, the editing screen 200 of FIG. 4 is configured assuming that the user device 3 is a smartphone 3a or a tablet terminal 3b and that the user device 3 is used with the display screen oriented vertically. The editing screen 200 is also configured assuming that the user device 3 is provided with a touch-panel input device that overlays the display screen. However, the user's editing operation is not limited to being performed by touching an appropriate position on the editing screen 200. For example, the editing operation may be performed by inputting information into the editing screen 200 using an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse, or by selecting an option presented on the editing screen 200. In other words, the user's editing operation corresponding to the display of the editing screen 200 may be appropriately set depending on the configuration of the input device of the device on which the editing operation is to be performed, and the editing screen may also be appropriately changed depending on the mode of the editing operation.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4 , the editing screen 200 is provided with a time designation unit 201 and an operation selection unit 202. The time designation unit 201 is used to designate the operation time, and the operation selection unit 202 is used to select the operation unit 103 to be operated. The operation selection unit 202 is an example of an action selection unit to be included in the editing screen. First, the operation selection unit 202 will be described. The operation selection unit 202 includes a plurality of selection areas 203 that are set in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of operation units 103 of the operation panel unit 101. As an example, the selection areas 203 are arranged in a matrix of four vertically and four horizontally, following the operation units 103 in the game screen 100 of FIG. 2 . The shape and size of each selection area 203 also generally match those of each operation unit 103. However, it is sufficient that the selection areas 203 are arranged in at least the same arrangement as the operation units 103, and it is not necessarily required that the size of the selection areas 203 be the same as that of the operation units 103. In any case, the correspondence between the selection area 203 and the operation unit 103 can be intuitively grasped by using their arrangement as a clue. Note that in Fig. 4, symbols P1, P2, ... P16 are shown from the top left to the bottom right to distinguish the selection area 203, but these symbols are not necessarily displayed on the editing screen 200.

[0030] When editing music score data, the operation unit 103 to be operated is designated according to the selection of the selection area 203. For example, in an editing operation, when the user selects and touches the selection area 203 at P1 in the upper left, the operation unit 103 at the same position is designated as the operation target.

[0031] Meanwhile, the time designation unit 201 includes a timeline display section 204 that displays the playback positions of songs in chronological order. The horizontal direction of the timeline display section 204 is the time axis, with the left side corresponding to earlier times in the song and the right side corresponding to later times in the song. In other words, the left side of the timeline display section 204 corresponds to the beginning of the song and the right side corresponds to the end of the song. The timeline display section 204 also includes a plurality of lanes 205 that are divided into sections in one-to-one correspondence with the selection areas 203 of the operation selection unit 202. As noted outside the editing screen 200 in FIG. 4 , the top lane 205 corresponds to the selection area 203 indicated by reference character P1, and the lanes 205 are subsequently arranged downward in the order of arrangement from P2 to P16, with the bottom lane 205 corresponding to the selection area 203 indicated by reference character P16. The lanes 205 are displayed in different ways to distinguish them from one another for each row of the selection area 203 in the time designation unit 201. In the example of Fig. 4, the selection regions 203 are arranged in four rows, and the display mode is differentiated for each row. As an example, the display mode is differentiated by changing the gradation of the lanes 205 so that the lane 205 corresponding to the selection regions 203 arranged in the top row is the lightest and the lane 205 corresponding to the selection regions 203 arranged in the bottom row is the darkest. However, the display mode of the lanes 205 is not limited to being differentiated by gradation difference, and may be differentiated using various display elements such as color and pattern. The display mode may be differentiated for each lane 205.

[0032] The display range of the timeline display unit 204 corresponds to a portion of the song. The user can change the range of the song displayed in the timeline display unit 204 by swiping left or right on the timeline display unit 204. This operation causes the lanes 205 to scroll left or right as a whole. The timeline display unit 204 also displays division lines 206, as shown by dashed lines in FIG. 4, indicating division positions within the song. For example, the division lines are displayed corresponding to the positions between bars in the song. Furthermore, the timeline display unit 204 displays a bar-shaped cursor 207, indicating the current editing position within the song, across all lanes 205. The position of the cursor 207 indicates the position specified as the operation time during the editing operation. The user can change the editing position by, for example, dragging the cursor 207 left or right. The position of the cursor 207 changes in predetermined units. For example, the cursor 207 moves in relatively small units, such as 1 / 8 or 1 / 16, of the time length corresponding to one beat of the song to be edited.

[0033] In an editing operation, when the user selects one of the selection areas 203 in the operation selection unit 202 and performs a touch operation, the position of the cursor 207 at that time is set as the operation time of the operation unit 103 corresponding to the selection area 203. Therefore, the user can specify the operation unit 103 to be operated and its operation time by moving the cursor 207 to the position of the song for which the user wants to specify the operation time, and selecting and touching the selection area 203 corresponding to the operation unit 103 to be operated. When the user specifies an operation, the specified content is displayed in the time series display unit 204. FIG. 4 shows a state in which no operation has been specified, and a display example of the specified content will be described later. The operation of operating the cursor 207 to set the operation time corresponds to an example of a time setting operation, and the operation of selecting the selection area 203 corresponds to an example of a selection operation for selecting an action type.

[0034] The editing screen 200 also displays a function selection section 208 and a music bar 209. The function selection section 208 is operated to select various functions that can be called up during editing. For example, by operating the function selection section 208, various functions such as changing or deleting a specified operation can be called up. The music bar 209 is similar to the music bar 108 shown on the game screen 100 in FIG. 2. However, it is possible to change the display range of the timeline display section 204 to the front or back of the song by swiping the cursor 209a of the music bar 209 left or right, or by tapping the position you want to display.

[0035] (2) Setting of linking sections FIG. 5 shows an example of the display of the time series display unit 204 when the linked section setting function is invoked. A linked section is a section in which a relationship is established that allows the user to commonly set operations to be performed by the player for each of multiple sections of a song. In this specification, such a relationship is referred to as a linked relationship. The linked section setting function is invoked by a predetermined operation on the editing screen 200. For example, the setting function may be invoked from the function selection unit 208, or may be invoked when a specific operation, such as a long press operation, is performed on the time series display unit 204. When the linked section setting function is invoked, a first section SC1 and a second section SC2 are set as linked sections in the song according to the user's section setting operation. The linked section setting function can be invoked at any time while editing the score data. Therefore, it is possible to set a linked section even if one or more operations have been recorded in the score data.

[0036] An example of the procedure for setting a section is as follows. First, a start point slider 210 and an end point slider 211 are displayed in the time series display section 204, for example, at the bottom edge of the time series display section 204. The user can set the start position of the first section SC1 that is to become the linked section by dragging the start point slider 210 to change its position in the song. The user can also set the end position of the first section SC1 that is to become the linked section by dragging the end point slider 211 to change its position in the song.

[0037] When the user determines the start and end positions of the first section SC1 and performs a predetermined setting operation, the first section SC1 is first set. Then, when the user specifies the position where the second section SC2 is to be set, for example, the start position of the second section SC2, on the time series display unit 204 and performs a predetermined setting operation, a range of the same time length as the first section SC1 is set as the second section SC2, starting from the position specified by the user. This specifies the start and end positions of the second section SC2, and sets the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 as a linked section having a linked relationship. For example, the position of the second section SC2 may be specified by dragging the first section SC1 as indicated by the white arrow in the figure and then releasing the drag operation at the position where the second section SC2 is to be set. During the drag operation, a section indicator 212 of the same shape and size as the first section SC1 may be displayed. The time series display unit 204 may be scrolled left and right depending on the direction of the drag operation.

[0038] When a linked section is set, the setting is recorded in the music score data. For example, as information indicating the linked section, the start and end positions of each linked section and information indicating that the section indicated by these positions is set as a linked section are recorded in the music score data. When the linked section is recorded in the music score data, the first section SC1 and the second section SC2, which are linked sections, are displayed in a display mode different from the ranges other than the linked sections in the time series display unit 204 according to the recording. In this way, the sections set as linked sections are presented to the user. In FIG. 5, the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 are shown by hatching, but their display mode may be distinguished from other ranges using various display elements such as color, pattern, and tone. The first section SC1 and the second section SC2 may also be shown by a graphic such as a frame shape. Furthermore, the display mode of the linked sections may be different from each other as long as they can be identified as linked sections. In the music bar 209, the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 may also be displayed in a display mode different from the other ranges.

[0039] When setting a linked section, it is possible not only to set a new linked section but also to modify or cancel a previously set linked section. That is, setting a linked section is not limited to setting a new linked section, but also includes modifying a linked section or canceling the linkage by dissolving the linked relationship. For example, by tapping on one of the set linked sections to call up a menu for modifying or canceling the linked section, if modification is selected, the time length of the first section SC1 or the second section SC2, in other words, the horizontal width in the time series display section 204, can be modified by dragging the start point slider 210 and the end point slider 211, and the positions of the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 can be individually modified by dragging the entire first section SC1 and the second section SC2. If cancellation is selected, the setting of the linked section can be canceled by having the user specify the target linked section.

[0040] When setting a linked section, information serving as a guide for setting may be presented to the user. For example, the number of bars in a song and the number of beats within the bars may be displayed on the timeline display unit 204. When it is desired to set a linked section in accordance with the musical characteristics of a song to be edited, the musical characteristics of the song may be displayed on the timeline display unit 204 as a guide for setting. For example, if the song to be edited has a structure such as a fade-in, the A melody, B melody and chorus of the first verse, the A melody, B melody and chorus of the second verse, a final chorus, and a fade-out, such information may be presented to the user. Alternatively, a section in which the same phrase is repeated may be presented to the user. By presenting such information, the user can, for example, refer to the presented information and relatively easily set a section having desired musical characteristics as a linked section, such as setting the section of the chorus of the first verse and the second verse as a linked section. Alternatively, the linked section may be set by presenting sections having musical characteristics of the song to be edited to the user as candidates for setting the linked section, and the user selecting the desired section from the presented candidates as the linked section.

[0041] Although an example has been shown in which two sections, the first and second sections SC1 and SC2, are set as linked sections, three or more sections may be set as linked sections using a similar procedure. Furthermore, the example is not limited to setting one set of linked sections, and two or more sets of linked sections may be set. When multiple sets of linked sections can be set, the display mode of the linked sections may be set so that the sets of linked sections can be distinguished from each other, such as by changing the color of each set of linked sections. On the other hand, only one set of linked sections may be set. In this case, when a linking section that has already been set is instructed to set a new linking section, the previous linking section setting may be canceled automatically or upon user confirmation. Alternatively, if a linking section that has already been set exists, a new linking section may not be set unless the linking section setting is canceled. The following description will be continued assuming that two sections SC1 and SC2 are set as a set of linked sections.

[0042] (3) Editing operations in linked sections Once linked sections are set, the user can collectively set operations to be performed on each linked section by performing a common editing operation for the linked sections. FIG. 6 shows an example of setting based on a common editing operation. The concept of setting here includes not only adding a new operation but also modifying or deleting an already set operation. The following explanation will be given using the example of adding a new operation. Note that FIG. 6 shows a state in which a first section SC1 and a second section SC2 are displayed in the time series display section 204. However, if the time interval between the sections SC1 and SC2 is too far apart to fit within the editing screen 200, the first section SC1 or the second section SC2 may be selectively displayed by the user's scrolling operation, or the display of the range between the sections SC1 and SC2 may be appropriately omitted so that both sections SC1 and SC2 are simultaneously displayed on one screen. In any case, the time series display section 204 is still displayed to include the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 as linked sections, and it is not necessarily necessary for these sections SC1 and SC2 to be displayed simultaneously on one screen.

[0043] 6, it is assumed that the user moves cursor 207 to an appropriate position within first section SC1, selects selection area 203 corresponding to operation unit 103 to be operated, and performs a touch operation. In this case, the position of cursor 207 is designated as the operation timing of operation unit 103 corresponding to the selected selection area 203, and a timing mark 220 is displayed at the position of cursor 207 in lane 205 corresponding to that selection area 203. As an example, timing mark 220 is displayed as a bar extending vertically within lane 205 to be set. In addition, as shown by hatching in FIG. 6, indicators 221 are also displayed extending before and after timing mark 220. The length of indicator 221 corresponds to the display period of marker 104 to be displayed corresponding to timing mark 220.

[0044] When the timing mark 220 is displayed as described above, the position of the timing mark 220 indicates the operation time set by the user, and the lane 205 on which the timing mark 220 is placed indicates the operation unit selected by the user as the operation target. Therefore, the timing mark 220 functions as an example of a time indicator indicating the operation time set by the user. Furthermore, the combination of the timing mark 220 and the lane 205 on which it is placed functions as an example of operation type information indicating the type of operation corresponding to the operation time set by the user.

[0045] The timing marks 220 and indicators 221 are displayed to reflect the settings of the operation timing and operation target via the operation of the cursor 207 and the selection of the selection area 203, but are not themselves subject to setting. However, the time at which the timing marks 220 are placed, i.e., the position on the time series display section 204, and the lane 205 on which the timing marks 220 are placed, are equivalent to the operation timing and operation target described in the score data Ds. Therefore, hereinafter, the setting of the operation timing and operation target may be alternatively expressed as the setting of the timing marks 220. Note that although an example in which the timing marks 220 are set at the positions of the dividing lines 206 between measures is shown in Figure 6 and subsequent figures, these settings are merely examples. When the movement unit of the cursor 207 is set to a time length shorter than the time length corresponding to one beat as described above, the position of the timing marks 220 can also be set in the same unit as the movement unit of the cursor 207.

[0046] When a timing mark 220 is set for a linking section in either the first section SC1 or the second section SC2, the setting is automatically reflected in the other linking section. For example, if a timing mark 220 is set for the lanes 205 designated by symbols P2 and P3 at time T11 in the first section SC1, a timing mark 220 is set for the lanes 205 designated by symbols P2 and P3 at time T21 in the second section SC2, which corresponds to time T11. Alternatively, if a timing mark 220 is set for the lanes 205 designated by symbols P5 and P6 at time T22 in the second section SC2, a timing mark 220 is set for the lanes 205 designated by symbols P5 and P6 at time T12, which corresponds to time T21 in the first section SC1. The correspondence relationship between times T11 and T21 and the correspondence relationship between times T12 and T22 are such that times T21 and T22 are obtained by adding a time difference ΔT between the start position of the first section SC1 and the start position of the second section SC2 to times T11 and T12. However, the correspondence relationships may be set such that the time difference between times T11 and T21 and the time difference between times T12 and T22 are obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined time length, for example, a time length corresponding to one beat or half beat of a song, to or from the time difference ΔT. In the above example, an operation of specifying an operation time for either the first section SC1 or the second section SC2 and selecting selection area 203 to specify an operation target corresponds to an example of a common editing operation.

[0047] When a timing mark 220 is set for one linkage section, the timing mark 220 for the other linkage section does not necessarily need to be set on the same lane 205. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the timing marks 220 may be set on lanes 205 that are shifted by a predetermined number (one in the illustrated example) between the first section SC1 and the second section SC2. A certain shift may be provided in the correspondence relationship between the lanes 205 on which the timing marks 220 are placed between the linkage sections. When such a shift is set, even if the operation timings follow the same pattern in the linkage sections, the operation unit 103 to be operated can be changed, thereby changing the game difficulty. Alternatively, when the timing marks 220 are placed so that a specific musical scale is produced when the operation unit 103 is operated according to the marker 104 corresponding to the timing mark 220, a musical feature such as a semitone change in pitch can be created between the first section SC1 and the second section SC2.

[0048] As described above, the common editing operation not only allows for the setting of new timing marks 220, but also allows for the modification or deletion of already-set timing marks 220. For example, if the position of an already-set timing mark 220 is modified or deleted in one linked section, the modification or deletion is also applied to the corresponding timing mark 220 in the other linked section.

[0049] (4) Processing when linking sections are set As described above, a linked section can be set even when a timing mark 220 has already been set. In this case, a timing mark 220 may already exist in one of the newly set linked sections. In this case, the already set timing mark 220 may also be set in other linked sections. For example, in FIG. 6 , if a timing mark 220 has already been set in lane 205 of P14 at time T13 in first section SC1 when the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 are set as linked sections, a timing mark 220 may also be automatically set at the corresponding time T23 in the second section SC2. However, such automatic setting is not necessarily required. A timing mark 220 that existed at the time the linked section was set may not be treated as a timing mark 220 that should be reflected in all linked sections. Alternatively, the user may be able to select whether or not to reflect a timing mark 220 already set in one linked section in other linked sections.

[0050] (5) Restrictions on operation timing settings As described above, the indicator 221 indicates the display period of the marker 104 that is displayed according to the operation timing. Therefore, if multiple timing marks 220 are set on the same lane 205 so that their indicators 221 overlap, the markers 104 corresponding to each operation timing cannot be displayed appropriately. Therefore, when editing score data, setting operation timings so that the indicators 221 overlap is considered impossible because it conflicts with the restrictions on setting operation timings. Hereinafter, such restrictions will be referred to as timing restrictions. For example, assume that a timing mark 220 has already been set at time T24 in lane 205 of P10 in FIG. 8. In this case, if an attempt is made to set a timing mark 220 at time T13 in the first section SC1, a timing mark 220 is automatically set at time T23 in the corresponding second section SC2, as shown by the dashed line in the figure, resulting in a relationship in which the indicators 221 overlap between the timing mark 220 at time T23 and the timing mark 220 at time T24. Therefore, setting the timing mark 220 for time T13 violates the time restriction. If a setting that violates the time restriction is made, error processing is executed to prevent the setting of the timing mark 220 for time T13. For example, the error processing may be processing to notify the user that the timing mark 220 cannot be set at time T13 because it violates the time restriction, processing to request the user to correct the setting, or processing to ignore the addition of the timing mark 220 for time T13.

[0051] (6) Exception handling when linked sections overlap There are no particular restrictions on the setting of linking sections. Therefore, there is a possibility that linking sections may be set to partially overlap. Alternatively, if multiple sets of linking sections can be set, even if linking sections within the same set do not overlap, there is a possibility that linking sections may be set to partially overlap between different sets. An example of exception handling when such overlap occurs is as follows.

[0052] A: In the case of overlapping within the same group For example, as shown in FIG. 9, assume that the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 are set to overlap each other between times T11 and T14 within the same group. In this case, if a timing mark 220 is set in the lane 205 of P4 at time T13, for example, the setting can be considered to be a setting in the first section SC1, or a setting in the second section SC2. If the setting is assumed to be in the first section SC1, the timing mark 220 is automatically set at time T15 in the second section SC2 corresponding to time T13. If the setting is assumed to be in the second section SC2, the timing mark 220 is automatically set at time T11 in the first section SC1 corresponding to time T13. As a result, for example, even if the user sets the timing mark 220 as an operation in one of the linked sections, the timing mark 220 may be set unintentionally. To avoid such inconvenience, in the overlapping sections, an operation designated by the user may be regarded as a specific operation that designates one of the linked sections as the target, and a timing mark 220 corresponding to the specific operation may be set for one of the linked sections, while exceptional processing may be applied in which a timing mark 220 is not set for the other linked sections. In the example of Fig. 9, the setting of the timing mark 220 at time T13 may be regarded as a setting that targets only one of the linked sections, either the first section SC1 or the second section SC2, and exceptional processing may be applied in which a timing mark 220 is not set for times T11 or T15 that correspond to the other linked sections. Alternatively, to avoid the above-mentioned inconvenience, the setting of linked sections may be processed to prohibit overlapping of sections within a set of linked sections.

[0053] B: In the case of overlapping between multiple sets The above-described overlap of linked sections can also occur when multiple sets of linked sections are permitted. Figure 10 shows an example of such an overlap. In this example, a first section SC11 and a second section SC12, indicated by solid lines, are set as one set of linked sections, and a first section SC21 and a second section SC22, indicated by dashed lines, are set as another set of linked sections. The first sections SC11 and SC21 partially overlap, and the second sections SC12 and SC22 partially overlap, resulting in no overlap of linked sections within the same set. In this situation, assume that a timing mark 220 is set in lane 205 of P4 at time T14, which is included in both first sections SC11 and SC21. In this case, if the timing mark 220 at time T14 is considered to be set for the first section SC11, a timing mark 220 is automatically set for the corresponding time T24 in the second section SC12 of the same set. On the other hand, if the timing mark 220 at time T14 is considered to be set for the first section SC21, then a timing mark 220 is automatically set for the corresponding time T42 in the second section SC22 of the same set, as shown by the dashed line. However, if the user intended to set a timing mark 220 for the first section SC11, setting the timing mark 220 for time T42 would be contrary to the user's intention. Therefore, in such a case, exceptional processing is applied so that the user is prompted to specify which set is to be prioritized, and the timing mark 220 is set only for the set designated by the user as being prioritized. If the set of the first section SC11 and the second section SC12 is to be prioritized, the timing mark 220 at time T42 is not set.

[0054] When prioritizing pairs of linked sections, the display manner of the linked sections may be differentiated depending on whether they are prioritized or not. In the example of Fig. 10, the pair of first section SC11 and second section SC12 is shown with a solid line to be prioritized, and the pair of first section SC21 and second section SC22 is shown with a dashed line to be not prioritized, but the display manner may be differentiated using various display elements such as color, tone, etc.

[0055] Note that applying exception handling in the case of overlap between multiple sets is not necessarily required. An example of settings when exception handling is not applied is shown in FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, the settings of the first sections SC11 and SC21 and the second sections SC12 and SC22 are the same as the example in FIG. 10. In this example, assume that a timing mark 220 is set in the lane 205 of P16 at time T11, which is included only in the first section T11; a timing mark 220 is set in the lane 205 of P8 at time T14, which is included in the first sections SC11 and SC21; and a timing mark 220 is set in the lane 205 of P9 at time T34, which is included only in the first section SC21. In this case, in the second section SC12 of the same set as the first section SC11, a timing mark 220 is automatically set in the lane 205 of P16 at time T21, which corresponds to time T11, and a timing mark 220 is automatically set in the lane 205 of P8 at time T24, which corresponds to time T14. Furthermore, in the second section SC22 of the same set as the first section SC21, a timing mark 220 is automatically set in the lane 205 of P8 at time T42, which corresponds to time T14, and a timing mark 220 is automatically set in the lane 205 of P9 at time T21, which corresponds to time T34. The timing marks 220 in the lane 205 of P8 at times T42 and T24 are set as a result of regarding the timing mark 220 in the lane 205 of P8 at time T14, which is in the overlapping range of the first sections SC11 and SC21, as being set for both the first sections SC11 and SC21. When setting only for the prioritized set, one of the timing marks 220 is not set.

[0056] Furthermore, as a result of not setting priority to pairs of linked sections, additional timing marks 220 are automatically set in the first sections SC11 and SC21 corresponding to some of the timing marks 220 automatically set in the second sections SC12 and SC22. That is, as timing marks 220 are set in the lanes 205 of P9 and P16 at time T21 in the overlapping range of the second sections SC12 and SC22, a timing mark 220 is set in the lane 205 of P9 at time T11 in the first section SC11 corresponding to time T21, and a timing mark 220 is set in the lane 205 of P16 at time T34 in the first section SC21 corresponding to time T21. In this way, if exception handling is not applied to overlapping linked sections between multiple pairs, timing marks 220 will be set in a chain reaction. While it is preferable to apply exception handling when such setting is not desired, the application of exception handling is not necessarily prohibited. For example, the user may be able to select whether or not to apply exception handling.

[0057] (7) Editing the range outside the linked section The above has described the procedure for setting timing marks 220 in linked sections, i.e., the selection of the operation unit to be operated in the linked section and the procedure for specifying the operation timing. Setting timing marks 220 in a range other than the linked section of a song may be achieved by specifying the operation timing by the position of cursor 207, as described above, and selecting the operation unit to be operated by selecting selection area 203. However, if timing marks 220 are set on the same lane 205 so that the indicators 221 corresponding to multiple timing marks 220 overlap, this is treated as setting an operation that violates the timing restrictions, as described above, and is subject to error processing, regardless of whether those timing marks 220 are within the linked section or not.

[0058] According to the editing function described above, when a linkage section is set, the operation time and operation target specified by the user are determined based on the user's common editing operation for that linkage section, and the operation corresponding to the determined operation time and operation target is set as the operation to be performed by the player in each linkage section. Therefore, the efficiency of the user's editing work can be improved compared to when the user edits the operations to be performed by the player in one section and then copies the edited content to another section in accordance with the user's instructions. In particular, if re-editing occurs after editing, such as adding, modifying, or deleting operations to be performed by the player, the re-edited content is reflected in each linkage section, eliminating the hassle of copying the re-edited content to another section again.

[0059] Next, an example of the configuration of a control system of the user device 3 for realizing the editing function will be described with reference to FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, the user device 3 is provided with a control unit 10 and a storage unit 11. The control unit 10 is configured as a computer including a CPU and internal storage devices required for its operation, such as cache memory, RAM, and frame memory. The storage unit 11 is a storage device that uses a non-volatile storage medium, such as a magnetic storage medium or flash memory, and functions as an external storage device for the control unit 10. Connected to the control unit 10 are an input device 12 that detects user operations and outputs operation signals corresponding to the detection results, and a display device 13 that displays game screens, etc. The input device 12 includes a touch panel input device that is superimposed on the screen of the display device 13. The control unit 10 is also connected to a speaker unit for outputting sound, a communication control unit for controlling communication with the game server 2, and the like, but these are not shown in the figure.

[0060] The storage unit 11 stores a game program Pg, game data Dg, and play data Dp. The game program Pg is an application program that works in cooperation with an operating system that controls the basic operations of the control unit 10 to cause the control unit 10 to execute the calculation processes and operation control required for the game. The game program Pg is a computer program acting as an application that works in cooperation with the operating system of the user device 3 to cause the user device 3 to function to provide the above-mentioned music game. The game program Pg includes a module that provides a function for editing music score data.

[0061] The game data Dg is data that should be referenced as appropriate when controlling the music game. The game data Dg includes data on various songs played in the game and music score data Ds that instruct the user on operations corresponding to each song. Music score data Ds is prepared in association with each song. Furthermore, multiple types of music score data Ds with different difficulty levels may be prepared in association with the same song. Music score data Ds edited by the user may also be associated with a song and recorded in the game data Dg as a type of game data Dg. The play data Dp is data for each user associated with the user's play of the music game on the user device 3. For example, information such as the user's play history and status is described in the play data Dp. The music score data Ds edited by the user may be recorded in the play data Dp instead of or in addition to the game data Dg.

[0062] The above-described program Pg and game data Dg are appropriately distributed from the game server 2 to the user device 3 and stored in the storage unit 11. The play data Dp is appropriately updated in response to game play on the user device 3 and stored in the game server 2 at appropriate times in association with the user's identification information. Furthermore, when a user completes authentication with the game server 2 to play a game, the play data Dp corresponding to that user is provided from the game server 2 to the user device 3 and stored in the storage unit 11. When the control unit 10 executes the game program Pg, the control unit 10 is provided with a game control unit 15 and an editing control unit 16. Each of the units 15 and 16 is a logical device realized by cooperation between the computer hardware of the control unit 10 and the game program Pg as software.

[0063] The game control unit 15 controls a music game provided based on the game program Pg. For example, the game control unit 15 displays a game screen 100 shown in FIG. 2 on the display device 13, plays a song selected by the user, and controls the display of markers 104 based on music score data Ds corresponding to the song, thereby allowing the player to play the music game. The editing control unit 16 controls an editing function, which is one of the functions of the music game. That is, the editing control unit 16 displays an editing screen 200 shown in FIG. 4 on the display device 13, and edits the music score data Ds in accordance with the user's editing operations on the editing screen 200.

[0064] When the score data Ds is edited under the control of the editing control unit 16, the score data Ds being edited is temporarily stored in the internal storage device of the control unit 10. The score data Ds is stored in the storage unit 11 in association with the identification information of the song to be edited in accordance with a predetermined user operation. The score data Ds stored in the storage unit 11 is further provided to the game server 2 in accordance with a user instruction, and stored in association with the identification information of the song and the editor user. The score data Ds stored in the game server 2 is provided to the user device 3 or the game machine 4 in response to requests from each user, not just the user as editor. However, appropriate restrictions may be placed on the range of users who can use the score data Ds edited by the user. Although not shown in the figure, when a user plays a music game on the user device 3, status data recording the progress of the music game is temporarily stored in the internal storage device of the user device 3, and the status data is reflected in the play data Dp at appropriate times, such as when the game ends.

[0065] Next, examples of various processes executed by the control unit 10 to realize the editing function will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15. The following processes are examples of processes in which only one set of linked sections can be set, and it is not possible to set multiple sets of linked sections, but partial overlap of linked sections is permitted. Note that it is not necessary to actively exclude setting linked sections so that they overlap in their entirety, but in that case, there is no difference from the process when no linked sections are set, so no special consideration is required for handling.

[0066] FIG. 13 shows an example of the procedure for score editing processing that is executed when the score data editing function is called. In the score editing processing, the user selects the song to be edited, but this procedure is omitted. When the score editing processing is started, the editing control unit 16 of the control unit 10 causes the display device 13 to display the editing screen 200 (step S101). When the editing screen 200 is displayed, the editing control unit 16 determines whether or not the user has instructed to set a linked section (step S102). If the user has instructed to set a linked section, the editing control unit 16 executes a linked section setting process (step S103), and then proceeds to step S104. The procedure for the linked section setting process will be described later. If the user has not instructed to set a linked section, the editing control unit 16 skips step S103 and proceeds to step S104.

[0067] In step S104, the editing control unit 16 determines whether the user has performed an editing operation on the editing screen 200. As described above, editing operations include an operation of moving the cursor 207 on the editing screen 200 to specify the operation time, and an operation of selecting the selection area 203 to select the operation unit 103 that is to be the operation target, in other words, an operation of selecting the lane 205 on which the timing mark 220 is to be placed. Editing operations also include operations of correcting or deleting the position of a set timing mark 220. When the user performs an editing operation to newly set or correct a timing mark 220, the editing control unit 16 determines the operation time and the operation unit that is to be the operation target specified by the user in accordance with the editing operation, and reflects the determination result in the display of the timing mark 220 and the indicator 221 in the time series display unit 204.

[0068] Next, the editing control unit 16 determines whether the user's editing operation is an operation targeting the linked section, i.e., an operation targeting adding, modifying, or deleting the timing mark 220 in the linked section (step S105). If the operation is not targeting the linked section, the editing control unit 16 determines whether the editing operation determined in step S104 has instructed the setting of the timing mark 220 so as to violate the timing restriction (step S106). In short, this process is a process for determining whether the timing marks 220 have been added or modified so that the indicators 221 overlap.

[0069] If the timing restriction is not violated, the editing control unit 16 reflects the user's editing operation in the score data Ds in the internal storage device (step S107). That is, when the user performs an operation to add or modify a timing mark 220, the editing control unit 16 updates the score data Ds so that the operation time Tx indicated by the added or modified timing mark 220 is recorded as the operation time and the operation unit 103 corresponding to the lane 205 in which the timing mark 220 is placed is recorded as the operation unit to be operated in the score data. When an operation to delete a timing mark 220 is performed, information on the operation time and the operation unit to be operated in the score data Ds corresponding to the deleted timing mark 220 is deleted from the score data Ds. After processing step S107, the editing control unit 16 proceeds to step S110. The editing control unit 16 sequentially updates the display content of the editing screen 200, such as the display of the cursor 207, timing mark 220, and indicator 221, in response to the user's editing operation. The editing screen 200 may appropriately display a display prompting the selection of the selection area 203, a display showing the content of the editing operation such as how the timing mark 220 is set by selecting the selection area 203, or how the timing mark 220 is deleted.

[0070] If it is determined in step S106 that the timing restriction is violated, the editing control unit 16 executes a predetermined error process (step S108) and then returns to step S104. The error process in step S108 may appropriately include notifying the user that the timing mark 220 cannot be set because it violates the timing restriction, requesting the user to correct the setting, or ignoring the setting of the timing mark 220 according to the editing operation, as described above. If the user is warned that the timing mark 220 cannot be set or requested to correct the setting in step S108, the step S104 returned from step S108 may execute a process to prompt the user to correct the timing mark 220 that violates the timing restriction so that it does not violate the timing restriction, such as deleting or moving the timing mark 220 in accordance with the user's instructions. If it is determined in step S105 that the editing operation is directed at the linked section, the editing control unit 16 executes linked section editing process (step S109) and then proceeds to step S110. The linked section editing process will be described later.

[0071] In step S110, the editing control unit 16 determines whether or not the user has instructed to save the music score data Ds. If the user has instructed to save, the editing control unit 16 saves the music score data Ds held in the internal storage device in the storage unit 11 (step S111). Thereafter, the editing control unit 16 determines whether or not the user has instructed to end editing (step S112), and if the user has not instructed to end editing, the process returns to step S102. If the user has not instructed to save the music score data Ds in step S110, the editing control unit 16 skips step S111 and proceeds to step S112. If the user has instructed to end editing in step S112, the editing control unit 16 saves the music score data Ds in the storage unit 11 (step S113). In step S111 or S113, the music score data Ds may be transmitted to the game server 2, and the music score data Ds may be saved in the game server 2. At step S113, the user may be asked whether or not to save the score data Ds, and the score data Ds may be saved if the user selects to save. When the processing of step S113 ends, the control unit 10 ends the score editing processing of Fig. 13. Accordingly, the editing control unit 16 ends the display of the editing screen 200 and causes the display device 13 to display a predetermined home screen.

[0072] 14 shows an example of the steps of the linked section setting process executed as a subroutine process of step S103 in FIG. 13. When the linked section setting process starts, the edit control unit 16 first determines whether or not a set linked section exists based on the music score data Ds stored in the internal storage device (step S121). If a set linked section exists, the edit control unit 16 determines whether or not the user has instructed to set a new linked section (step S122). If a new setting has been instructed, the edit control unit 16 cancels the setting of the set linked section by deleting the linked section information from the music score data Ds (step S123), and then proceeds to step S124. If it is determined in step S121 that a set linked section does not exist, the edit control unit 16 skips steps S122 and S123 and proceeds to step S124.

[0073] In step S124, the editing control unit 16 requests the user to specify the start and end positions of the first section on the timeline display unit 204, determines the user's setting operation corresponding to the request, and sets the first section. Next, the editing control unit 16 requests the user to specify the start position of the second section on the timeline display unit 204, determines the user's setting operation corresponding to the request, and sets the second section (step S125). These setting operations are as described with reference to FIG. 5. The setting operations of steps S124 and S125 are sequentially reflected in the score data Ds stored in the internal storage device. The editing control unit 16 sequentially updates the display of the cursor 207, sliders 210 and 211, and section indicator 212 in response to the user's setting operations. Once the first and second sections have been set, the editing control unit 16 proceeds to step S130 and determines whether the user has instructed to end the setting of the linked sections. If the user has not instructed to end the setting, the editing control unit 16 returns to the processing of step S121.

[0074] If it is determined in step S122 that the user has not instructed new setting, the edit control unit 16 determines whether or not the user has instructed modification of the linked section (step S127). If modification has been instructed, step S123 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S124. In this case, the processes of steps S124 and S125 are processes for modifying the position and duration of the set linked section. If it is determined in step S127 that the user has not instructed modification, the edit control unit 16 determines whether or not the user has instructed cancellation of the set linked section (step S128). If cancellation has been instructed, the edit control unit 16 cancels the setting of the set linked section by deleting the linked section information in the score data Ds (step S129), and then proceeds to step S130. The process of step S123 is an automatic cancellation process when a new setting has been instructed, whereas the process of step S129 is a process for canceling the linked section based on a user instruction. That is, the process of step S129 is a process that corresponds to the case where the user does not wish to set a new linking section but only wishes to cancel the linking section.

[0075] If it is determined in step S130 that the user has instructed to end the setting, the edit control unit 16 determines whether or not timing marks 220 have already been set in the linked section set in this process, based on the music score data Ds stored in the internal storage device (step S131). If timing marks 220 have not been set, the edit control unit 16 skips the processes from step S132 onwards and ends this linked section setting process. If the setting is released in step S129 and the process proceeds to step S131 via step S130, a negative determination is made in step S131 because no linked section exists, and the linked section setting process ends.

[0076] If it is determined in step S131 that a timing mark 220 has been set in the linked sections, the editing control unit 16 determines whether or not setting the timing mark 220 in each linked section will conflict with timing restrictions (step S132). This process is to determine whether or not automatically setting a timing mark 220 in another linked section in response to a timing mark 220 that exists in one linked section will conflict with timing restrictions between the already set timing mark 220.

[0077] If it is determined in step S132 that a timing restriction is violated, the editing control unit 16 executes a predetermined error process (step S133), and then ends the current linked section setting process. The error process in step S133 may appropriately include a process of notifying the user that a timing mark 203 that violates the timing restriction will be generated if the set timing marks 220 are reflected in all of the linked sections, a process of requesting the user to correct the setting of the timing mark 220 that violates the timing restriction, or a process of requesting the user to correct the linked section. The error process in step S133 may prompt the user to correct the timing mark 220 that violates the timing restriction so that the timing restriction is not violated, or a process of requesting the user to correct the setting of the linked section, and then proceed to step S134.

[0078] If it is determined in step S132 that no timing restrictions are violated, the editing control unit 16 determines whether or not timing marks 220 exist in the overlapping sections where the linked sections overlap each other (step S134). If it is determined that no timing marks 220 are set in the overlapping sections, the editing control unit 16 executes automatic timing mark setting processing (step S135). The automatic setting processing is processing in which all timing marks 220 set in each linked section are automatically set to the corresponding times on the same lane 205 of other linked sections.

[0079] If it is determined in step S134 that a timing mark 220 exists in the overlapping section, the editing control unit 16 executes exceptional processing regarding the setting of the timing mark 220 (step S136). As described with reference to FIG. 9, the exceptional processing is processing in which a timing mark 220 set in the overlapping section is regarded as a timing mark 220 set for only one of the linked sections, and automatic setting of a timing mark 220 at the corresponding time in another linked section is avoided. When the exceptional processing is applied, if a timing mark 220 exists within one linked section but outside the overlapping section, the timing mark 220 is automatically set at the corresponding time on the same lane 205 in the other linked section. When the processing of step S135 or S136 is completed, the editing control unit 16 ends the current linked section setting processing. Note that the processing of steps S131 to S136 may be repeatedly executed separately for each set timing mark 220 existing in the linked section. In the automatic setting process of step S135 and the exception process of step S136, a user instruction may be included regarding the processing of already set timing marks 220. For example, the user may be prompted to select whether or not a timing mark 220 set in one linked section should also be set in another linked section, or, when timing marks 220 are set in each of two linked sections, the user may be prompted to select which linked section's timing mark 220 should be set in the other linked section. In this way, the user's instruction may be reflected in the setting of the timing marks 220.

[0080] Fig. 15 shows an example of the steps of the linked section edit process executed as a subroutine process of step S109 in Fig. 13. When the linked section edit process starts, the edit control unit 16 first determines whether or not the editing operation determined in step S104 in Fig. 13 will result in a timing mark 220 that conflicts with the timing restriction (step S141). This process is to determine whether or not a timing mark 220 that the user is attempting to set will conflict with the timing restriction between a timing mark 220 that has already been set.

[0081] If it is determined in step S141 that the timing restriction is violated, the editing control unit 16 executes a predetermined error process (step S142) and then terminates the linked section editing process. The error process in step S142 may be the same as the process in step S108 of FIG. 13. In this case, too, a process may be executed in which the user is prompted to correct the timing mark 220 that is the subject of a timing restriction violation so that the timing restriction is not violated, for example, by deleting or moving the timing mark 220 in accordance with a user instruction, and then the process may proceed to step S143. If it is determined in step S141 that the timing restriction is not violated, the editing control unit 16 determines whether a timing mark 220 has been set in an overlapping section in which linked sections overlap each other (step S143). If it is determined that the timing mark 220 has not been set in the overlapping section, the editing control unit 16 executes an automatic timing mark setting process (step S144). The automatic setting process in this case is a process of automatically setting the timing mark 220 set in one linking section to the corresponding time on the same lane 205 in another linking section.

[0082] If it is determined in step S143 that a timing mark 220 exists in the overlapping section, the edit control unit 16 executes exception processing regarding the setting of the timing mark 220 (step S145). As described with reference to FIG. 9, the exception processing is a process in which a timing mark 220 set in the overlapping section is regarded as a timing mark 220 set for only one of the linked sections, and automatic setting of a timing mark 220 at the corresponding time in the other linked sections is avoided. Note that if an editing operation to delete a timing mark 220 in a linked section is performed, negative determinations are made in steps S141 and S143, and in step S144, timing marks 220 set in the other linked sections corresponding to the timing mark 220 deleted in the one linked section are also deleted. The settings in steps S144 and S145 are sequentially reflected in the music score data Ds stored in the internal storage device and also sequentially reflected on the editing screen 200. When the processing in step S144 or S145 is completed, the edit control unit 16 ends the current linked section editing process. In the processes of S144 and S145, similarly to the cases of steps S135 and S136 in FIG. 14, the timing marks 220 may be set according to instructions from the user.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the editing control unit 16 functions as an example of an editing screen display means by executing the processing of step S101 in Fig. 13, and functions as an example of a data editing means by executing the processing of steps S102 to S113 in Fig. 13. The editing control unit 16 functions as an example of a link setting means by executing the processing of step S103 in Fig. 13 and steps S121 to S130 in Fig. 14, and functions as an example of a common editing means by executing the processing of step S109 in Fig. 13, steps S131 to S135 in Fig. 14, and steps S141 to S145 in Fig. 15.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be embodied in various modified or altered forms. For example, the above-described embodiment does not mention whether or not content such as music is played back during editing, but the content may be played back for reference during at least part of the editing process. Alternatively, a preview function may be provided as an editing function, and the content may be played back during editing, while the marker 104 is displayed in the operation selection unit 202 based on the score data Ds being edited, allowing the user to check the editing results in association with the playback of the content.

[0085] In the above embodiment, one of the linked sections on the timeline display unit 204 functions as a user interface for specifying the operation timing at which the timing mark 220 should be set, but the user interface for specifying the operation timing in the linked section is not limited to this example. A modified example is shown in Fig. 16. In the example of Fig. 16, a common timeline display unit 230 is displayed on the display device 13 as at least a part of the editing screen 200 as a timeline display unit representing each of the first section SC1 and the second section SC2 as the linked sections. In this case, the user is prompted to specify the operation timing in the linked section via the common timeline display unit 230, and timing marks 220 are set in each section SC1, SC2 corresponding to the specified operation timing. In the example of Figure 16, timing marks 220 are set on the lanes 205 of P2 and P3 at time Tx1 on the common time series display unit 230, on the lanes 205 of P5 and P6 at time Tx2, and on the lanes 205 of P10 and P12 at time Tx3, and these settings are reflected at the corresponding times T11, T12, and T13 in the first section SC1 and the corresponding times T21, T22, and T23 in the second section SC2.

[0086] In the example of FIG. 16 , times T11 to T13 can be calculated by taking the time length of times Tx1 to Tx3 from the start position of the common time series display unit 230 as the time length from the start position of the first section SC1, and times T21 to T23 can be calculated by taking the time length of times Tx1 to Tx3 from the start position of the common time series display unit 230 as the time length from the start position of the second section SC2. Note that, in the example of FIG. 16 , as shown in FIG. 7 , the lanes 205 on which timing marks 220 are set may be offset between the first section SC1 and the second section SC2. When reflecting the timing marks 220 set in the common time series display unit 230 in the first section SC1 and the second section SC2, if a conflict occurs in the timing restrictions between the already set timing marks 220, error processing may be applied in the same manner as described above. Exception processing may also be applied in the case where an overlap occurs between the first section SC1 and the second section SC2.

[0087] 16, when the operations of each linked section are set using the common timeline display unit 230, the settings may be stored in an internal storage device as pre-setting data to be reflected in the linked sections, and the timing marks 220 described in the pre-setting data may be reflected at multiple positions in the song specified by the user, thereby setting the linked sections corresponding to each position specified by the user and setting the timing marks 220 in each linked section. In this case, if a timing mark 220 in the common timeline display unit 230 is modified or deleted, the modification or deletion may be reflected in each linked section, thereby improving the efficiency of editing work compared to modifying or deleting the timing mark 220 in one section and then copying the setting to another section. The pre-setting data may be saved in the storage unit 11 or the game server 2 and loaded later during editing to use the operations of the linked sections in editing.

[0088] The editing screen is not necessarily limited to a configuration including the time specification unit 201 including the time series display units 204 and 230 described above and the operation selection unit 202 as an example of an operation selection unit. The editing screen may be configured as appropriate as long as the editing user can specify the time and type of operation to be recorded in the operation instruction data. For example, in the above configuration, the time series display units 204 and 230 may function as an example of an operation selection unit instead of or in addition to the operation selection unit 202 by allowing the user to select an operation unit to be operated by touching each lane 205 of the time series display units 204 and 230. Other possible modifications include, for example, omitting the display of the lanes 205 corresponding to each operation unit 103, displaying a common time series display unit on the operation unit 103, and separately displaying an operation selection unit for selecting an operation target. In a case where the display of the lane 205 is omitted, when the user designates a timing mark 220 in the time series display section 204, 230, a pop-up operation section 103 corresponding to that timing mark 220 is also possible. In a variation, the user can directly designate the number of bars and beats in the song to set the action timing. In a further variation, the musical score of the song to be edited is displayed, and the user can designate the action timing by selecting notes in the score.

[0089] In the above embodiment, a music game in which the marker 104, serving as an indicator to guide the player to the operation timing and the operation target, is displayed in accordance with the operation target, is described as an example. However, games to which the present invention is applicable are not limited to such games. For example, the present invention may be applied to editing of action instruction data for a game of the type that employs a mechanism, as employed in various music games, in which multiple lanes corresponding to multiple operation targets are displayed on the screen, indicators (e.g., marks called notes) indicating the operation of each operation target are displayed on the lane to indicate the operation target, and the indicators are gradually moved along the lane to reach a predetermined judgment position at the operation timing, thereby instructing the player on the operation timing. Even in this case, for example, it is possible to configure an editing operation so as to set the operation target and the operation timing of each operation target, using the time series display unit 204 of FIG. 6 or the time series display unit 230 of FIG. 16 .

[0090] The editing operation may be implemented, for example, by dragging and dropping various marks associated with the types of actions to be performed by the player, i.e., the types of actions, onto the lanes. For example, if the types of actions can be categorized according to the duration or direction of the actions, different marks corresponding to the differences in duration or direction of the actions may be prepared in advance, and the editing operation may be configured by appropriately arranging the marks on the lanes. As an example, multiple marks with different lengths may be prepared in the direction of the lanes, and the duration of an action may be set according to the length of the marks by selectively arranging the marks on the lanes. Alternatively, a mark that fits within a single lane and a mark that extends perpendicularly or diagonally through multiple lanes may be prepared, and by arranging the former mark on one lane, only the operation of the operation unit corresponding to that lane may be set, and by arranging the latter mark on a lane, the type of action may be set so that the operation units corresponding to the multiple lanes on which the marks are located are operated simultaneously or sequentially.

[0091] It is not necessarily required that the actions to be performed by the player be defined by a combination of action timing and action type. Only the action timing may be specified in the action instruction data. In this case, the action instruction data can be applied to a game in which, for example, a single operation unit is operated according to the action timing, or to a game in which any of multiple operation units may be operated according to the action timing recorded in the action instruction data. Alternatively, the action instruction data can be used in a game in which a computer appropriately determines which action type should be selected at the action timing specified in the action instruction data. Furthermore, even if the action instruction data is configured to specify only the order of action types and the time intervals between each action type, and the computer appropriately determines when each action type should be specified during playback of content, the present invention can be applied to editing the order and time intervals of the action types.

[0092] When there are multiple types of motion, the linking section does not necessarily have to be set to target all of the types of motion. For example, in the above embodiment, the linking section may be set to target only the lanes 205 corresponding to some of the operation units 103. The user may be allowed to specify the lanes 205 to be included in the linking section.

[0093] The movements to be performed by the player are not limited to those set as operations on one of multiple operation units used in the game. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a game configured so that the player selectively performs multiple types of dance movements in time with the playback of content such as music. In this case, the dance movements to be performed by the player can be divided into multiple types of movements, such as raising the right hand or stepping outward with the left foot, and the movement timing for each type of movement can be recorded in the movement instruction data. The game can then instruct the player on the movement timing and type of movement based on the movement instruction data. Even in such a case, the present invention can be applied to editing the movement instruction data.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the user device 3 functions independently as an information processing system. However, the game server 2 and the user device 3 may cooperate to execute various processes required for editing, thereby causing the combination of the game server 2 and the user device 3 to function as an information processing system. Alternatively, the game server 2 may execute various processes required for editing and cause the user device 3 to function as a remote input / output device for the game server 2, thereby causing the game server 2 to essentially function as an information processing system. Alternatively, editing operations may be enabled on the game console 4, causing the game console 4 to function independently as an information processing system, or the combination of the game server 2 and the game console 4 may function as an information processing system. Even when music score data is edited in accordance with editing operations on the game console 4, the music score data may be usable not only in games on the game console 4 but also in games played on the user device 3. In other words, the correspondence between the device on which the editing operation of action instruction data is performed and the device on which a game using the edited action instruction data is executed may be set as appropriate.

[0095] Various aspects of the present invention derived from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below. In the following description, corresponding components shown in the accompanying drawings will be written in parentheses to facilitate understanding of each aspect of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated forms.

[0096] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing system (3) that edits, based on a user's instruction, action instruction data (Ds) for instructing a player on an action to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, and includes a computer (10) that functions as an editing screen display means (16, S101) that displays an editing screen (200) for editing the action instruction data on a display device (13), and a data editing means (16, S102 to S113) that edits the action instruction data based on the user's operation corresponding to the display of the editing screen, and the data editing means The link setting means (16, S103, S121 to S130) sets each of the multiple sections of the content as a linked section (SC1, SC2; SC11, SC12; SC21, SC22) in which a link relationship is set based on a link setting operation, and a common editing means (16, S109, S141 to S145) determines the action designated by the user based on the user's common editing operation that designates the action as a setting target for each of the multiple linked sections, and edits the action instruction data so that the action corresponding to the determined action is set as the action to be performed by the player in each linked section.

[0097] A computer program according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer program (Pg) applied to an information processing system (3) that edits, based on a user's instruction, action instruction data (Ds) for instructing a player on an action to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, and causes a computer (10) included in the information processing system to function as an editing screen display means (16, S101) that displays an editing screen (200) for editing the action instruction data on a display device (13), and as a data editing means (16, S102 to S113) that edits the action instruction data based on the user's operation corresponding to the display of the editing screen, The system is further configured to function as a link setting means (16, S103, S121 to S130) for setting each of a plurality of sections of the content as a linked section (SC1, SC2; SC11, SC12; SC21, SC22) in which a linked relationship is set based on the section setting operation of the user, and a common editing means (16, S109, S131 to S135, S141 to S145) for determining an action designated by the user based on the common editing operation of the user that designates the action as a setting target for each of the plurality of linked sections, and for editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linked section.

[0098] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method for editing, based on a user's instruction, action instruction data (Ds) for instructing a player on an action to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, the information processing method including causing a computer (10) to function as an editing screen display means (16, S101) for displaying an editing screen (200) for editing the action instruction data on a display device (13), and a data editing means (16, S102 to S113) for editing the action instruction data on the basis of an operation by the user corresponding to the display of the editing screen, and causing the data editing means to edit the content based on a section setting operation by the user. and common editing means (16, S109, S131 to S135, S141 to S145) for determining an action designated by the user based on a common editing operation of the user that designates the action for each of the plurality of linkage sections, and editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linkage section.

[0099] According to each of the above aspects, when a linkage section is set, a motion designated by the user is determined based on the user's common editing operation for that linkage section, and a motion corresponding to the determined motion is set as a motion to be performed by the player in each linkage section. Even if re-editing occurs after editing, such as adding, modifying, or deleting a motion, the re-editing content can be reflected in each linkage section. Therefore, the efficiency of the user's editing work can be improved compared to when the user edits the motion to be performed by the player in one section and then copies the edited content to another section in accordance with the user's instructions. In particular, when re-editing occurs, it is possible to eliminate the hassle of having to copy the re-edited content to another section, thereby further improving the efficiency of the editing work.

[0100] The computer program according to one aspect of the present invention may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium. By using this storage medium, for example, the computer program according to the present invention can be installed on a computer and executed, thereby realizing the system of the present invention using the computer. The storage medium storing the computer program may be a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0101] In the above-described embodiment, the following items can be further added. The following various items may be applied in appropriate combinations as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0102] The editing screen display means may display the editing screen so as to include a time series display section (204; 230) that displays playback positions of the content in chronological order, and the link setting means may set the linked section by having the user specify a start position and an end position of the linked section within the content via the time series display section in the section setting operation. In this way, by having the user specify the start position and end position of the linked section using the time series display section, the user can reliably understand where in the content the linked section will be set, and the linked section can be set easily and efficiently.

[0103] The editing screen display means may display the linked section in the time series display section in a manner different from a range other than the linked section. This allows the user to reliably recognize the setting status of the linked section, and makes the setting work even easier and more efficient.

[0104] The action to be performed by the player can be classified into any one of a plurality of action types, and the action instruction data is configured so that an action time when the action should be performed (for example, time Tx in FIG. 3) and an action type to be performed at the action time (for example, operation of the operation unit 103 as the operation target in FIG. 2) are set in association with each other, the editing screen display means displays the editing screen so as to include a time designation unit (201) for designating the action time and an action selection unit (202) for selecting the action type, and the common editing means may determine the action time in each of the linkage sections based on a time setting operation by the user on the time designation unit, and determine the action type to be performed at the action time based on a selection operation by the user on the action selection unit, and edit the action instruction data so that the action time and the action type in each linkage section are set corresponding to the determined action time and action type. This allows the user to specify the action time using the time specification unit and select the type of action using the action selection unit, thereby relatively easily and reliably specifying the player's action to be identified by the combination of the action time and type of action.

[0105] The editing screen display means may display the editing screen so as to include, as the time specification section, a time series display section (204; 230) that displays the playback positions of the content in chronological order, and the common editing means may have the user specify a position in the time series display section that corresponds to the operation time by the time specification operation, and determine the operation time in each linked section based on the specified position. In this way, by specifying the operation time using the time series display section, the user can easily and efficiently specify at which position in the content the operation is to be set.

[0106] The editing screen display means may display the time series display section so as to include each linkage section, and the common editing means may have the user specify, through the time setting operation, a position corresponding to the operation time in any one of the linkage sections in the time series display section, and may determine the operation time in each linkage section corresponding to the specified position, thereby setting the operation time in each linkage section. According to this, by specifying the position of the operation time in any of the linkage sections on the time series display section, operation times corresponding to the specified operation time in other linkage sections are determined, and the operation time in each linkage section is set. Therefore, the user only needs to specify the operation time in any one of the linkage sections, which can improve the efficiency of the operation time setting work.

[0107] The editing screen display means may display a common timeline display section (230) as the timeline display section representing each of the plurality of linkage sections, and the common editing means may have the user specify a position in the common timeline display section corresponding to the operation time in the time setting operation, and determine the operation time in each linkage section corresponding to the specified position, and set the operation time in each linkage section. According to this, by specifying the position of the operation time in the common timeline display section, the operation time corresponding to the specified operation time in each linkage section is determined, and the operation time in each linkage section is set. Therefore, the user only needs to specify the operation time in the common timeline display section, which can improve the efficiency of the operation time setting work.

[0108] When the operation times and the operation types are set in association with each other, the editing screen display means may display a time indicator (220) indicating the set operation times at a position corresponding to the operation times in the time series display section, and may also display operation type information (205, 220) indicating the operation type corresponding to the operation times on the editing screen. In this way, the operation times and operation types designated by the user are reflected on the editing screen, allowing the user to proceed with editing work while understanding the setting status.

[0109] The editing screen display means may display the time series display section so as to include an area (205) divided for each type of action, and when the time periods and types of actions are set, may display the time indicator in the area corresponding to the type of action at a position corresponding to the time period, thereby displaying the type of action information. This allows the user to grasp the setting status of the time periods and types of actions on the time series display section. Therefore, editing work can be performed more efficiently.

[0110] The types of actions may be classified according to which of a plurality of operation units (103) used in the game should be operated, the editing screen display means may display the action selection unit so as to include a plurality of selection areas (203) corresponding to the plurality of operation units, and the common editing means may allow the user to select a selection area corresponding to the operation unit to be operated by the player from the plurality of selection areas, thereby allowing the user to specify the operation unit to be operated by the player. In this way, the user can specify the operation unit to be operated by the player by selecting one of the selection areas. Therefore, the efficiency of the task of specifying the type of action can be improved.

[0111] The selection areas may be arranged in accordance with the arrangement of the operation units. This allows the user to intuitively understand the correspondence between the operation units used in the game and the selection areas used to specify the types of actions. This makes it possible to further improve the efficiency of the task of specifying the types of actions.

[0112] When the action is set for one of the linked sections at the time of setting the linked sections, the common editing means may set the action for the other linked sections as well. This eliminates the need for a user to manually copy an action that has already been set for a linked section to another linked section.

[0113] When at least two linked sections have overlapping sections, the common editing means may execute exceptional processing (S145) in which the action specified by the common editing operation in the overlapping sections is regarded as a specific action specified for one of the linked sections, and an action corresponding to the specific action is not set for the other linked sections. This makes it possible to avoid the inconvenience of an action being set in the other linked sections against the user's intention when an action is specified for the overlapping section.

[0114] A limit may be set on the time interval during which the same action can be set, and when the user specifies an action that conflicts with the limit in the common editing operation, the common editing means may execute a predetermined error process (S142) without setting the action in the action instruction data. This makes it possible to prevent the setting of an action that conflicts with the limit on the time interval by the error process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1. Game System 2 Game Server 3 User Device 4. Game consoles 4a Operation panel 10. Control Unit 16 Editing control section 100 game screens 103 Operation section 104 Marker 200 Editing screen 201 Period specification section 202 Operation selection section 203 Selection Area 204 Time series display section 205 Lane SC1, SC11, SC21 Section 1 SC2, SC12, SC22 Section 2

Claims

1. 1. An information processing system that edits action instruction data based on a user's instruction for instructing a player on an action to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, the system comprising: an editing screen display means for displaying an editing screen for editing the operation instruction data on a display device; and a data editing means for editing the operation instruction data based on an operation by the user corresponding to the display of the editing screen; and a computer functioning as The data editing means a link setting means for setting each of a plurality of sections of the content as a linked section in which a link relationship is set based on a section setting operation by the user; common editing means for determining an action designated by the user based on a common editing operation of the user that designates the action as a setting target for each of the plurality of linkage sections, and editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linkage section; An information processing system that functions as a

2. the editing screen display means displays the editing screen so as to include a time series display section that displays playback positions of the content in chronological order; The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the link setting means sets the link section by having the user specify the start and end positions of the link section within the content via the time series display unit in the section setting operation.

3. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the edit screen display means displays the linked section in the time series display section in a manner different from a range other than the linked section.

4. The action to be performed by the player can be classified into any of a plurality of action types; the action instruction data is configured to set an action time when the action should be performed and an action type to be performed at the action time in association with each other; the editing screen display means displays the editing screen so as to include a time designation section for designating the time of the action and an action selection section for selecting the type of the action; The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the common editing means determines the operation timing for each of the linked sections based on the user's time setting operation on the time designation section, and determines the type of operation to be performed at the operation timing based on the user's selection operation on the operation selection section, and edits the operation instruction data so that the operation timing and type of operation for each linked section are set in accordance with the determined operation timing and type of operation.

5. the editing screen display means displays the editing screen so as to include, as the time designation section, a time series display section which displays playback positions of the content in chronological order; The information processing system of claim 4, wherein the common editing means allows the user to specify a position corresponding to the operation time in the time series display section by the time setting operation, and determines the operation time in each linked section based on the specified position.

6. the editing screen display means displays the time series display section so as to include each linked section; The information processing system described in claim 5, wherein the common editing means allows the user to specify a position corresponding to the operation time in any one of the linked sections within the time series display section through the time setting operation, and determines the operation time in each linked section corresponding to the specified position and sets the operation time in each linked section.

7. the editing screen display means displays a common time series display section as the time series display section representing each of the plurality of linked sections; The information processing system described in claim 5, wherein the common editing means allows the user to specify a position corresponding to the operation time in the common timeline display section through the time setting operation, and determines the operation time in each linked section corresponding to the specified position and sets the operation time in each linked section.

8. 6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein when the operation times and the operation types are set in correspondence with each other, the editing screen display means displays a time indicator indicating the set operation time at a position corresponding to the operation time in the time series display section, and displays operation type information indicating the operation type corresponding to the operation time on the editing screen.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the editing screen display means displays the time series display section to include areas divided for each of the action types, and when the action time and the action type are set, displays the action type information by displaying the time indicator within the area corresponding to the action type and at a position corresponding to the action time.

10. the type of action is classified according to which of a plurality of operation units used in the game should be operated; the editing screen display means displays the operation selection section so as to include a plurality of selection areas corresponding to the plurality of operation sections; 5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the common editing means allows the user to select a selection area corresponding to an operation unit to be operated by the player from the plurality of selection areas, thereby allowing the user to specify the operation unit to be operated by the player.

11. 11. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of selection areas are arranged in accordance with the arrangement of the plurality of operation units.

12. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the action is set for one of the linked sections at the time of setting the linked sections, the common editing means sets the action for the other linked sections as well.

13. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein when at least two linked sections have overlapping sections, the common editing means performs exceptional processing in which, in the overlapping sections, the action specified by the common editing operation is regarded as a specific action specified for one of the linked sections, and no action corresponding to the specific action is set for the other linked sections.

14. Limits are set on the time intervals during which the same action can be set, 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein when the user specifies an action that conflicts with the restriction in the common editing operation, the common editing means executes a predetermined error process without setting the action in the action instruction data.

15. 1. A computer program applied to an information processing system that edits, based on a user's instruction, action instruction data for instructing a player on an action to be performed by the player in accordance with content played in a game, the computer program comprising: an editing screen display means for displaying an editing screen for editing the operation instruction data on a display device; and a data editing means for editing the operation instruction data based on an operation by the user corresponding to the display of the editing screen; It functions as The data editing means a link setting means for setting each of a plurality of sections of the content as a linked section in which a link relationship is set based on a section setting operation by the user; common editing means for determining an action designated by the user based on a common editing operation of the user that designates the action as a setting target for each of the plurality of linkage sections, and editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linkage section; a computer program configured to further function as

16. 1. An information processing method for editing action instruction data for instructing a player on an action to be performed in accordance with content played in a game, based on an instruction from a user, comprising: an editing screen display means for displaying an editing screen for editing the operation instruction data on a display device; and a data editing means for editing the operation instruction data based on an operation by the user corresponding to the display of the editing screen; It functions as The data editing means a link setting means for setting each of a plurality of sections of the content as a linked section in which a link relationship is set based on a section setting operation by the user; common editing means for determining an action designated by the user based on a common editing operation of the user that designates the action as a setting target for each of the plurality of linkage sections, and editing the action instruction data so that an action corresponding to the determined action is set as an action to be performed by the player in each linkage section; A method of processing information that further functions as a

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