Method and apparatus for creating and playing soundtracks in a gaming system

Abstract

A gaming system includes a game console that executes an application that creates and plays soundtracks through the gaming system. The application allows a user to create soundtracks by copying audio tracks from one or more audio sources. A user-created soundtrack can be associated with a particular game such that the user-created soundtrack is played during execution of the game instead of the game's default soundtrack.

1 . A game console, comprising: 
 a memory;    a processor coupled to the memory; and    a console application stored in memory and executable on the processor, the console application configured to create a soundtrack containing a plurality of audio tracks.    
     
     
         2 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the memory comprises a hard disk drive.  
     
     
         3 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application is further configured to play soundtracks through the game console.  
     
     
         4 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from an audio CD in the game console.  
     
     
         5 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from an audio DVD in the game console.  
     
     
         6 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application  22  retrieves audio tracks from a game disc in the game console.  
     
     
         7 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from an online source coupled to the game console.  
     
     
         8 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application stores the soundtrack in the memory.  
     
     
         9 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application stores the soundtrack in the memory as a WMA file.  
     
     
         10 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from a plurality of audio sources.  
     
     
         11 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application is further configured to associate the soundtrack with a particular game such that the soundtrack is played when the particular game is launched.  
     
     
         12 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application is further configured to associate the soundtrack with a particular user of the game console.  
     
     
         13 . A game console as recited in  claim 1  wherein the console application is further configured to display a listing of all soundtracks available for playback by the game console.  
     
     
         14 . A game console, comprising: 
 a memory; and    a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to present a first user interface to facilitate creation of a soundtrack containing a plurality of audio tracks, the processor further configured to present a second user interface to facilitate playback of soundtracks stored in the memory.    
     
     
         15 . A game console as recited in  claim 14  wherein the second user interface is further to facilitate the associating of a selected soundtrack with a particular game such that the selected soundtrack is played when the particular game is launched.  
     
     
         16 . A game console as recited in  claim 14  wherein the second user interface further facilitates the associating of a selected soundtrack with a particular user of the game console.  
     
     
         17 . A game console as recited in  claim 14  wherein the plurality of audio tracks are retrieved from a plurality of audio sources.  
     
     
         18 . A game console as recited in  claim 14  wherein the plurality of audio tracks are retrieved from a single audio source.  
     
     
         19 . A game console as recited in  claim 14  wherein the first user interface facilitates creation of a soundtrack by presenting a list of audio sources from which to select audio tracks.  
     
     
         20 . A game console as recited in  claim 14  wherein the first user interface facilitates creation of a soundtrack by presenting a list of audio tracks available from a selected audio source, the first user interface further facilitating selection of an audio track from the audio source for including in the soundtrack.  
     
     
         21 . A method comprising: 
 a receiving a request to launch a game in a gaming system;    determining whether the game has a user-associated soundtrack;    launching the game and playing the user-associated soundtrack if the game has a user-associated soundtrack; and    launching the game and playing a default soundtrack if the game does not have a user-associated soundtrack.    
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 21  wherein the default soundtrack is provided by the game developer.  
     
     
         23 . A method as recited in  claim 21  wherein the default soundtrack is provided on a game disc.  
     
     
         24 . A method as recited in  claim 21  wherein the default soundtrack and the game are stored on a game disc installed in the gaming system.  
     
     
         25 . A method as recited in  claim 21  wherein playing the user-associated soundtrack includes retrieving the user-associated soundtrack from a hard disk drive in the gaming system.  
     
     
         26 . A method as recited in  claim 21  wherein playing the user-associated soundtrack occurs while a game disc is installed in the gaming system.  
     
     
         27 . One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in  claim 21 .  
     
     
         28 . A method comprising: 
 receiving a request to play a game in a gaming system;    determining whether the game has a user-associated soundtrack;    if the game has a user-associated soundtrack: 
 launching the game; and  
 playing the user-associated soundtrack;  
   if the game does not have a user-associated soundtrack: 
 allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack to play while the game is executed.  
   
     
     
         29 . A method as recited in  claim 28  wherein allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes allowing the user to select between a default game soundtrack and other soundtracks stored in the gaming system.  
     
     
         30 . A method as recited in  claim 28  wherein allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes associating the selected soundtrack with the game if the selected soundtrack is stored in the gaming system.  
     
     
         31 . A method as recited in  claim 28  wherein allowing the user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes associating the selected soundtrack with the game if the selected soundtrack is not the default game soundtrack.  
     
     
         32 . A method as recited in  claim 28  wherein allowing the user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes  
     
     
         33 . One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in  claim 28 .  
     
     
         34 . A method comprising: 
 launching a game and playing a user-associated soundtrack on a gaming system;    receiving a request to select a different soundtrack;    pausing execution of the game;    determining the new soundtrack to be played; and    resuming execution of the game and playing the new soundtrack on the gaming system.    
     
     
         35 . A method as recited in  claim 34  wherein determining the new soundtrack to be played includes: 
 displaying a list of available soundtracks to a user of the gaming system; and  
 identifying the soundtrack selected by the user of the gaming system.  
 
     
     
         36 . A method as recited in  claim 35  wherein the list of available soundtracks is generated by identifying soundtracks stored on a hard disk drive in the gaming system.  
     
     
         37 . A method as recited in  claim 35  wherein the list of available soundtracks is generated by identifying soundtracks associated with the user of the gaming system.  
     
     
         38 . One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in  claim 34 .  
     
     
         39 . A user interface for a game console, comprising: 
 a music collection menu configured to identify soundtracks that are currently available to play on the game console; and    a soundtrack creation menu accessible from the music collection menu to create a soundtrack from one or more audio tracks.    
     
     
         40 . A user interface as recited in  claim 39  wherein the soundtrack creation menu is further configured to facilitate association of a soundtrack with a particular game.  
     
     
         41 . A user interface as recited in  claim 39  wherein the soundtrack creation menu is further configured to facilitate association of a specific soundtrack with a particular game such that when the game is executed, the specific soundtrack is played instead of the particular game's default soundtrack.  
     
     
         42 . A computer-readable medium for a game console comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to: 
 identify a game to be executed by the game console;    determine whether the identified game has a user-associated soundtrack;    execute the game while playing the user-associated soundtrack if the identified game has a user-associated soundtrack; and    execute the game while playing a default game soundtrack if the identified game does not have a user-associated soundtrack.    
     
     
         43 . A computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 42  wherein the default game soundtrack is stored on a game disc with an associated game.  
     
     
         44 . A computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 42  wherein the user-associated soundtrack is played while a game disc is installed in the game console.