Methods and apparatus for presenting information in a video game. In one implementation, an entertainment system includes: a game console; a display device connected to said game console; and a video game application program; wherein when said game console executes said video game application program, said game console causes said display device to display an information gauge; wherein said information gauge includes: an action bar having a start end and a goal end, and a plurality of character icons presented at respective points on the action bar, each character icon representing a respective character in the video game; wherein said character icons move along said action bar over time in the direction from said start end to said goal end; and wherein when a character icon reaches said goal end, the character corresponding to that character icon has an opportunity to perform an action in the video game.
1. A method of displaying information on a display device while executing a video game by a user, said video game having graphically displayed battle characters that perform battle actions in said video game, and said method being performed by a user-operated game console that executes a video game program to perform the steps comprising:
displaying a bonus area on a display screen;
displaying on said display screen a plurality of money or item bonus icons separate and apart from said battle characters, said bonus icons being displayed in a row ending at said bonus area, each bonus icon representing a money bonus or an item bonus award to the user; moving said bonus icons over time towards said bonus area while said video game is being played and at a rate of movement depending upon the actions performed by said battle characters of said video game, so that said bonus icons enter said bonus area one at a time; and
providing a player operating said game console a bonus corresponding to a bonus icon currently in said bonus area when an action concludes.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a player in the video game a bonus corresponding to each bonus icon that has not yet reached said bonus area when said action concludes.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said bonus icons move at a rate related to the type of said action.
4. A computer program, stored on a tangible storage medium, for use in displaying information on a display device while a user executes a video game, said video game having graphically displayed battle characters that perform battle actions in said video game, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
cause the display of a bonus area;
cause the display of a plurality of money or item bonus icons separate and apart from said battle characters, said bonus icons being displayed in a row ending at said bonus area, each bonus icon representing a money bonus or an item bonus award to the user ;
move said bonus icons over time towards said bonus area while said video game is being played and at a rate of movement depending upon the actions performed by said battle characters of said video game, so that said bonus icons enter said bonus area one at a time; and
provide a player of the video game a bonus corresponding to a bonus icon currently in said bonus area when an action concludes.
5. A system for displaying information on a display device while executing a video game by a user said video game having graphically displayed battle characters that perform battle actions in said video game, comprising:
means for displaying a bonus area;
means for displaying a plurality of money or item bonus icons separate and apart from said battle characters, said bonus icons being displayed in a row ending at said bonus area, each bonus icon representing a money bonus or an item bonus award to the user;
means for moving said bonus icons over time towards said bonus area while said video game is being played and at a rate of movement depending upon the actions performed by said battle characters of said video game, so that said bonus icons enter said bonus area one at a time; and
means for providing a player of the video game a bonus corresponding to a bonus icon currently in said bonus area when an action concludes.