We all know gameplay cannot be patented, though people can uphold their trademark or brand.
But novel systems in games can be patented. I’m ambivalent to patents in general, I can see the cases for and against.
It’s also an absolute legend that Mikito Ichikawa (MNM Software, aka Mindware Corp.), with a little help from Nintendo, prevented SEGA getting a patent on “viewpoint change” in 3D games. Thank goodness!
Cool idea. I had a whole Tumblr of game patents which I haven’t updated in ages. Mostly focused on physical design (controllers, systems, ect) as those were more interesting to me
I find this whole concept very unpleasant! Especially as most gameplay mechanics are so derivative. Warner Bros successfully patented the Shadow of Mordor Nemesis system:
Granted it was a good idea, but it is simply a loss to gaming that idea is locked to WB and only ever used in that seemingly now dead series. An otherwise fairly unoriginal open world action game - borrowing heavily from Ubisoft games.
I don’t know - could they? My concern would be that anyone who wanted to implement a system whereby your interactions with an NPC procedurally alter that character and create a unique relationship with the player would run the risk of getting WB lawyers sniffing around.
A lot of programming problems have a fairly obvious set of solutions, so you’d have to probably work hard to not use some of the stuff they outlined in the patent. I think the smart choice is to just avoid that kind of game mechanic and not take the risk.
It seems to me that almost every fundamental mechanic in gaming was at some point “novel”, like where would Shadow of Mordor be if someone had patented climbing up towers to reveal parts of the map, or having all your enemies standing around in circles attacking you one at a time while you counter?
