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Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

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Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#61

Post by thomastjeffery »

xyzzy_plugh wrote: post #31

If anyone has worked with an IP attorney before then they know that filing patents is a stength-in-numbers approach. You don't file patents because you think you're a genius, you file patents to defend yourself and ensure an end state of mutually assured destruction. It looks like Nintendo threw everything against the wall to see what sticks, which is what a good IP attorney would recommend. It's unlikely these would…

> what a good IP attorney would recommend.

I think we could find a more useful word than "good". How about "useful"?

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#62

Post by toast0 »

voakbasda wrote: post #15
hermannj314 wrote: post #4

We seem to always focus on the cost of the patent system, never the benefit. One day we will all be dead (or much older) and all of these features and patents will be freely available, described in significant detail to be reproducible, and the world will be a slightly more amazing place than it is now. If you look at all the expiring patents, many filed 20 years ago, you will find there are some neat things document…

Practically, this is not how it actually seems to work. Instead, companies create an pipeline of patents, whereupon inventions are locked up indefinitely. Sure, the original invention may be available, but in the meantime, new patents were filed for improvements and refinements. Without those, the original patent cannot be made efficiently or cost effective. Plus, the new patents can be weaponized in the courts to dr…

Isn't this the system working as designed? If you want your thing to be protected, you've got to keep improving and refining it. When your 20-year old product is competitive with today's product, you lose your patent protection.

As a competitor, you can also try taking the 20-year old product and refining it differently, too. Or if you're aggressive, you can build and refine current competitive products and patent the refinements, but you can't sell the product without a license, so might not be great (otoh, you might trade licensing the refinement for licensing the base product)

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#64

Post by dundarious »

davesque wrote: post #54
jallen_dot_dev wrote: post #34

> The functionality seems at first glance to be a given for any game with a similar environment, but according to an observation by naoya2k, what makes Nintendo’s solution unique is that there are no physics working between Link and the dynamic object. Since both the character and object use physics, the most straightforward solution would be that Link moves together with the moving objects he is on top of as a resul…

I think most games that use detailed physics include optimizations like this.

I think the point is that the approach far predates games with anything like a physics system. That part of the patent seems to describe what happens when a character stands on a moving platform like an elevator. This stuff predates Super Mario Bros.

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#65

Post by stale2002 »

manojlds wrote: post #19
no-dr-onboard wrote: post #18

Nintendo doing Nintendo things again. Honestly the whole article gives me flashbacks of the various legal battles that they've been involved in [1]. They seem to pay no mind to the effect their litigiousness has on competition and innovation in this area...as if it wasn't already hard enough. 1. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/switch-hacker-gary-...

When clones like Genshin Impact exist, why do you blame Nintendo?

I blame Nintendo because I think that they should compete in the market by making good games, as opposed to trying to stop other people from doing so themselves by abusing the legal system against competitors.

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#66

Post by GartzenDeHaes »

no-dr-onboard wrote: post #18

Nintendo doing Nintendo things again. Honestly the whole article gives me flashbacks of the various legal battles that they've been involved in [1]. They seem to pay no mind to the effect their litigiousness has on competition and innovation in this area...as if it wasn't already hard enough. 1. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/switch-hacker-gary-...

> They seem to pay no mind to the effect their litigiousness has on competition and innovation

They seem to be very mindful of the effect, which is why they are taking these actions.

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#67

Post by jncfhnb »

jallen_dot_dev wrote: post #34

> The functionality seems at first glance to be a given for any game with a similar environment, but according to an observation by naoya2k, what makes Nintendo’s solution unique is that there are no physics working between Link and the dynamic object. Since both the character and object use physics, the most straightforward solution would be that Link moves together with the moving objects he is on top of as a resul…

Pretty sure this is the default Character implementation in unreal engine.

There is nuance to what constitutes “standing” on the object.

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#68

Post by SantalBlush »

pphysch wrote: post #53
SantalBlush wrote: post #33

They should patent their "tedious side quests with mundane rewards" feature so nobody does it again.

Meh, I'd rather have lots of side quests with mundane rewards for the quest-enjoyers than a bunch of "not actually side quest" side quests with near-mandatory rewards. Side quests should feel optional.

That's not a real dichotomy. The third option is a reward that is neat or interesting, but not essential. It doesn't even need to be an item.

Spoiler: The fashion/mayor side quest is a good example of such a reward. Korok seeds are not.

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#69

Post by [deleted] »

willcipriano wrote: post #36
acomjean wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rewind was a gameplay mechanic in the pretty great 2d platformer “Braid”. There is a GDC talk about how it was implemented in 2010. https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1012210/The-Implementation-of-...

There isn't a point to the game though. You just walk around jumping on shit.

[deleted]

Re: Nintendo filed numerous patents for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom mechanics

#70

Post by jncfhnb »

matsemann wrote: post #46
jallen_dot_dev wrote: post #34

> The functionality seems at first glance to be a given for any game with a similar environment, but according to an observation by naoya2k, what makes Nintendo’s solution unique is that there are no physics working between Link and the dynamic object. Since both the character and object use physics, the most straightforward solution would be that Link moves together with the moving objects he is on top of as a resul…

Or like every 2D platformer ever?

Not quite. It’s pretty rare to be jumping off and standing on top of moving physics objects in 2D platformers. Like in Mario almost everything you can stand on is static or following a fixed movement pattern.
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