Live data from Hacker News

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

automaton-media.com

1–10 of 135 posts

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

#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 documented. It is awesome those are all available for use. The quid pro quo of the patent system is the other end of the pipe.

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

#6

I'm pretty sure there's nothing revolutionary here, sandbox games have existed for a very long time and that loading transition isn't anything special.

Yeah. I was gonna say something about Garry's Mod entering the room.

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

#7

I'm pretty sure there's nothing revolutionary here, sandbox games have existed for a very long time and that loading transition isn't anything special.

Seems like they banked everything on their sandbox mechanic instead of the rest of the game.

Maybe they plan to reuse it in the future.

Although I think this time I'm done with Zelda for real.

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

#8
post #5

Ah yes don't want a repeat of Genshin Impact

I’m unaware of Genshin Impact. Are you able to explain the reference?

Googling gave me this, but it might be something else:

https://old.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/tbxyrf/genshin_impa...

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

#9

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…

I just wish patents were a little more accessible. I read and write these for a living and I have my doubts about how useful these are, in general, to members of the public.

One great use case for LLMs is the translation of patents into short, easily-readable summaries.

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

#10

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…

I mean, these seem pretty obvious, or even visible from the game itself in a way that publishing it as a patent results in no additional publication since it was apparent in the game already. For instance the loading screen bit simply seems to talk about how they show where you're going on the map during fast travel.

Seems like mainly a net loss.

Post reply on HN