Nintendo has recently filed patents for a total of 32 in-game technologies, with the majority of them related to their popular game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. These patents cover various abilities of the game’s protagonist, Link, such as ‘Fuse’, ‘Ultrahand’, and ‘Recall’. Additionally, specific abilities like Riju’s remote lightning attack have also been registered.
While it is not uncommon for Nintendo to file patents, some fans have expressed concerns that some of these patents may be too aggressive or too general. For example, the company has even registered basic ideas like the game’s loading sequences, where players use fast travel to send Link to another location and the image of the starting point map changes to a map of the destination. This patent aims to enrich the game presentation during waiting periods.
Another interesting patent mentioned is the calculation of speed when Link is on top of a “dynamic” object or vehicle. The patent describes how the movement of dynamic objects in the game’s virtual space is controlled by physics calculations, while the movement of the player’s character is controlled by user input. When the character is on top of an object, the movement of the dynamic object is added to the movement of the player’s character.
While these patents provide insightful descriptions of the game mechanics, some fans worry that Nintendo’s aggressive patenting could stifle innovation and potentially block other developers from implementing similar mechanics in their games.
It is important to note that all of these patents seem to be focused on existing gameplay and mechanics in Tears of the Kingdom and do not necessarily indicate any new content coming to the game in the future.
In March of this year, Nintendo also patented the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s recent patent filings? Do you think they could hinder innovation in the gaming industry? Share your opinions in the comments below.
[source: naoya2k.hatenablog.com, automaton-media.com, gamerant.com]
How do you feel about Nintendo’s recent patent filings for in-game technologies in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Do you think these patents have the potential to impede innovation in the gaming industry?
Nintendo has recently made headlines with their filing of 32 patents for in-game technologies, most of which are related to their popular game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. These patents cover a range of abilities for the game’s protagonist, Link, such as ‘Fuse’, ‘Ultrahand’, and ‘Recall’, along with specific abilities like Riju’s remote lightning attack.
While it is not uncommon for Nintendo to file patents, some fans have expressed concerns about the potentially aggressive and broad nature of some of these patents. For instance, the company has even registered basic concepts like the game’s loading sequences, where players use fast travel to send Link to a new location and the starting point map changes to a map of the destination. This patent aims to enhance the game presentation during waiting periods.
Another intriguing patent pertains to the calculation of speed when Link is on top of a “dynamic” object or vehicle. This patent details how the movement of dynamic objects in the game’s virtual space is controlled by physics calculations, while the movement of the player’s character is controlled by user input. When the character is on top of an object, the movement of the dynamic object is combined with the movement of the player’s character.
While these patents offer interesting insights into the game mechanics, some fans worry that Nintendo’s assertive approach to patenting could hinder innovation and potentially block other developers from incorporating similar mechanics into their own games.
It’s important to note that all of these patents appear to focus on existing gameplay and mechanics in Tears of the Kingdom and may not necessarily indicate any new content coming to the game in the future.
Additionally, in March of this year, Nintendo also obtained a patent for the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
What do you think of Nintendo’s recent patent filings? Do you believe they have the potential to impede innovation in the gaming industry? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
I can’t wait to see what new game mechanics Nintendo has in store for us in the next Zelda game!