I remember someone (probably here) saying that the Shadow of Mordor/War "Nemesis System" could have become a widespread gaming system similar to how the unique mechanics of Dark Souls games became an entire genre and now there are all kinds of games that use the system and tinker with variations on it to great effect now called "soulslike." But because WB or Ubisoft or whoever made a show of patenting the system (and apparently won actual lawsuit challenges to it?) there is no genre of "shadowlike" or "nemesislike" games. That it was a clear example of a patent actually depriving us of an entire potential genre of games.

edit: I swear I read this whole thread before commenting but I missed EllenKelly already mentioned it. And yes, it has been discussed around here.

that's it i'm patenting lawyers

Just a reminder that these patents, while bad, are nowhere near as bad as what might be authorized by new legislation in the U.S. which could re-open the door to "on a computer" patents.

(i.e. "Picture galleries, on a computer" "Healthcare, through a computer" "Dating, through a computer" etc)

IP Law is a mess.

So I've always heard in the context of tabletop games (RPGs, ccgs, boardgames) that you literally can't copyright or patent game mechanics, only specific language/presentation.

For example, you can't call your card game mechanic, "tapping" because MTG/WotC has copyrighted that term, but they literally can't copyright "show card is exhausted by turning it sideways."

Is that not true or is there some reason it's different for videogames?

I like this one

Reminder that we could have had mini games during long loading screens but Bandai Namco patented the idea and barely did anything with it and it didn't expire until loading screens were no longer really a problem.

The nemesis system in Mordor shadow of war is patented :( ip law is such a waste

reminds me of when jonathan blow found out that nintendo patented the time travel mechanic he used in braid. These fuckers will patent anything

Obviously patents and ip are bullshit especially in cases like this but I can't help but marvel at how accurately bad those sample dialog options are

"peace" of slop

Welp, it looks like we've made it to "patented the wheel" level of Dystopia. Pretty cool.

hint at violence

new emote:

:hold-it-right-dere:

I'd like to know the different meanings between the sqiggly arrow and the lightning arrow

Tis I that patented the crazy taxy arrow

Dialogue wheel with different degrees getting patented saved us from the most annoying political simulators that the human mind could possibly fathom.

Or if that's not what that is then I have hallucinated myself to the lathe.