'Recovering' development costs by using a government enforced monopoly on game mechanics.
this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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Video game patents are not a way to monopolize game mechanics, but to recover development costs, say Sega, Capcom and Konami ~~legal experts~~ assholes being paid to defend that bullshit
Fixed the headline
Don't you only get paid if someone else actually uses what you patented? I have never seen that happen with patented game mechanics. If the mechanic is patented by company X, company Y simply won't use that mechanic. Who the hell else had playable loading screens when Namco still held a patent on them? Who currently has a nemesis system outside of the Shadow of Mordor games, which is patented by WB?
The nemesis system wasn’t unique when it came out, plenty of games have similar mechanics, obviously there is a distinct mechanic about Shadows of Mordor that other can’t copy with the patent, but it hasn’t affected nemesis systems in other games.
They don’t pay, because there’s usually another way to make a very similar system that doesn’t infringe.
What's another game with a nemesis system?
Off the top of my head, Assassin's creed, diablo and Far Cry 5 are recent ones.
Depends on which specific mechanic you’re talking about, lots of games have enemies that die and come back stronger.
Cheating is a way to win. says cheaters.
Except that it's not cheating? It's the system functioning as designed. The real issue is what patents are applied to, the length of time given, and the ability to renew them if you iterated on it slightly. If Corps like Disney hadn't lobbied and litigated to push through changes to copyright and patent laws the world would be a much different place. So much is locked up behind laws designed to harvest wealth that creativity and innovation are stunted.
Fucking bullshit. Gtfo with that nonsense you greedy asshats.
"We're not blocking competition, we're just making sure no one else can get any money."
Abolish all software patents. OK, I'll compromise to a 3 year patent duration. No? So abolition it is.
Nobody buys a game because they made a cool new and innovative mechanic.
They buy it because it's a good game and the mechanic helps that.
If your game sucks and no one buys it despite the new mechanic, perhaps other more talented developers should be able to use that mechanic.in their games to improve the industry.
That’s covered under copyright not patents
And the ducking difference is? What exactly?