Nintendo have been doing their darndest to destroy a lot of goodwill it made over the past years with predatory practices, shutting down of fan projects and in general just becoming a less friendly company. It seems this is continuing as a firm representing Nintendo has successfully filed for a patent in the US for ‘Systems that summon a creature to fight other creatures’.
This is of course referencing Pokemon, but the way this is worded essentially means any game that lets you do something like summoning minions is a violation of this patent and Nintendo could look to sue you for doing so. Now, it’s unlikely that they would actually do something like this, more likely it would just be used to fight against Pokemon clones, but even then this sets a dangerous precedent that could lead to much bigger issues in the future. It’s unknown how exactly this patent would hold up in court, but the fact it exists at all is a damn shame and a sign that perhaps when it comes to the world of game design patents and laws may need to catch up and get with the times a bit better.
That’s all for now, and as always. It’s not just a game, It’s a Life.