Nintendo Secures Broad U.S. patent on Core Creature-Battling Mechanic, Threatening Industry Innovation
A newly granted U.S. patent awarded to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company raises concerns about the future of the creature-collecting genre, perhaps impacting dozens of existing and forthcoming games. The patent, granted last week, covers the core mechanic of summoning a character to battle another – a foundational element of games like Pokémon, Palworld, and many others.
The scope of the patent is described as unusually broad, with critics labeling Nintendo’s strategy as “all-you-can-patent.” Patent agencies reportedly face challenges identifying prior art due to the mechanic’s prevalence in existing games rather than documented patents. This development arrives as Palworld developer Pocketpair already navigates legal scrutiny regarding gameplay similarities to Pokémon, and raises the specter of costly patent applications or potential market removal for developers operating within the genre.
The patent’s implications extend beyond Palworld. Developers may now be compelled to seek their own patents for similar mechanics to safeguard their projects, or risk legal challenges. The gaming industry now faces a critical juncture: will it accept nintendo’s potential control over a significant genre, or will it collectively challenge what many perceive as a barrier to creativity and innovation?
According to a report from Gamesfray, the patent’s breadth has sparked debate about the balance between intellectual property protection and the free flow of game design ideas. The question now is whether the industry will fight back against what many see as a threat to creativity and innovation in gaming.
[Source: https://gamesfray.com/last-week-nintendo-and-the-pokemon-company-received-a-u-s-patent-on-summoning-a-character-and-letting-it-fight-another/ ]
