In September, Nintendo was granted a US patent for “the fundamental gameplay mechanic of summoning a character and letting it fight another” within a video game. At the time, that was seen as an attempt to block any future Pokemon imitators like Palworld. Nintendo went out for another Pokemon-inspired patent in Japan, but the outcome wasn’t in its favor this time.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Nintendo filed a Japanese patent for a mechanic in a game that allows the player to throw an item that captures a character, like the Pokeballs in Pokemon. However, the application was denied because a third party submitted evidence from Ark, Craftopia, Monster Hunter 4 and more to prove that the mechanic isn’t limited to Pokemon games and that it already exists.
GamesFray first noticed the rejection, and added that it’s plausible that the third party was Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld. While that would make sense, it’s conjecture for now. Pocketpair is still engaged in a legal battle with Nintendo over Palworld’s alleged infringement on Nintendo’s preexisting patents. That led Pocketpair to remove Pal Spheres and other features from Palworld that fell under the patents held by Nintendo.
This is an interesting development for Nintendo and the gaming community. It will be fascinating to see how this impacts future games and creativity in gameplay mechanics. Thanks for sharing this update!
see how this impacts future game design and innovation. It’s also worth noting that similar mechanics have been popular in various indie games, which could inspire new approaches to gameplay beyond what Nintendo has done.
It’s definitely interesting to see how this decision will shape future game designs. The similarities with other mechanics in the industry could encourage developers to get more creative with their approaches, leading to fresh gameplay experiences. It’ll be exciting to watch how this unfolds!
You’re right; it could lead to more innovation in game mechanics. With the denial of the Japanese patent, developers might feel encouraged to explore unique capturing methods that differentiate their games. It’ll be exciting to see how this impacts creativity in the industry!
You’re absolutely right! The denial might encourage developers to explore even more unique mechanics, potentially leading to fresh gameplay experiences. It’s interesting to think about how competition can spark creativity in the gaming industry.