this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2025
102 points (99.0% liked)

Gaming

32802 readers
65 users here now

From video gaming to card games and stuff in between, if it's gaming you can probably discuss it here!

Please Note: Gaming memes are permitted to be posted on Meme Mondays, but will otherwise be removed in an effort to allow other discussions to take place.

See also Gaming's sister community Tabletop Gaming.


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
top 37 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] danielhanrahantng@beehaw.org 1 points 5 days ago

They need to be sued and evidence available needs to be used in court against them on why the patent needs to be invalidated.

[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 85 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Once again, showing why Nintendo is a POS company.

Compete by making better games and stories, not by patenting basic role playing game mechanics and suing your competition.

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 55 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The true fault here is the us patent system.

Nintendo is shitty for patenting this, sure, but why was the patent granted? This has happened numerous times for big tech companies where an overly broad patent is granted that allows them to stifle innovation and bully smaller companies out of business instead of properly competing with government protection

[–] Kichae@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Exactly. Nintendo is not our friend, but it's also playing by the rules it has available to it. It's the rulemaker's fault if the rules are shite.

As a publically traded company in the current system, Nintendo is not in the business of making video games, it's in the business of making shareholder value. Video games are just a tool for doing that, exactly how a PC is a tool for writing documents or developing software. At the end of the day, companies have more than one tool at their disposal, and are going to use all of them to compete.

It's on us to take away the tools we don't think they should have access to, not on them to voluntarily not use the ones that are in play.

[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Classic American response: "companies aren't responsible for the shitty choices they make, they can make as many shitty choices that harm people for profit as possible at all times and it's just business".

[–] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 weeks ago

I've grown to hate that famous quote "It's not personal, it's just business." because it's almost exclusively used to excuse people when they choose to act like sociopaths.

[–] Akrenion@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Systemic change is needed when the system allows for that exploitation. That is not excusing companies. Noone should be able to do it is the right reaction.

[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

No one should be able to do it is the right reaction, but 'Nintendo deserves no blame or shame for choosing to do it' is the wrong reaction. Nintendo could have used all the money it spends on IP lawyers to instead lobby the government to change the patent system, but they chose not to.

[–] Akrenion@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

No-one you replied to said anything different which is why I find your reply weird.

[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 weeks ago

I misread the comment hierarchy, I thought this was a part of a different chain.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 39 points 3 weeks ago

The patent system is broken as fuck.

[–] Albbi@lemmy.ca 36 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Specifically, the patent describes a situation where:

  • A console or other system is being used to run a video game from storage
  • The player controls a character in a “virtual space”
  • The player can perform an input command to make a “sub character” appear (i.e. summon another character)
  • If there’s an enemy where the sub character appears, the player can control a battle between the sub character and the enemy
  • If there’s no enemy where the sub character appears, the sub character will automatically move around
  • The player can move the sub character to a different location on the field, and if an enemy is there they can control a battle between the sub character and the enemy
[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 87 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

This describes literally every pet system in any game where the pets can battle.

This is so overly broad, it's insane.

[–] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 16 points 3 weeks ago

It’s also any RPG-like game that lets you summon creatures or undead

[–] Smoke@beehaw.org 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It sounds incredibly vulnerable to this exact argument. Patents aren't valid if it's been invented already.

[–] ranandtoldthat@beehaw.org 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The problem is lawyers. Nintendo has billions to spend on them.

[–] Smoke@beehaw.org 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Even lawyers can't get you out of trying to patent something that was clearly already in the market. Previously, Nintendo's patent lawsuits had been for specific mechanics such as throwing a ball to capture npc animals.

[–] Ganbat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

So... Final Fantasy, Oblivion, Inscryption...

[–] aceslip@lemmy.zip 31 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Let’s get old with it. Dragon Quest Monsters, Shin Megami, Monster Rancher ….

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You can summon animals and demons and stuff in Dungeons and Dragons.

[–] Sas@beehaw.org 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Devil May Cry V has V that functions like this as well

[–] josefo@leminal.space 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] EonNShadow@pawb.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

OSRS has parts where you have to command your pet cat to attack rats even

Although in fairness I'd rather not have to ever deal with those mechanics ever again

[–] somerandomperson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Change a few little things and boom. No nintendo.

[–] SharkAttak@kbin.melroy.org 4 points 3 weeks ago

"Boom. No nintendo" sounds like a plan to me...

[–] Linktank@lemmy.today 34 points 3 weeks ago

Fuck Nintendo.

[–] jared@mander.xyz 27 points 3 weeks ago

Fuck Nintendo!

[–] belated_frog_pants@beehaw.org 25 points 3 weeks ago

Man fuck nintendo

[–] vala@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 3 weeks ago

Just want to remind everyone that PalWorld is a really good game. Its still getting major updates and has an insane amount of high quality content to explore.

[–] QuantumTickle@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Did they ask Digimon when they made the patent?

[–] Kissaki@beehaw.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

Wikipedia says Digimon release 1997, Pokemon 1996.

[–] Kissaki@beehaw.org 15 points 3 weeks ago

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair in Japan last year, alleging that Palworld infringes on three patents that are related to monster catching gameplay, including summoning Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, and using Pals as vehicles like gliders.

Indication of how protective vs aggressive Nintendo uses it's patents.

How similar vs novel do you feel pal world is to Pokemon?

[–] Marshezezz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 3 weeks ago

lol what a fucking joke

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 14 points 3 weeks ago

Wonder what Blizzard thinks of this.

[–] DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You can expect they will only "enforce" this with a competitor that gets too popular and all the other niche indie games like a cassette Beasts and TemTem they will leave alone

[–] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 8 points 3 weeks ago

Existing IPs, maybe. But the real point of this patent is to stifle innovation and preempt competition. No indie developer is going to dare enter this creative space anymore as they don't have the resources to challenge Nintendo's patent - even though I think this won't hold up in court.

[–] abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 weeks ago

Amma try summon demons irl to battle each other and get Nintendo to sue me for the most excellent court case.