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Can you patent a game mechanic? I could see the implementation of a mechanic being protected, the specific way the code is written in a game, which would mean you can always find a different way to achieve the same result. What are you thinking of when you say "game mechanic"?
The Nemesis System of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War. Warner Bros. patented that mechanic and for that reason it has never been seen again in any game beyond those already mentioned. Nintendo also recently patented several mechanics of the Pokemon games in response to the growing popularity of Palworld. Bandai also patented the mechanics of placing mini-games on the loading screens, so for 20 years no game was able to do so until recently when the patent expired.
Oh shi- riiiight the thing with the mini-games, I've heard about that! Just didn't connect the dots here, I guess.
There's also Namco patent around auxiliary games played during loading screens, but it's lapsed finally (https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/12/loading-screen-game-patent-finally-expires)
I’m intrigued as to how Nintendo patenting some game mechanics from Pokémon.
How does this stand when Palworld is already out and using those same mechanics since the patents came after.
It's a pressure move, a way to flex legal muscle and intimidate. Nintendo's real fear is that Palworld will start selling merchandise, which is where Nintengo earns more from pokemon. The patent thing is a deterrent so that the Palworld guys don't get brave.
Yes you can. This is the patent for the "Nemesis characters, nemesis forts, social vendettas and followers in computer games:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160279522A1/en
American and Japanese companies especially patent as much as they can in video games.
That entire page goes WAY over my head so I'll take your word for it, hah.
That's just what a patent looks like. The patent number, the designer, and who holds it. Then a summary. Designs. And description of how it functions.
But yeah, it's all legal talk so it's a chore to read. Don't feel bad, Einstein worked in a patent office.
Here's a much simplier example thats far easier to understand, but has all the same details:
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD709328S1/en?q=%28lightbulb%29&page=1
Drinking glass with inverted lightbulb enclosed within the drinking glass
That patent is essentially trying to say that if you do anything more than a randomly selected behaviour, based on a database, related to previous user interactions, you are infringing the patent. At the same time, the mechanics in the filed patent also depend upon the creation of a database based on the user's past behaviour.
The implications are just that, if you have more lawyer money than WB, then you can make and sell your game.