Nintendo patents key console online gaming features?

[ex0]

"Nintendo has been granted a US patent that yields it the ownership of key online multi-player gaming facilities, including player league tables, voice communications and online gaming host services."
Full Article:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/19/nintendo_online_gaming/
Thanks Fark.

[chaostic_2k1]

How the hell can they get a patent for an idea already being used before they even implemented it in their systems? Sega and Sony should sue. Microsoft should screw itself. Sega has used it well before Nintendo even had the initial patent. And this only applies to home consoles, so unlike the article says, handhelds are not controlled under the patent. Sony also has the hard drive thing covered, as none of the Nintendo systems have a hard drive.

[guardian_owl]

"Nintendo has been granted a US patent that yields it the ownership of key online multi-player gaming facilities, including player league tables, voice communications and online gaming host services."
Full Article:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/19/nintendo_online_gaming/
Thanks Fark.

hmm, this article is pretty broad and doesn't get into the specifics of it, but if it implies what I THINK it implies, then it's a pretty dirty tactic on the part of Nintendo, especially since they aren't even the first (or second, or third for that matter) provider of internet access, utilization of an internal HDD, or for voice communication via a console.

[punqsux]

wow...nintendo rules!

[Ledhed]

Well, it's about fucking time. Voice chat even? Awesomely sweet.

[guardian_owl]

Microsoft should shaq-fu itself.

:-k

I'm confused, why are you telling Microsoft to fuck itself when it is Nintendo filing this patent based on old technology? Did your mind assume only Microsoft would stup to this level of treachery and mentally switch the two companies?

[chaostic_2k1]

If it ever goes into court, Nintendo will certainly lose the patent. I think it would become simply open-source type of thing, only being patentable under proprietary design, like the difference between limewire and the old kazaa.

[chaostic_2k1]

Microsoft is rich enough already. Besides, its the evil empire. Nintendo should just feel ashamed and turn the patent into a royalty free type of thing. Ohh, and any lawsuit against Nintendo would not be for anything other then legal fees under a Prior Art claim.

[Duo_Maxwell]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/08/17/news_6105085.html

Gamespot gives much more accurate report IMO. It was simply a patent for the now defunct 64DD and is nothing to get anyone's hopes hope or get excited about.

[daphatty]

Glad You cleared that up, Duo. I was most confused about this.

P.S. VOTE DAPHATTY!

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27517&postdays=0&postorder=asc&sta rt=0

[Quackzilla]

While Microsoft is trying to standardise consoles so third parties can spend more money on development and less on ports Nintendo is trying to patent technology that its competitors have been using for years.

Ever since the old CEO resigned Nintendo has been in a downhill spiral. The only reason they make a profit is because they overcharge for dated technology.

[danny-o]

If nintendo is going to make these patent they better to start making more than one online game for thier system.

[WildWop]

Ever since the old CEO resigned Nintendo has been in a downhill spiral. The only reason they make a profit is because they overcharge for dated technology.

WTF?

[PsyClerk]

Ever since the old CEO resigned Nintendo has been in a downhill spiral. The only reason they make a profit is because they overcharge for dated technology.

WTF?

Probably a reference to the N64 using cartridges rather than CDs. I wouldn't say Nintendo uses dated technology now, but they still use non-standard media. That way they can ream third party developers for more money. Ever wonder why GC games are almost always more expensive than the same titles on PS2 and Xbox? Hint: it's not demand for product, contrary to what GameFAQs message boards might say.

[int80h]

the patent is for this:

http://www.64dd.net/

[WildWop]

Ever since the old CEO resigned Nintendo has been in a downhill spiral. The only reason they make a profit is because they overcharge for dated technology.

WTF?

Probably a reference to the N64 using cartridges rather than CDs. I wouldn't say Nintendo uses dated technology now, but they still use non-standard media. That way they can ream third party developers for more money. Ever wonder why GC games are almost always more expensive than the same titles on PS2 and Xbox? Hint: it's not demand for product, contrary to what GameFAQs message boards might say.

The fact that they are more expensive doesn't have to do with the cost of the media, it's for the licensing. Nintendo charges third parties more (or rather, haven't changed their rates to match) than Sony or Microsoft, the latter of which dropped their costs to encourage third parties to migrate away from Nintendo -- hence why they were so quick to jump ship to the PSX.

[PsyClerk]

That's what I was getting at. But still....which is cheaper to produce? CD/DVD media or cartridges/mini-discs? (or whatever the hell Nintendo calls the GC games)

[sying]

Microsoft is rich enough already. Besides, its the evil empire. Nintendo should just feel ashamed and turn the patent into a royalty free type of thing. Ohh, and any lawsuit against Nintendo would not be for anything other then legal fees under a Prior Art claim.


So?!? Microsoft is rich, you aren't. Keep your ignorance and stupidity to yourself.

[Tromack]

Microsoft is rich enough already. Besides, its the evil empire. Nintendo should just feel ashamed and turn the patent into a royalty free type of thing. Ohh, and any lawsuit against Nintendo would not be for anything other then legal fees under a Prior Art claim.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2002-07-22&res=l
Any time I see a rant against Microsoft, I think of this.

[zewone]

I like Nintendo, but this a bitch move if they are trying to patent online gaming for themselves. This would screw it up for companys that are actually doing online gaming right (Microsoft).

[chaostic_2k1]

Last I heard, Gamecube disc are modified DVD type discs. And I never knew 3 seperated sentences constituted a rant. And Duo, thanks for the link. So much more informative. Hell, I never knew N64 HAD an online system, but Smash Brothers never did require more the two people.

[xspeedracerx]

damn, nintendo's stupid.

[Sarang01]

Look for info on the mini-DVD by Nintendo do you people realize you can layer the hell out of the disc? I mean I'm serious. You can triple layer and even maybe more than that. With the XBox and Sony DVD discs the most you can do is double layer.
Granted even with that coolness on Nintendo's DVD front it still doesn't make it excusable for overcharging 3rd parties. Nintendo needs to be smart about this.
The only reason they're trying to patent online is because they don't want to have to get off their asses and implement it like they should and need to. Trying to FORCE us to play offline is a bullshit move and they know it.
Even before the 64DD I think Sega came out with Netplay on the SS and before that the X-Band came out.

[fireball343]

first off, i belive MICROSOFT got the patent for a video game console with a built in hard drive, also,
sony, sega and microsoft are the only companies that have had real online services. nintendo's is soley for Phantsy star online(unless there's one other)

it's stupid how much they try to copy eachother, but then they get patents on what the other does better. great......

[epobirs]

Look for info on the mini-DVD by Nintendo do you people realize you can layer the hell out of the disc? I mean I'm serious. You can triple layer and even maybe more than that. With the XBox and Sony DVD discs the most you can do is double layer.
Granted even with that coolness on Nintendo's DVD front it still doesn't make it excusable for overcharging 3rd parties. Nintendo needs to be smart about this.
The only reason they're trying to patent online is because they don't want to have to get off their asses and implement it like they should and need to. Trying to FORCE us to play offline is a bullshit move and they know it.
Even before the 64DD I think Sega came out with Netplay on the SS and before that the X-Band came out.

You can multi-layer any optical disc design. There's one company that's been promising 100 GB ROM discs for several years now but like so many of their ilk the product remains vaporware. One of the problems is that with each layer you add the more issues arise with placement of the disc in relation to the read head. One of the reason all DVDs are double-sided, even if only one side is used for data and the other carries artwork, is the tight tolerances required just for plain old DVD.

The value of using more than two layers is questionable. The only reason Nintendo would have for doing so is to match the data capacity their competition gets using off the shelf standard DVDs. At 1.5 GB for a standard GC disc Nintendo would have to add considerable layers requiring extremely difficult to maintain tolerances just to match what DVD deliver with a single layer.

The patent in question here has absolutely nothing to do with Nintendo trying to lock anyone else out of the market. This patent is for a piece of hardware that was never marketed anywhere but Japan and only halfheartedly there. Patents take years to come through, even if the product is dead before the patent is granted the company needs to protect their control of any future derivative of that product.

[snipegod]

If you people would take a moment and step back to think for yourselves, you'd realize that Nintendo filed for this patent in what ... 1999!

It's an outdated system, but the company still needed a patent for it. Jesus.

[chaostic_2k1]

And PSO on GC is just a port of PSO1/2 for DC, so of course it has netplay. GC has no original Net games yet.

1999 was for the original patent. The one describe is an update for it, possibly for addition into the next nintendo system.

100gb disc? Double Sided Blue-Ray?

And I can get a brand new X-Band for 35 bucks, or used for 25, locally too.

[Quackzilla]

A normal blue ray disc can have 4 layers at 25GB each.
That is 100GB per side.

Gamecube uses a regular 3 inch dvd.
Max capacity per layer: 1.5GB
Max layers: 2

A single-disc PS2 game can be 18GB
A single-disc GCN game can be 3GB

[ex0]

If you people would take a moment and step back to think for yourselves, you'd realize that Nintendo filed for this patent in what ... 1999!

It's an outdated system, but the company still needed a patent for it. Jesus.
If you would "step back" and read the posts before yours, you'd realize it was already clarified. Sorry I'm not perfect like you, dickhead.

[snipegod]

If you would "step back" and read the posts before yours, you'd realize it was already clarified. Sorry I'm not perfect like you, dickhead.

Apology accepted.

[Gameboy415]

And PSO on GC is just a port of PSO1/2 for DC, so of course it has netplay. GC has no original Net games yet.


Um, would you mind telling me what other console/PC PSO Episode 3 came out for?

PS: You got served.