Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo Patents Online Console Gaming
MagicDude writes "Nintendo has patented key console online gaming features. Specifically, it has received patents on things such as player league tables, voice communications and online gaming host services. While the article doesn't address how Nintendo will use these patents, it makes you wonder if this is the first step for Nintendo to become a major player in the online gaming market."
Wow, they just patented telephones, VOIP, MMORPGs, etc... Sheesh, shouldn't something like this be a LITTLE obvious?
Way to go, USPTO!
feh. stuff.
Sony submit "Game system with graphics processor". Wow.
What they've been awarded is an addition to a patent they filed for back in 1999, long before Xbox Live existed.
The thing is that a lot of this technology already existed prior to the patent application in PC online gaming. Nintendo has just patented the same thing on a different technology.
In C++, friends can touch each others private parts.
Perhaps these folks can take care of it if nintendo doesn't bother.
For those not familar, it makes gamecube games that are LAN compatable work over the internet. Its a beautiful thing.
No chance for prior art on this one either from what I can tell I'm afraid. These were amended to previous patents and refer specifically to consoles. It looks like these predate the Dreamcasts online gaming and with the console specifically mentioned they could easily avoide the PC Prior Art argument.
...and the patent application PREDATES X-Box Live, by SEVERAL YEARS.
RTFA.
It was filed in 1998 for the 64DD. If they had filed for it in 2004 then I would agree with you.
Even as a Nintendo fanboy, I'd call this questionable given Xbox Live
It appears you didn't read the article:
Which Xbox Live service are you talking about that was around before April 1999?
Yes, but before Xbox Live there was this:
s pecial/lottery/
http://www.megspace.com/entertainment/neskingdom/
As far as I know it was indeed the first online capable console. There were quite a few games for it, only in Japan, like a special version of Zelda.
Go here for teh [sic] funny.
Actually, way back when, there was this thing called an X-Band modem, and was available for both the Sega Genesis and Super NES. Using it, you could play multiplayer games over a dialup connection, and even rent and download games to your console (supposedly).
I believe that this predated even the Japanese BS-X (Stellaview) system, but I could easily be wrong on that point.
Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
Not to be a spoilsport, but this news is a week old and ign and gamespot confirmed a couple days ago that it was just an "add-on" patent for the 64DD so it has nothing to do with future consoles. Unless the Revolution is going to have the 64DD attached to it, but then I would just be confused.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3134053 The patent was filed for in 1998, before it was "prior art"
Technically, Nintendo has done most of this stuff first with it's miserable failure, the N64 64DD accessory which was released in Japan in 1999. It wasn't a hard drive, but it was read/write storage on a spinning disc in 1999. It also included a modem to access an online service (In Japan). Not many were produced or sold. This device gives muscle behind the original 1999 filing, but not the ammendments.
Everything you wanted to know about the 64DD...
Urge to post... fading... fading... RISING!... fading... fading... gone.
What I have heard is that Bill Gates has said on a few occasions that if he were to get in contact with Nintendo he would immediately offer to buy them. I think Nintendo is a company that MS would like to own. In fact I think they made a bid for Nintendo and Sega when they were first creating the Xbox. At this point, it just seems like the offer is always there is Nintendo is willing to take it.
SIGFAULT
From what I remember about that article, Gates said he would buy Nintendo if he had the chance--a way of complementing them. Microsoft doesn't think they have a chance at buying Nintendo, and Nintendo has said that they don't want to be sold.
Boxing Equipment Reviews
Here is a link I got off the Penny Arcade message boards wherein Nintendo confirms this:Of course, it's too late; the slashdot blurb has done its damage and this story will likely be filled with nothing but alternating "OMFG THE REVOLUTION" and "they patented the internet!" comments. But, if you were curious, this is what is actually happening here.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
So I don't think XBox would have any problems (its network and hard drive aren't expansion), but the PS2 might be(Network adapter is attached to back of unit, but the hard drive does sit within the PS2, just connected to network adapter)
But what do I know, I am NAL.
Here are the patent abstract and claims from the USPTO site:
Abstract:
An existing video game system is modified to include additional communication and storage capability via a modem and hard disk drive. The modification may involve the use of an expansion device coupled to a video game system port. A cable TV tuner is also included in the expansion device to assist in providing a unique picture-in-picture video capability. TV signals are coupled to the expansion device via the RF input from either cable TV or off-air signals. These RF signals are blended with the output signals from the video game system. A user may, for example, watch TV while viewing overlay information from the video game console. A user may receive a TV channel guide downloaded via the Internet, spot a program which the user desires to view and immediately access, via an IR input, the desired channel through the expansion device TV tuner. A user may also watch TV while simultaneously logging onto the Internet. A hard drive permits downloading from the Internet of entire games.
Claims:
We claim:
1. A home video game system for executing video game programs and for generating game play graphics in response to player controller control signals generated by a player operating a player controller for display on a television, said home video game system including a removable memory insertion port for receiving a removable memory storing video game program instructions, comprising:
a game processing system including a main processor, operatively coupled to receive video game instructions from said removable memory when inserted into the removable memory insertion port for executing a video game program, and a graphics coprocessor for processing graphics information under control of said main processor, and being responsive to said player controller control signal for generating game play graphics for display on a television;
communications circuitry, coupled in use to said game processing system and to a user's communications network, for linking said game processing system to the Internet and permitting communication from the player to another party over the Internet;
a writeable mass storage device coupled in use to said game processing system for receiving information downloaded from the Internet; and
cryptographic processing circuitry, coupled to said mass storage device, for decrypting at least some of said information downloaded from the Internet.
2. A home video game system according to claim 1, further including
audio circuitry coupled to said video game processing system.
3. A home video game system according to claim 1, wherein said communications circuitry and said mass storage device are housed in an expansion device and said video game processing system is housed in a separate video game console which is coupled to said expansion device.
4. A home video game system according to claim 1, wherein said communications circuitry comprises a modem, ethernet port, or wireless connection circuitry, and further including a controller for controlling said mass storage device and said communications circuitry.
5. A home video game system according to claim 1, wherein said mass storage device comprises a hard disk drive which stores a network browser program.
6. A home video game system according to claim 1, wherein said mass storage device is a flash memory storage device.
7. A home video game system according to claim 1, wherein said mass storage device stores information downloaded from the Internet.
8. A home video game system comprising:
a removable memory insertion port for receiving a removable memory storing video game program instructions,
a game processing system including a main processor, operatively coupled to receive video game instructions from said removable memory when inserted into the removable memory insertion port and a graphics coprocessor for processing graphics information under control of said m
Totally offtopic, but just incase you are interested in playing subspace again, it has been recreated under the name continuum and is freely available (not OS however) at http://www.subspacedownloads.com/
Quite right. The original poster doen't know what he's talking about. Sony are beating Nintendo in worldwide sales, but they are the only one. Microsoft isn't. It's pretty much neck and neck in worldwide sales figures between GC and Xbox, if there's any lead at all, it's in GCs favour.
I'm at work right now, and my internet access is logged, so I can't provide any links.
The Famicom had a modem that could check stocks, and download some games I believe... it was only released in Japan though I think, and I my memory of it is sort of hazy. It did have some connectivity stuff though, take my word for that.
The American SNES had full online play via a modem, where you could compete with other people. The Japanese Super Famicom had a system where you could download games from a central server.
The N64 had an add-on device called the 64DD. It is for this that the patent in question is being disputed here. It had a modem built into it that could be used for online stuff. I believe that only one 64DD game actually used it though.
GameCube has an expansion slot that can be fitted with either a broadband adaptor or 56k modem.
Hmm okay let's see... The most recent statistics I have state the installed base for the PS2 is 70-71 million units and the XBox is 15.5 million units. The last figures I saw was that 7% of the X-Box's userbase was using Live!... Meanwhile, 3% of the PS2's userbase is using online content. (But since the PS2's installed base is 7 times that of the XBox, they're still winning. The amount of time spent playing SOCOM II outpaces XBox Live! usage by itself...)
Now that means that 1 million people are using X-Box Live and just over two million people are using their PS2 online. These may seem like huge numbers, but they're pathetically small compared to the entirety of the market. So no, 'everyone' does not want Online gaming. The majority of gamers don't give a rat's ass about online gaming for this generation. That may change in the next generation, but since no one knows what the capabilities of everyone's next console is we have no way of knowing how seriously each company is taking it. A few rabid fanboys and early adopters do not market forces make.
Maxim: People cannot follow directions.
Increases in truth directly with the length of time spent explaining them
You know, this article was "broken" to the gaming community a week ago, and we rather quickly figured out (someone called Gamespot or Nintendo and asked directly, IIRC) that it was the patent for the Nintendo 64 disk drive addon. As such, it's really old news, and proven false news at that.
But it does make the random rantings of people about how Nintendo's panicing, how they have too many Patent lawyers, how netcraft confirms Nintendo is dying, etc rather funny.
Now, what IS slightly newsworthy is that they decided to re-up the patent. Which may mean that they're going to use it in the Nintendo Revolution console. But then again, when have you heard of a company voluntairily giving up IP?