Game Patents - Protecting Crazy Taxi's Arrow, Nintendo's D-Pad & More

[@RagdollArtwork]

9:51 This becomes even more frustrating when you realize Tekken 7 doesn't even have a tutorial system. *Just* the training mode. Couldn't even make use of their own patent.

[@paulunga]

I mean... they're using the stuff they patented earlier. The early Tekkens didn't have any tutorials as such either, just the Training mode.

[@kirbygopoyo]

That d-pad segment was actually really interesting. I'd love to see a part 2 video talk about the evolution of thumbsticks.

[@Lugbzurg]

There needs to be footage of Mario Party's dreaded blister-inducing spinning joystick minigames.

[@josesena4314]

As an indie developer I have to say you scared the hell out of me. How can I know if something I want to use in my games is patented?

[@bobtom1495]

Yeah...what Aceox said. As long as you're not doing anything that Nintendo is doing, you could take the risk...because Nintendo man, they are out for blood when you fuck with them. Don't fuck with the Italian Midgets Boi...

[@bagandtag4391]

Only one way to find out

[@raymondthrone7197]

Generally speaking you're not in much danger. Patents concerning creative ideas are intentionally drawn very narrow. For example, reading the FFX sphere grid patent I'm mildly confused how it's even possible for a game to violate it without literally copying and pasting the idea as executed in FFX into their own game. Hell, they could probably argue it out in court even then as long as they didn't use the words "Sphere grid".

[@tuazulyrojoeljean]

@@aceoxofficialYeah, but similar to what is the real question. If you're developing a game you have tons of assets and mechanics to design and if something as ridicule and random as an arrow on the character's head is patented, then there is when you start sweating. How in hell do i know what other minimal thing is already patented? Now, in comparison, taking the risk sounds more appealing at this matter but how much that could cost me if I got the bullet. Being indie is not one of your strengs if you go against some big company, I guess.

[@cvoiceofficial]

Somewhat difficult but not always. Patents typically expire after 20 years. So if I wanted to make a game with the same game mechanic concepts as crazy taxi (1999) I might decide to do that since the game was released in 1999. Additionally from my research the Simpsons road rage lawsuit was more complicated. It used more than just the arrow. It used almost every aspect of the game just about from what I read. It was basically a clone and many gamers commented how similar they were. Otherwise you can search it but it is very time consuming, especially if you think you're idea is novel. That's part of the reason people pay others to do the research. Disclaimer: not a lawyer and only help businesses for Overwatch Media and currently making games on their behalf.

[@MrEnvisioner]

I'm surprised you completely neglected to mention the other, more negative sides of patents, particularly the hot topic in the indie game industry of patent trolls taking advantage of developers' low legal defense budget to milk them for free money.

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

20 years is too damn long! that's the life of almost 4 console generations

[@MatheusPese]

I agree! The pattern protection should last 2 to 3 years in my opinion.

[@aster8537]

I'd be interested to know how developers, particularly indies, can find out whether any gameplay mechanic they were planning to use has an existing patent on it. It'd be a rude awakening to get to launch on something like Stardew Valley and find Mojang somehow patented the concept of pixel art mining

[@BungieStudios]

Don't make money. Easy.

[@KlausWulfenbach]

But seriously, I'm with John Carmack on this issue. Software patents should not exist. Period. The only upside is that sometimes they drive innovation to work around them, and otherwise are completely harmful in every way.

[@Mezurashii5]

Yeah. Honestly, someone could've patented the whole idea of videogames (or a huge part of it) and this entire industry would barely exist now. Fuck patents.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

@@Mezurashii5 Patents are important.

[@canasnewell3089]

@@IkeOkerekeNews oof, they are. But software patents are VERY different. The things regarding them are so vague that virtually every company in the world could be filed millions of lawsuits because software patents are too vague (I'm dead serious) . Hardware patents are very clear. That controller design was very clear in what it was. A software patent is so vague.

[@Mrhellslayerz]

@@IkeOkerekeNews Yeah, but acting as a judge and the jury on what are essentially subjective artistic decisions can only amount to personal censorship. The only reason EA doesn't patent every idea as theirs is because a move like that would be a death sentence to their already ruined reputation, and that would also call for government regulation much faster than lootboxes ever did. Furthermore, and this is just speculation, they would have a very high chance at losing in court because it's an undeniable case of censorship without cause, and might even be unconstitutional in some regards.

[@canasnewell3089]

@ClipOnSunglasses that last point is actuary covered by copyright, not patents.

[@TreyGamr58]

I know minimaps are superior but, if they ever make a new Crazy Taxi, they better keep that arrow.

[@DesignDoc]

Where is my next-gen Crazy Taxi, gimme gimme gimme

[@ThePC007]

@@DesignDoc When I was a kid I played a game called Taxi Racer London 2 (also had a New York edition) which was made by a German company. The company's out of business now afaik (and honestly, I can see why - their games were flawed to the core, their demos were unfinished (with missing textures and whatnot), etc.) but their games were definitely interesting, to say the least. Taxi Racer London/New York 2 is basically a modern (by 2004's standard) version of Crazy Taxi.

[@todesziege]

It wouldn't say its superior necessarily; for a fast-paced arcade style game like Crazy Taxi I think the arrow works better in many ways.

[@Liggliluff]

They should give an option

[@XistenceX1]

When I woke up this morning, I would have never guessed I would be working out to controller dpad engineering ASMR from the design doc. This is a new day.

[@DesignDoc]

Surprises for everyone!

[@Table53]

The patent of mini-games to pass the time of loading screens is one of the biggest dick moves I can think of in this regard! Thank god for rapid loading times these days..

[@m3nguele]

IDK even if they could do this... Boot sector games were already a thing with floppy (and maybe even diskette)

[@KaitouKaiju]

Even so, we only have fast load times because of super long install/download times

[@night1952]

I disagree on minimaps, i hate them, you end up looking at it instead of the game. The trails like in fable, rage 2 or dead space are great though.

[@ThiagoJaqueta]

Yea, it even works better with Open world games with driving too, like Forza Horizon, Watch Dogs... It allows you to focus on the road ahead and enjoy more of the environment detail.

[@sacta]

I think it depends on the game. 'Road-based' games, so to call, games that take place in cities or whatever, yeah, you'll focus on the minimap because it's about as effective as going by the visual info in front of you. But in Breath of the Wild, I barely look at the minimap. It is useful to pinpoint stuff you are very close to, but otherwise, the best way to navigate the game is to open the actual map and see what route is the most effective/fun one. Even Prototype was pretty good about it, since following the roads is more... a guideline than a set of rules, when you have the power to jump right over them or glide parkouring from building to building.

[@ThiagoJaqueta]

@@sacta you're right, good point, it's very dependent on the way the map is designed, and how the player moves around it.

[@night1952]

​@@sacta Still disagree, in BOTW you just pick a point in the map and walk in a straight line until you get to it, you can even see those markers throught the sheika tablet, it'd be as easy to make them visible at all times and not need a minimap that is otherwise useless. Edit: even the skyrim compass on the top is better than a minimap and can work in tandem with trails.

[@takatamiyagawa5688]

Good thing Ace Combat 7 has that pointer in the middle of the screen which points to your target if it's off screen. Otherwise, it'd be tempting to just look at the minimap the whole time.

[@NameEntry]

Patents are a good thing but are being used to keep information out of the public domain. Allowing old ideas into the public domain means innovation and greater ideas.

[@DesignDoc]

I think that's a bigger problem with copyright law rather than patent law.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

Did you listen to the video?

[@canasnewell3089]

@@DesignDoc I'll agree with design doc on this one. Console wars should not be happening

[@gewreid5946]

As someone who didn't study law or economics i still have a very hard time understanding why patents/copyright don't fall under monopolization laws. Seems pretty similar.

[@deppudeppudeppu]

@@gewreid5946 I know it's been 9 months, but I'll reply to you anyway. Copyrights ARE supposed to prevent monopoly. Consider this: you're a small creator making something, and it garnered a small following. Suddenly, a big dick corporation made the exact same thing and used their entire resources to completely overshadow you. How do you even fight back? Copyrights exist to legally arm the small creators. It prevents big corporations from bullying you. Of course, the reality is different from the ideal. But, that doesn't change the fact that copyrights at its core are supposed to protect the small people. All we need to do is revise it a bit to prevent abuse like we're seeing today.

[@usernamehandle]

This is such an interesting and informative video. Love how you go into depth about each. Would love a series out of this

[@Table53]

Can I just say, thank god the arrow above a car was patented and forced other developers to come up with new solutions - because it always looks horrible and clunky and mini maps, despite all their flaws, are still way better!

[@anderssolheimolsen795]

I gotta admit though, as much as the mini-maps are waaaay waaay more versatile and useful, the Arrow's ambiguity does make finding the path more part of the challenge. Instead of following the minimap or a trail of breadcrumbs, you shoot a quick glance at the arrow to make sure you're going in the right direction, but otherwise you pay attention solely to the environment. I don't love the arrow by any stretch, but it has value I think.

[@Table53]

@@anderssolheimolsen795 That's actually something I've always hated about arrows and compass markers! They point in a direction but I always end up checking a large map in a menu to see if I actually have to walk in the opposite direction at first and then loop around an obstacle to reach my destination! I think if a game is going to have a big icon saying 'this is where you're going', which not all games need or benefit from, then it may as well be as useful as possible!

[@anderssolheimolsen795]

@@Table53 And I think you're totally right. In almost every situation I can't imagine I'd trade the minimap for a Crazy Taxi arrow. But if the map and gameplay is tailored more with that arrow in mind, I think it could still work, and maybe even be a bit more interesting as a result.

[@Table53]

@@anderssolheimolsen795 Yeah, I'm sure there will be some situations where an arrow will work!

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

@@Table53There is a better way, instead of having the arrow point directly to your destination. First, lay the basis for a breadcrumb trail a la Fable: translate your map into a graph, with each node storing absolute coordinates and path lengths, and use a path-finding algorithm (like A*) to calculate the best path. Once you have that, just have the arrow point in the direction of the next node along the calculated path. I'm sure this has been implemented in many games by now, though I couldn't name specific titles.

[@jamrenzee]

Seems to me that the fact that no one else could try out these good ideas like sticking to a ball or an efficient menu design is more unfair to comptetitors and customers.

[@GeekInBelgium]

Imagine you haven't played a particular game and ended up creating something that has been made in it before, you can be sued for a genuine idea you had, simply because someone else did it. And I hate that idea.

[@LitchiBorrower]

I think massively reducing the patent duration would fix most of the problems anyone has with them. Let's say we reduced them to 5 years. You still have 5 years where you'll have the exclusive rights to that one innovation. That's cool innit ? That's like a whole console generation where you get to make all the games with it. But once we switch from the PS4 to the PS5, everyone suddenly can start experimenting with the idea, building on it and making interesting experiences out of them. 20 years until people can mess with your idea is absurdly long for a media as rapidly evolving as video games.

[@megasoniczxx]

Wow, I always wondered why no other games used games for loading screens. That really sucks, especially since namco themselves never even do that anymore.

[@todesziege]

They weren't even the first to do it. It was around way back in the 80's already.

[@megasoniczxx]

@@todesziege In what exactly? Earliest games I played were the original Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt on the NES so I don't know about anything else outside of the console space or before then.

[@todesziege]

@@megasoniczxx While I can't recall any specific titles right now, all the ones I've seen are on computers rather than consoles (and typically on games that load from tape) so that might be the difference. Here's a video on one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4bMmJyPapiMedU

[@Obokralipsis]

Feels like the video talks of patents from a single perspective. Cannot entirely agree with this one. Imagine if the minimap was patented. And then the other method of navigation. And another one. How many good ways to navigate in a driving game you can come up with? 3? 10? I'm saying that it's better to have 100 titles with copied/reimagined good mechanics than only 1 or 2 unique.

[@matthewshiers9038]

How do we know minimaps weren't patented? If it was so easy for multiple companies to get around Nintendo's D-pad patent with a slight aesthetic variation, it really wouldn't be that hard to alter a square or circular minimap that sits in the upper left corner of the screen to one that has a different shape, sits in a different corner, only shows up if you hold left-trigger on a gamepad, or looks like a miniature 3-D hologram of the current level. Adding zoom functionality to the minimap could also have been enough to differentiate from a patented design. And all these ideas could have been patented!

[@VulpesHilarianus]

Regarding SEGA's patent on navigation arrows, Midnight Club 2 and Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition/DUB Edition Remix all used a 3D arrow above the vehicle on screen. Theirs was offset to the side, but still technically infringed on the patent.

[@Camkitsune]

At least two excellent uses of irony in a 10 second span. 0:20 Kimari, the 'just copy the character you like most' character. 0:28 Dynasty Warriors, the 'just copy the last game' franchise. Now I'm wondering just how many of these things are going over my head because I don't know the footage source.

[@DensetsuVII]

Love your stuff but definitely feel like this video has a certain patent-favorable bias. It would be great to see a follow-up that addresses more of the controversies and downsides of the ability for companies to patent aspects of gameplay, and how more stringent patents would be worse not better. It's not a new issue. In the 1760s, James Watt patented what would become the basis of the steam engine, charged the heck out of its adoptees and sued the heck out of any competition. Steam technology would languish for almost 40 years, and immediately develop in leaps and bounds in the years following his patent's expiration. Though saying 'this patent held back human progress for 40 years' is somewhat controversial, it's hard to imagine that the patent didn't have negative effects on the research of the technology. Keita Takahashi was famously aghast that Namco saw fit to patent Katamari. Konami patented the idea of rhythm gaming and later used it to sue Guitar Hero and a number of other gaming companies at the height of their popularity, and may have lead to the lessening of rhythm games using the most fundamental scrolling method that Konami patented. What would our world be like if The Culling had sued PUBG before it got big? If Enix had sued Square after it released Final Fantasy I? The reality is that large enough companies can settle and release their games anyways in the worst cases, but smaller companies and indie devs could not survive a legal battle of that kind, and just opt not to make certain kinds of game. In short, it seems a little simplistic to represent patents as an unquestionably ultimate good without presenting some of the counterarguments. Just a thought. Thanks as always for the polished and insightful work!

[@shmigheghi]

You got 'unquestionably ultimate good' from that?

[@DensetsuVII]

@@shmigheghi Maybe the line was a bit hyperbole on my part - I apologize - but I do feel like his opinion is biased, and for a channel that usually tends toward overviews of topics, it's a little sad that he didn't analyze the downsides of the subject.

[@fellinuxvi3541]

@@DensetsuVII I think that's a fair criticism, but I get why people are biased in favor of patents. The guy who made the steam engine had no obligation to help minkind at all, and neither do modern game developing companies, but most importantly, many suspect that without the prospect of material gain, many people won't produce to the extent they did. This is only partly true of course, since many other people do in fact, innovate for free, but the problem with innovation is that, by definition, you can't know the consequences of an invention until it is actually invented, nor the use that the inventor will give it, so it's hard to accurately measure the good and bad future regulations will do for humanity.

[@AshnSilvercorp]

most patents in a shellnut Big Company 5006: We own the direction up on Wednesdays Court and some really lenient judge: They own the direction up on Wednesdays.

[@henke37]

Sounds more like something you'd trademark.

[@AshnSilvercorp]

@@henke37 no, that's for down. East is copyright, and West is for the pirates.

[@paulunga]

That loading screen patent was pretty ingenious. I remember tons of Namco games using them while loading up the game on PS1/2 and wondered back then why no one else was doing it.

[@lostmarble540]

This is a really cool video and one of the best d-pad legality analysis videos I've seen.

[@Makoto03]

This was great. I had no idea that Square Enix had patented the 'Sphere Grid' concept. I loved it in FFX but i feel like a couple other games have similar circular skill trees, like Path of Exile. I guess they are different enough to avoid infringement.

[@Ramsey276one]

No wonder they use it every time. “This old thing? I made it myself!”

[@danx505]

"Please consult the most expensive legal team you can find" xD

[@carlostejeda4341]

10:22 wait a minute, so square have the patents for stats down? and more important, how other companies do debuffs in rpgs?

[@MrSuckeragi]

its stats down specifically for the judge system, using yellow and red cards if you look at the actual table in the patent, so it is very very specific as a patent.

[@carlostejeda4341]

@@MrSuckeragi Wait, but when the jugde system did that? In TA1 it gives you a warning, after that it sends you to jail. And in TA2: it just negate the bonus rewards and blocks you from reviving characters.

[@kevinbooth-]

Patents were implemented to improve innovation... Now they hold back innovation... We need to reduce how long they last if not eliminate software patents altogether...

[@medianoob9010]

all for reduction but you have to be an idiot to want them eliminated. Companies create new an innovative tech to make money off it. If there is no reason to innovate, they wont. (I think the 10+ years of cod/bf games are proof of that to anyone who plays video games). Think back to when apple spent millions over the years on RND to develop the "multi-touch" feature that we use in all smartphones today. Do you think they would have spent that same level of time and effort in developing that great new piece of tech if their competitors could bring out an exact replica a few weeks-months later? Hell no.

[@medianoob9010]

@Bilbo Fappins You are retarded. Use an old example of a wannabe superpower trying to flex their muscles and become stronger in the world. That’s different. All things equal my point 100% accurate

[@realislit8064]

9:51 well MvC3 and SF4 training missions made sense now

[@Liggliluff]

Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped on PS1 used a floating objective arrow, pointing in the direction you were going on. Did people forget about that popular game, or doesn't it count?

[@sittingdowntown]

The usefulness of patents is two-fold. One one hand, they protect a (hopefully) unique idea and makes it part of a company's branding, like Nintendo's D-Pad that you mentioned. And, it breeds creativity from others, because they have to get around it. Sadly though, that creativity only goes so far, as only minor changes are needed to get around them, so on that front, they really aren't all that useful. Still, they're an interesting part of gaming history, especially the Namco game-within-a-loading-screen patent.

[@ChristianWS.]

Huh, this got me wondering if SquareEnix has a patent on the command menu of Kingdom Hearts. I always thought it was rather weird that no other game tried to do a vertical menu on an action game, maybe they just have a patent?

[@jonasdrejerjensen]

wait, so the dualshock did know how hard you pressed. so you DID drive faster by holding down the button hard. I KNEW IT!

[@DesignDoc]

Well, the game COULD tell that you were pressing harder, but that doesn't mean the game necessarily did anything with that info.

[@Blutzen]

In addition to what @Design Doc said, it really didn't take much pressure to reach maximum articulation on the analog buttons; it _certainly_ didn't require the death-grip that I've seen people use on their controllers.

[@mattb8075]

Thanks very much for the video. It was very informative and interesting. Great choice of topic too, I haven't seen this one done many times so it was fresh

[@Macielbi]

Another great video! Ive been enjoying so much every bit of your channel. I really want to specialize in Intelectual Property and hopefully work with videogame related cases, and your video showed me it is possible. Thank you! ❤️

[@thesethrokage]

The crazy taxi arrow patent seems like it actually had an unintended beneficial impact on games. Mini maps and even hudless navigation are far more immersive

[@DerekSquirreltail]

Man, I'm glad people worked around that Tekken patent. The combo challenges in Blazblue were a huge contributing factor in getting me into competitive fighting games, I wonder if I would be where I am today with the genre without them.

[@STRONTIumMuffin]

all Ideas should be free and open Patents are straight up unethical but are a requirement within capitalism. They refuse ideas evolving and don't allow others to innovate on ideas that are monopolized for years.

[@OGNoNameNobody]

....damn. Gotta wait to release my sphere-grid based Tabletop RPG now. Nobody wants to see Squeenix in Court!

[@Tustin2121]

4:22 - Now I know why the developers of Snakey Bus aren’t having their pants sued off right now then. They use the floaty arrow design.

[@fungusonus]

Or dead rising

[@izzaazzurri]

You should make part 2, we still dont know what patent didnt come out to the ground

[@vaugna1620]

I've always wondered, how did Dead Rising and BioShock get away with using giant floating arrows?

[@Keyshooter]

They aren't driving games by nature

[@vaugna1620]

@@Keyshooter Ah so it was specifically for driving games, that makes sense

[@Squidward-jv7go]

Could’ve sworn Rockstar’s Midnight Club series always used arrows to indicate checkpoint locations, even up to the last game in like 2008

[@Jirujan]

but they have different mechanism, Crazy Taxi's arrow will guide you along the way to the end, but Midnight Club's arrow only lead you to the checkpoint, so if the checkpoint is behind a building, the arrow won't guide you along the way, you have to find the way yourself that's what i know

[@blitzwinters5687]

9:14 "... why bother with the patent at all?" Aside from the brand protection answer that you gave, there's another side to it, too. Patenting a design can prevent people who rip it off from patenting it, themselves, and then suing you for using it.

[@Felipe-hl6nh]

20 years is a long time A person/company could just patent minimap and spend the next 20 years just reusing the same idea without leting anyone iterating on it At some point it's not about giving you time to get your research money back, it's about getting money from other people who try to use your idea Copyright stuff is even worse. 120 years for paid work or 70 years *after* you die if you're the author

[@STRONTIumMuffin]

It only benefits corporations as well not the actual workers and innovators, it only unconsensialy limits creativity in favor of the profit of others, all at the loss of progress.

[@STRONTIumMuffin]

It only benefits corporations as well not the actual workers and innovators, it only unconsensialy limits creativity in favor of the profit of others, all at the loss of progress.

[@loganusher591]

Shadow of War/Mordor's nemesis system is patented and for good reason! Thats a great system!

[@Jirujan]

the only patent i know was 'minigame in loading screen'

[@Wilker_uwu]

you call it protection, i call it artificial scarcity.

[@chaoaretasty]

I believe none of the things mentioned would be patentable in the EU and UK where software patents are not applicable (thankfully). Unfortunately with games media being international the most restrictive rules affect us all. But if you were willing to restrict your market you could totally do a sphere grid over here.

[@sor3999]

The Xbox One controller d-pad is the best one. Probably the only d-pad that doesn't crush my thumbs from constant play.

[@HeeminGaminStation]

I can think of other reasons not to steal FFX's sphere grid

[@hydratzextras4911]

I feel that software patents should only last like a year with the current rate of innovation in tech

[@GaymerJosh]

Now that I think on it. I would love something that follows like Mario Party type games or Beat em ups?

[@mayoflayo8481]

Isn’t the skill sphere grid used in Smash Ultimate’s skill tree in world of light.

[@DesignDoc]

Nah, that functions like a normal skill tree. You're not moving pieces on a board.

[@mayoflayo8481]

oh ok thanks

[@luciendodge]

Really enjoy your stuff. Keep it up.

[@jetster4117]

They should make a patent for sonic 06 so no other game would be as bad.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

There are already other games that are worse.

[@jetster4117]

@@IkeOkerekeNews damnit, they broke the patent.

[@PercyPanleo]

I find it kind of funny that Gunpei Yokoi designed a system with not just one, but two Joycon style D-Pads in the late 90s. And then Nintendo used the design 20 years later in their own system.

[@JellyMyst]

I don't understand why everyone hates the 360's d-pad. I use a 360 controller for PC gaming, and I've never had a problem with how the d-pad feels.

[@gamergalaxy6892]

Design Docs: Documentary Edition (in a good way)

[@knightshade2654]

So glad that the game-during-loading-screen patent expired. Splatoon would have been a flop.

[@tecinplace1316]

Splatoon 1's minigames don't play during loading screens, but in the waiting lobby

[@Crystalitar]

This was really interesting! Love it!

[@mosspa]

Wait but Need for Speed Carbon had that kind of arrow as well

[@Jirujan]

from what i know, you have to pay to use someone else's patent, but you have to make a deal first

[@jeromeciarkowski1367]

It is quite nteresting if you view this video from an indie video game studio’s perspective. Without knowing, they will probably be stepping on a plethora of video game design patents. Hopefully they are small enough of a game studio to not warrant the attention of the patent holder and subsequent legal action.

[@tuazulyrojoeljean]

What is worring me now is not how to patent something but how to avoid puting something in my game that is already patented. Let's be honest here how in hell could you figure out that something so minimal and ridicoulus as an arrow on the head of the character had a patent on it? And if you're developing a game you have tons of assets to design going from minimal stuff like fonts to more complex as game mechanics. Coming out with something that is original would be like walking a minefield. How could someone get a list or an archive of the active patents at this matter?

[@nitsi9333]

Xenoblade Chronicles has a big arrow at the top center of the screen that points where where your supposed to go

[@KnakuanaRka]

One patent I’ll be happy for when it expires? BBRR’s controls. BlazBlue Revolution Reburning is a mobile spinoff for BlazBlue, and the directional swiping combo system, while dependent on a touchscreen, is f*cking *fantastic* at letting random bozos like me do crazy combos easily, so I can focus on doing what I want to do rather than trying to remember how to do it without having to endlessly train my muscle memory; so much more accessible than many other fighting games, especially on mobile. Unfortunately, it’s patented (I think), so boo to anyone else who wants it!

[@Jamie-MrJam]

Patents are one of the reasons I'm never going to be an indie developer. I don't feel like getting sued for accidentally using an idea in my game that somebody else "owns".

[@sor3999]

And just like that everyone is an armchair patent lawyer.

[@Mace2.0]

How about some EDGE™?

[@tf299]

In Europe software, cannot be patentet(at least in theory). And patents are usually a tool for big companies to have each other in a deadlock.

[@SwedenTheHedgehog]

I would have loved for you to look at how Sony got around the Wii controller patent with their Move! controller! Maybe next time?

[@heitorbatista5392]

The mechanism is quite diferent. The wii remote only had an gyroscope and an acelerometer. The pointing functio uses IV rays, much like a TV remote. The PS Move uses a camera to track the glowing ball on the top. It does have the acelerometer and gyro too.

[@BEEZUS45]

Tony Hawks underground had the same arrow

[@KlausWulfenbach]

10:02 😁😆😅😂 Don't worry, Sqauresoft. *NOBODY* is going to steal the Sphere Grid. I absolutely guarantee it! Maybe more terrible game mechanics need to be patented to prevent developers from using them. If only loot boxes had been patented...

[@Manachi93]

Well, path of exile does a similar thing, but even tho that still works very different

[@Dxsmp]

The Mad Tinkerer I want the grid system so they gotta,be on the look out for me

[@eduardoddutra]

How can a game developer know if his idea is already patented or not? Is there a list of patents video game related? I would like to avoid future problems as much as possible or usually people just do things freely and if someone complains that it's patented, then they remove it? Is this something a indie developer should be worried about?

[@fungusonus]

All patents are public and can be looked up, so there probably is some kind of resource for different types of patents like video game stuff

[@ccateni28]

Whats the music used in this video?

[@danieluranga6872]

Surprised you didn't mention other games with big floating arrows like Bioshock. Maybe it was such a minor thing, and Crazy Taxi was kind of old, so they just let it slide?

[@Lugbzurg]

What's funny is that Crash Bandicoot Warped had the "Crazy Taxi" arrow a year prior.

[@TheViolaBuddy]

Oh, huh. I thought that most game patents were for things more on the physical electronics side than on the game design side. So yeah, things like the D-pad design, but not so much things like the games-in-a-loading-screen idea (how is that even patentable? That seems so broad and hamfisted of an idea). Have there been cases that have been settled in court over game design patents? Your Crazy Taxi arrow example ultimately was settled outside of it, so if my understanding of the legal system is correct (which it well might not have been), no legal precedence was made from that.

[@victorwongwajarachot9117]

4:42 "SWTICH"

[@crosscreations_de]

Do you know some more specific informations like pricing and national/international laws. What about people never revealing their ideas because they dont have money and are afraid of publishing and losing a possibly good idea?

[@montengro234]

Xenoblade Chronicles came out in 2010 and it had a large arrow pointing you to your goal or mark on the map

[@MarySmith-hv5ur]

why do i remember bioshock using an arrow?

[@Shelf0808]

Ngl, I like the 360 d-pad more than the ps2 one

[@BasementCat69]

I love how you say button lol. 😌

[@Gettohasa]

4:43 Swtich

[@DesignDoc]

*Internal screaming*

[@tuazulyrojoeljean]

Bless you Please don't shoot!

[@nattzero5315]

Now I wonder how need for speed underground 2 got away with their arrow

[@BlueKey962]

Whats the song at 0:10? It sounds familiar

[@DesignDoc]

That's the Objection theme from Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies

[@0reNoTameni]

what's the drum&bass song playing at the end of the video? i really like it.

[@DesignDoc]

“Pac-Steps” from Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

[@0reNoTameni]

@@DesignDoc thanks!

[@Ice-Climber]

Thanks Kojima.

[@marcialgutierrez5515]

You forgot the guy how pattent de word "edge" in videogames

[@hazardrider8317]

I miss Crazy Taxi...

[@CatherineKimport]

patents are the devillllll

[@aleblasco39]

Interesting video as always but I have an stupid doubt, what is the song that you put through 9:34 to the end? I know that is a Ridge Racer song but I didn't heart that remix anywhere.

[@DesignDoc]

Aleblasco39 “Pac-Steps” from Pac-Man championship edition DX

[@aleblasco39]

@@DesignDoc Okay, now I know why it sounded so familiar, I have the PC version of that

[@Ski1pad]

How can this video act like patents drive innovation with no significant issue? It includes examples of patents with unquestionably negative impacts, such as patenting having games during the loading screen, or FFX's sphere grid. In fact, the argument that patents drive innovation (such as with the mini-map) is missing an important element: there can be an optimum. Imagine the mini-map was patented. Imagine hidden loading through cinematic or speed-limited sections, or progressive loading of the environment, were patented. We would be let with quantities of poor alternatives just because of these patents. In addition, patents in game designs go against the creation of gaming conventions and habits. The mini-map is made more practical by the fact that this is now a basic element people learnt to fully understand. Recurring designs become part of the global rules and do not need a tutorial and learning/habituation from the player. Patenting game design & control has different impacts than patenting algorithms and mechanics. Game design & control are directly in contact with the user, while the latter has no need to understand how it works in the back end (algorithms and mechanics). A patenting as lon as 20 years can have significant drawbacks.

[@funa8843]

the ace attorney music lol

[@Little3Pigs]

And the hard thing to do is develop a game without infringing patents.

[@LazyGyro]

PaTents, Paddens, and Panents

[@tabtab4546]

nfs series used arrow (underground, carbon, most wanted and etc. )

[@BlueLightningSky]

Woah hold up. You can't just drop a bomb and tell us the sphere grid is actually patented and then peace out. What about the other games that have similar systems?

[@past874]

I'm surprised Sega lasted as long as they did in the console market when they were making questionable decisions left and right.

[@DesignDoc]

They got out of the market not long after most of those questionable decisions.

[@cannonfodder4000]

I always wondered why Nintendo never patented the Mario Kart and Super Smash designs, now there's so many copies (Not that that's a bad thing)