Bogus patent?

[Ty]

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6,935,954

Sanity system for video game


Abstract
A video game and game system incorporating a game character's sanity level that is affected by occurrences in the game such as encountering a game creature or gruesome situation. A character's sanity level is modified by an amount determined based on a character reaction to the occurrence such as taking a rest or slowing game progress and/or an amount of character preparation. That is, if a character is prepared for the particular occurrence, the occurrence may have little or no affect on the character's sanity level. As the character's sanity level decreases, game play is effected such as by controlling game effects, audio effects, creating hallucinations and the like. In this context. the same game can be played differently each time it is played.

 

[Bad_Boy]

only thing i can think of, is that this is someway connected to the rumors of the controller. if not, then i think nintendo might be insane

 

[V3]

Sound like that Konami survival horror game, Haunting Ground.

 

[Dural]

Didn't Nintendo publish Eternal Darkness? The patent sounds pretty much exactly like that game.

 

[darkblu]

Didn't Nintendo publish Eternal Darkness? The patent sounds pretty much exactly like that game.

indeed.

 

[mistan]

Didn't Nintendo publish Eternal Darkness? The patent sounds pretty much exactly like that game.

Exactly what I was thinking.


This is from the patent and this is for eternal darkness...i have no doubt about that.

#

* Hallucination: lights go out, and a creature appears as lights come on, then the lights go back off, then the light comes back on and the creature is gone
* Stretching walls and corridors so they require more time to traverse
* Bleeding walls
* Enormous roar that emits from a tiny rodent (Mouse or rat)
* Dripping water from above, but when the character takes a second look it is now blood
* Shadows that appear to shift and change
* Character's torch mysteriously blows out, loud noise then it is once again lit
* Faint maniacal laughter (That gets louder and louder as the character draws deeper into insanity)
* Ambient audio, such as a water drip could become louder as insanity increases, so a really insane character will occasionally have this irritating dripping sound to distract him
* Lagging shadow (the character's shadow appears to follow the character)

 

[robofunk]

This is getting stupid. So no one can make a game that's similar to ED now? Does this mean Rock Star could patent killing hookers.

 

[StefanS]

Exactly what I was thinking.


This is from the patent and this is for eternal darkness...i have no doubt about that.

#

* Hallucination: lights go out, and a creature appears as lights come on, then the lights go back off, then the light comes back on and the creature is gone
* Stretching walls and corridors so they require more time to traverse
* Bleeding walls
* Enormous roar that emits from a tiny rodent (Mouse or rat)
* Dripping water from above, but when the character takes a second look it is now blood
* Shadows that appear to shift and change
* Character's torch mysteriously blows out, loud noise then it is once again lit
* Faint maniacal laughter (That gets louder and louder as the character draws deeper into insanity)
* Ambient audio, such as a water drip could become louder as insanity increases, so a really insane character will occasionally have this irritating dripping sound to distract him
* Lagging shadow (the character's shadow appears to follow the character)

This is definitely for Eternal Darkness. If you look at the inventors, you find Denis Dyack, the head of Silicon Knights.
This has also a bad impact on SK: Since Nintendo owns the patent, there won't be a sequel to ED. No EDII

 

[Shifty Geezer]

This is getting stupid. So no one can make a game that's similar to ED now? Does this mean Rock Star could patent killing hookers.

Not in Europe! Europe refused. Forces pushed and pushed and even tried to cheat software patents into effect, but for once the EU have agreed on policy and stopped the mindless nonsense of the crumbling Patent industry.