14 mars 2008

Patents on video game mechanics to strangle innovation, fun

Sega owns patent no. 6,200,138, which is entitled "Game display method, moving direction indicating method, game apparatus and drive simulating apparatus." What this means is that Sega has a lock on the idea of driving a car around a city with an arrow pointing towards the next destination […]

Simpson’s Road Rage was a game that featured Simpsons characters driving around a city, picking up customers, and dropping them off in other locations, all with an arrow pointing towards the next destination. When the game came out, Sega promptly sued Fox Entertainment, EA, and Radical Games.

Jesus Christ — is that why most driving games don’t have arrows indicating incoming turns anymore? (Incidentally, the patent’s abstract has absolutely nothing to do with Simpsons Road Rage.)

via bol.cnet.com