September 11th 2025.
Nintendo has recently acquired a new patent in the United States, giving them the exclusive ability to summon characters to fight on behalf of the player in video games. This patent does not only apply to Pokémon, as many may think. This ability to patent gameplay mechanics may seem absurd to regular gamers, but it is a common practice in the industry, with developers often having to find workarounds or avoid certain gameplay mechanics altogether.
One of the most well-known examples of this is the Nemesis system from Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor and its sequel, which may never see the light of day again due to the recent closure of developer Monolith Productions. Other examples include the Ping system in Apex Legends and the dialogue wheel in BioWare's Mass Effect series. While Nintendo has many patents, this particular one could have a negative impact on games from other developers.
The patent in question, which was granted without any objections from the US patent office, covers the ability to summon a character and have them fight on behalf of the player. This means that only Nintendo can allow the main character in a game to summon a "sub-character" to fight for them. This immediately rules out any other Pokémon-like games from using a similar system, including popular titles such as Temtem and Cassette Beasts, as well as long-standing rivals like Digimon.
However, the patent's description is broad enough to include any game with a summoning mechanic, which is a common feature in Japanese role-playing games. This includes the original Pokémon games, which were essentially just standard turn-based RPGs. It's important to note that this patent does not automatically make any game illegal, as Nintendo would have to prove in court that the patent was infringed upon.
Nintendo is known for having capable lawyers, but they likely do not want to spend time and money chasing after every role-playing game that utilizes summoning mechanics. This would not only damage their relationships with other developers and publishers but also be a costly and time-consuming process. However, they are likely to go after Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, a blatant Pokémon clone, as they have already made changes to the game to appease Nintendo. They may also target other direct Pokémon clones, such as Temtem, as indie developers are unlikely to have the resources to defend against a patent lawsuit.
The reason this patent was granted in the first place is due to procedural irregularities in the decision-making process of US patent officials. This has been criticized by video game patent lawyer Kirk Sigmon, who believes that this situation is an "embarrassing failure" of the US patent system. Sigmon also mentioned that he does not understand how the examiner could have allowed this patent so quickly and that it is "shocking and offensive."
This is not the first time that a patent has caused controversy in the gaming industry. Another recent patent by Nintendo, involving riding and flying mounts, was questioned by the US patent office due to a similar patent already being held by Xbox and Tencent. However, the summons patent is particularly concerning as the concept of summons is not unique to Pokémon and has been used by many companies in the industry. Proving this in court may be difficult, especially given the lack of understanding of video games by those outside of the industry.
The implications of this patent are significant, as it not only threatens existing games but also discourages developers from including similar mechanics in new titles. We can only hope that this will not become a common practice in the industry, as it could stifle creativity and innovation. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Sign up for our newsletter for more expert analysis and gaming news, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. And don't forget to email us or leave a comment if you have any Inbox letters or Reader's Features to submit.
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