Sega sues Level 5 for using touch controls in a DS game

[ETC]

They should do what pharmaceutical companies do then allow a period of exclusivity for a product/concept to allow them to recoup costs and r+d monies and make a bit of profit then allow generics etc. I mean patents is the sole reason Google bought Motorola as their patent book is strong even though their products are pap it's ridiculous

[_SD_]

This whole patent business is well and truly out of hand, just look at the Samsung vs Apple case. Irrespective of what you think of either company, who do you think is really winning out of all this? The lawyers, that's who. In that one case alone they've probably each earned more money than any of us are going to earn in this life time. And the next.

Sega aren't earning themselves any fans at the moment. Combined with their recent flagging of YouTube videos they're making the company look silly.

[MrMarbles]

If Nintendo had patented every one of their software innovations and enforced them, they'd be richer than God.

Instead, they decided to patent a decent d-pad, making every non-Nintendo console's controller or handheld ever-so-slightly sh*t.

Still, this is infinitely more understandable than the majority of software patents (including the Sega examples in this thread), and I'm still clueless as to how a convincing alternative to the +Control Pad hasn't been discovered by Sony and Microsoft's R&D teams yet.

[noobish hat]

Instead, they decided to patent a decent d-pad, making every non-Nintendo console's controller or handheld ever-so-slightly sh*t.

Including their own! How did they manage that?

[Sketcz]

I'm still clueless as to how a convincing alternative to the +Control Pad hasn't been discovered by Sony and Microsoft's R&D teams yet.

The Japanese Saturn d-pad was gorgeous. Better than Nintendo's pads, even. So, so, so comfortable. I use one with all my emulators on the original Xbox.

[sj33]

I've never been a massive fan of the Nintendo D-Pad myself, pretty much for the same reason - for me at least, once you use the Japanese Saturn D-Pad, or even the D-Pad from the 6-button MegaDrive controller, it is difficult to then go back to using the comparatively 'mushy' D-Pads found on Nintendo and Sony controllers. Still, I recognise that it's more about what a person is used to and grew up with.

[noobish hat]

It's more about the fact that Nintendo invented the d-pad, so if we take this patent-mania to its logical conclusion, we wouldn't have any d-pads if it weren't for them. Or they'd be richer than space buddha.

[sj33]

Isn't it actually the reason why none of the other manufacturers use + shaped D-Pads?

[noobish hat]

Probably, but that just proves that whoever was the first to create four separate buttons dedicated to movement missed a trick by not patenting it!

[85 78 73 81 85 69]

Isn't it actually the reason why none of the other manufacturers use + shaped D-Pads?

Nintendo did sort of hold the patent for some years the patent expired 5 or 6 years ago. I say sort of as their award wining d-pad several different patents with several different companies.

I suppose at the time Nintendo would never have agreed but even then you have to deal with all the other companies if you want to produce an equal product. It is possible that Nintendo at the time had some sort of exclusivity deal with the other companies but unless they say that there's no way of knowing.

Although I know Nintendo no longer hold their patents I don't know how it stands with the other companies so it could just be too much hassle now. Also I suppose it could simply be a matter of "Well, we've been using disc based d-pads all along and people are buying our consoles so why bother changing stuff now".

[randombs]

The Japanese Saturn d-pad was gorgeous. Better than Nintendo's pads, even. So, so, so comfortable. I use one with all my emulators on the original Xbox.

Did Sega patent their lovely dpad? I'm assuming they didn't...

[Guts]

It's more about the fact that Nintendo invented the d-pad, so if we take this patent-mania to its logical conclusion, we wouldn't have any d-pads if it weren't for them. Or they'd be richer than space buddha.

And the analog thumb stick, rumble controller, handhelds, shoulder buttons etc.

[wakka]

Yeah Nintendo invented pretty much everything when it comes to gamepads (and a lot of standard gaming stuff in general). It's actually kind of incredible.

It's a shame that the patent wars that blight the tech industry at large are bleeding into videogames. Clearly the system is beyond broken. But how to fix it?

[Brad]

And the analog thumb stick, rumble controller, handhelds, shoulder buttons etc.

It wasn't actually analog </pedant>

[sj33]

*analogue </pedant>

Seriously though, was it actually not?