Nintendo recently filed a patent on summonable creatures that fight for the player, which was approved. That means Nintendo could legally go after any game that has this feature. What is a summonable creature though? Does that just pertain to a monster like a Pokemon, or could it be a person in a game as well, like how players can summon ghostly soldiers in Elden Ring.
The Biggest Gaming What-Ifs That Would Have Changed History
These single decisions could have had an effect on the video game industry for years to come.
It’s a wild time for video games, and it's impossible to know if this patent will have a positive or negative impact on the industry. While the future takes its time getting here, let’s examine some video game patents that helped (or perhaps slowed down) the industry over the past few decades.
Nintendo’s D-Pad
An Easy Workaround For Developers
This is one of the most famous patents of all time from Nintendo, who made it so no one else could copy their D-Pad design on controllers. Filed in 1985, this patent made the design of their directional inputs patentable across all future Nintendo controllers. This is why no controller has just a cross shape as their D-Pad. Instead, companies found easy workarounds for their input systems.
For example, the Sega Genesis has a cross, but it is inside a circle that technically has eight directional arrows. Sony’s inputs are a cross shape disguised as individual buttons hidden underneath the controller’s upper body. Nintendo's patent expired in 2005, but companies are still fine designing their own controllers since they now have a brand to uphold, which is all thanks to Nintendo.
Mini-Games During Loading Screens
Not Worth It Anymore
Loading screens used to be a big problem for console games, all the way up until the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, which sped up loading by quite a bit. Before this, Namco thought of an ingenious way to pass the time during loading screens by introducing mini-games in between load times, and filed a patent for it in 1995. Ridge Racer was the first game to include this feature, as players could play Galaxian, a classic shoot 'em up, between levels.
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This did not bar games from having interactive elements of any kind during loads. For example, Assassin’s Creed and Bayonetta fans are probably familiar with the ability to run around as their characters in blank spaces during a loading screen. The Namco patent expired in 2015, so now more active mini-games can be played during loads if developers choose, but since loading screens seem to be going the way of the dinosaur, it may not be necessary anymore.
The Nemesis System
Enemies That Can Learn
The Warner Bros. Patent on the Nemesis System, first seen in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, is one of the most controversial gaming patents in the modern era. It was filed in 2016 and will not expire until 2036. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War, two of the best games based on The Lord of the Rings, are the only two games with this feature.
Here's the big rub: Warner Bros. Shut down the developer of this system, Monolith Productions, earlier in 2025, and it was rumored that their Wonder Woman game made use of the Nemesis System. It seems a bit unfair that the creators of this excellent gameplay system are now gone while Warner Bros. Holds a monopoly on a very cool mechanic.
Guiding Arrows
The Simpsons Did It
Here’s one thing that is probably a bit lost to time now, but at one point, guiding arrows were patented by Sega. Crazy Taxi had guiding arrows that showed players where to go on their deliveries. Sega filed a patent for this system in 1998, which expired in 2018. Sega filed a lawsuit against The Simpsons: Road Rage, one of the better games based on The Simpsons, not long after the patent went into effect.
The case was settled out of court, which could have terrified developers. The thing is, many found better workarounds than Sega’s patented arrow system. Driving games like Grand Theft Auto 4’s GPS system and Dead Space’s guiding light fit better into their gameplay interfaces compared to a large disembodied arrow pointing the way forward.
The Sanity System
Missing Out On Years Of Great Horror
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a game that is still trapped on the GameCube along with its patented Sanity System. Developed by Silicon Knights, this horror game changed its gameplay based on how scared the character was.
Disembodied voices would cry out, the game would pretend the channel was changing on the TV, and so on. Nintendo filed the patent in 2000, and it expired in 2021. Games were not barred from breaking the fourth wall, as this patent only extended to things being affected by fear, which could have led to some creative horror games had more developers been free to experiment with this system.
Dialogue Wheels
An Aesthetic Way To Shape Your Story
This patented dialogue wheel mechanic may not have even registered with players as being a thing. EA filed it in 2006, and BioWare used it in many of their RPGs, like the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games. That patent will not expire until 2029, which is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.
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EA could have filed a patent on dialogue choices as a whole, which would have dramatically impacted the gaming industry. Instead, games cannot be as creative with their interfaces, and they may not look as cool as BioWare games. However, it’s not like anyone really complained about the dialogue interface in celebrated games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Baldur’s Gate 3.
Consoles With Extra Disc Trays
Late To The Party
Lastly, this console patent could have changed Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo console designs until 2032. Johnny Brandon Saoud is an inventor who patented the idea of consoles having multiple disc trays. The idea would have allowed players to switch between games without getting up to change the disk.
Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo might have once thought this was a good idea, but digital games have changed everything. In fact, many consoles don’t even have disc drives anymore, and many companies are getting rid of physical media altogether. Saoud may have missed his chance to capitalize on the idea by creating a console all his own.
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