A new patent granted to Warner Bros. has many asking why patents are issued in the game industry at all. We’ll look at the Nemesis system controversy, the potential value of patents in games, and how to sidestep patent trouble in your own endeavors.
Appfigures
This show was sponsored by Appfigures! Appfigures has all the tools game makers need to monitor and optimize your mobile games to get more downloads. To find out more, head to https://appfigures.com/on/GameDevBreakdown to try Appfigures for free. If you like it, use our special code GDB3030 to get 30% off for the next 3 months.
…and by Silen Media! Silen Media knows game audio, and they’re ready to connect with you about your work-in-progress! You can book a free game audio strategy session at SilenMedia.com/booking.
Show Notes
To learn about the WB Games nemesis system patent, check out Jon Ryan’s write-up for IGN, WB Games’ Nemesis System Patent Was Approved This Week After Multiple Attempt
You can find a deep-dive into Bethesda’s lawsuit against Warner Bros. over similarities between Fallout Shelter and Westworld here at CodeWritePlay.
Julia Alexander covered the Bethesda/Warner Bros. settlement in an article titled Warner Bros., Bethesda settle lawsuit over Westworld mobile game for The Verge.
PatentArcade.com has a long history of commenting and reporting on IP law news in the game industry, including Sega v. Fox Interactive for the obvious similarities between The Simpsons: Road Rage and Crazy Taxi.
Ben Judge presents details on the first video game patent (ever) for MoneyWeek.
If you enjoy GameDev Breakdown
- Subscribe on the platform of your choice
- Drop a rating/review on Apple Podcasts or hit the Follow button on Spotify
- Follow us on Twitter
- Check show notes and articles here at CodeWritePlay
- Join us on Discord!
Todd Mitchell is a US Midwest-based comedy writer and game developer with bylines at Weekly Humorist, Fanbyte, Slackjaw, End of the Bench Sports, and more. He’s the author of Inside Video Game Creation, the founder of CodeWritePlay, and host of the GameDev Breakdown podcast. Follow him on Twitter @Mechatodzilla.