Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

[RPGD]

Lookit this:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...RS=AN/Nintendo

Nintendo recently filed it. It looks like the skinny on the Virtual Console interface. Very interesting.

It's very long and word-heavy, so proceed with caution.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

I can't understand what the heck it's talking about.

[HolyPhoenix]

Re: Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

I kinda get it. They are making an emulator that will let you connect it to either the first sonsole or the second console allowing you to play the games from one onto the other. Sounds kinda cool to me.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

Well if that would be the case, I would have to hope that it's something like playing GB/C games on DS.

[HolyPhoenix]

Re: Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

Then I would have to get the DS. Actually after seeing Mario Cart DS I plan on getting it. I guess it would just add another reason that might convince me to get it sooner.

[Sage of Creation]

Re: Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

Imagine having the job of actually writing out those patents...
Oof... I would need a complete brain transplant after one of those writing sessions.

[RPGD]

Re: Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

It seems you have misconcieved the patent. I shall save you time and give you the skinny, assuming this indeed pretains to the Virtual Console:

First off, it does not refer to a series of physical consoles (save the Revolution unit, the "first game machine"), rather a series of emulators to take care of the Virtual Console games. The bottom line is that there will be no dedicated internal hardware to play the older games.

As for the UI, it shows that games are organized by platform and franchise, plus an "Other" category. This system applies to both downloading and playing VC games, as you can see on image sheet 17 of the patent:



It appears that the Revoluton's freehand controler will function as a mouse for making selections and managing things.

Also according to the images, when selecting a game, it displays information regarding it's premise and/or a description, plus a graphic and maybe some voice. You can decide whether or not to play/download this game on this screen.

An interesting thing to note from the patent is that some games may give you options formerly unavailable in the original game, at least in the case of graphics. Observe:



This coincides with Iwata's statement regarding old games with new looks, though I wonder to what degree?

Furthermore, it states that it will allow people to buy the games at a "low cost" without the need for the developers/publishers of those games to take a hit financially.

On the technical side, it states that NES and SNES games will be taken care of by the console's CPU alone due to the games' low capacity, and that no re-coding is required to get the games to work with it.

That's just about it.

[HolyPhoenix]

Re: Suspicious New Nintendo Patent

That is still pretty cool.