The Nemesis system, founded by Warner Bros. titles. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, is a resource that the gaming community has always wanted other developers to use since its inception in 2014. This has never happened in the seven years since. and it is because the editor has successfully patented the mechanic in question. News of this surfaced the week before, but after several unsuccessful attempts, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will allow the patent to be valid from February 23, 2021. Warner Bros can choose to keep it until the year of 2035.
The patent covers: “Nemesis characters, nemesis forts, social vendetta and followers in computer games”. Effectively, another developer cannot copy the Nemesis system equal to equal. This can be circumvented by creating your own view of the feature and embellishing it with your own phrases and terms – the Mass Effect dialog is a famous example. BioWare holds the patent for the RPG-specific dialog wheel, but that hasn’t stopped games from using branched dialog options since then. It’s all about how you present it. However, the action taken by Warner Bros to patent the mechanic has yet to set a particularly positive precedent.
John Wick Hex and volume creator Mike Bithell accessed Twitter to share his thoughts on the subject, saying, “This is really disgusting, especially for a franchise that built its brilliant nemesis system on top of a bunch of mechanics replicated from other games. Like all games do. Because that’s how culture and creativity work. Be one better neighbor, WB. “Meanwhile, Sony Santa Monica employee Alanah Pearce shared her own thoughts in the video embedded above. The gaming community in general did not accept Warner Bros. shares either. some fear that patenting gameplay could set off a worrying trend from other companies.
There are ways to get around patents, but when there is a major obstacle already blocking some of your paths, it can prevent smaller indie teams from even trying to create something of their own. How do you react to that? Share your opinion in the comments below.