Tag Archives: Patents

Games, Gaming, News

Gaming world react to WB Games holding an interesting patent despite Monolith Productions closure

The recent closure of Monolith Productions, along with Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games San Diego, has sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Monolith Productions, known for its critically acclaimed titles like F.E.A.R. and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, was a beloved studio with a storied history.

The decision to shutter these studios was part of a strategic shift by Warner Bros. Games to focus on their key franchises, including Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones.

One of the most significant aspects of this closure is the fate of the Nemesis System, a groundbreaking gameplay mechanic introduced in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The Nemesis System allowed NPCs to remember their interactions with the player, creating dynamic and personalized gameplay experiences. This system was patented by Warner Bros. Games, ensuring that no other developer could replicate it without permission.

Despite the closure of Monolith Productions, Warner Bros. Games retains the patent for the Nemesis System until 2036. This decision has sparked a range of reactions within the gaming community. On one hand, there is frustration and disappointment that such an innovative system may not be utilized to its full potential. The cancellation of the Wonder Woman game, which was reportedly going to incorporate the Nemesis System, only adds to this sentiment.

On the other hand, some see the retention of the patent as a strategic move by Warner Bros. Games. By keeping the patent, they maintain control over a unique and valuable gameplay mechanic that could be used in future titles. This could potentially give them a competitive edge in the industry, especially as they focus on their core franchises.

The closure of Monolith Productions and the retention of the Nemesis System patent highlight the challenges and complexities of the gaming industry. As studios navigate financial pressures and shifting market trends, decisions like these can have far-reaching implications for developers and players alike. While the future of the Nemesis System remains uncertain, its legacy as a pioneering gameplay innovation is undeniable.

In the end, the gaming community can only hope that Warner Bros. Games will find a way to honor the legacy of Monolith Productions and the Nemesis System in their future projects. Whether through new titles or by licensing the system to other developers, there is potential for this innovative mechanic to continue shaping the gaming landscape for years to come.

Business, Gaming, News

EA Expands Accessibility Patents Pledge with 23 New Patents

Electronic Arts (EA) has expanded its Accessibility Patents Pledge by adding 23 new patents to the initiative. Launched in August 2021, the pledge initially included five patents aimed at improving accessibility for players. Over the years, this number has grown to 15, and now, with the latest addition, the total stands at 38 patents.

These patents cover a range of technologies designed to make gaming more inclusive for players with disabilities or medical issues. Some of the newly added patents include:

  • Intelligent Personalized Speech Recognition: A system that improves the accuracy and efficiency of speech recognition by using personal phoneme mappings for each user.
  • Generating Expressive Speech Audio from Text Data: A system that generates expressive speech audio from text data, providing more control and personalization based on desired speaking style and speaker attributes.
  • Generating Speech in the Voice of a Player: A system that can generate speech in the voice of a player for their avatar, based on minimal sample speech data.
  • Voice Aging Using Machine Learning: A system that can age an original input voice to a desired target age without requiring additional voice samples.
  • Emotion-Based Music Style Change Using Deep Learning: A system that infers a player’s emotion while playing a video game and tunes the background soundtrack to best fit that emotion.

In addition to the patents, EA has also released an Unreal Engine 5 plugin that enables in-engine use of its photosensitivity analysis tech, IRIS, which was open-sourced last year. This plugin allows developers to analyze and identify frames that could potentially impact players who experience photosensitivity and make necessary adjustments.

EA’s commitment to making games more accessible is evident in its ongoing efforts to share its accessibility-centered technology with the wider industry royalty-free. By doing so, EA aims to encourage the industry to work together to remove barriers and make gaming more inclusive for everyone.