Okay Geek Farm
Nintendo patenting single-player MMO concept
Ricardo Trejo
The title can be a little hard to understand but it’s exactly how it sounds; Nintendo has applied for a concept that would allow the world of a game be subjected to the decisions players have made across the globe, however the game itself would be a single-player experience. The only thing that makes it MMO is the shared world that changes dependant on the actions of its players. Did somebody say Pokemon?
Gamespot sniffed this story out, and have released tid-bits on what the patent really is about:
“Those who want to play games that are more dynamic, not-based on Al and not-pre-scripted like multiplayer games, however, don’t want to ‘deal’ with other people, appreciate the privacy it provides.”
Nintendo has always been coy about online gaming as a whole, and this whole patent is one step forward, two steps back if you know what I mean. For instance, Nintendo’s own Pokemon franchise lends itself beautifully to an online setting, probably more so than any property out there on the market right now. The Big N sits on one of the biggest cash cows ever if only they had a network to connect them altogether. Imagine a Pokemon world where thousands (if not millions) of players could battle and trade pokemon with each other, take part in weekly and seasonal events, and not to mention be a part of a real league. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, that’s because it is. Nintendo refuses to give into the idea. For what reason? They’ve never really given a reason.
Anyway, the patent in question is still being filed and reviewed, and is meant for Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U console, so who knows. Maybe it’s time for Pokemon to make the jump instead of Animal Crossing which is more boring than Tom Nook’s expression.
