Posts tagged patent 
Sony patented Wii U-esque controller, has pics to prove it
Sony may have been caught in the same handheld wavelengths as Nintendo in 2010. A patent uncovered by Games Beat shows Sony considering a handheld, touchscreen device that would function similarly to Nintendo's Wii U. Titled the "Position-dependent gaming, 3-D controller, and handheld as a remote," ...
Old Microsoft patent details gaming console with DVR functionality
Can you imagine the original Xbox 360, with its 20GB hard drive, being used as a DVR? We really can't see it working, but in January of 2007 Microsoft was down with the idea. Patents discovered by Tom's Guide detail plans for a gaming console similar to the Xbox 360 with a "digital video ...
Impulse Technology suing Nintendo for patent infringement
Tech developer Impulse Technology -- that name sound familiar? -- has filed a lawsuit against Nintendo and a score of third-party studios, accusing them of violating a 1996 patent for an "interactive system for measuring physiological exertion." The suit is largely based on the weight-tracking ...
Nintendo patents periscope-esque Wiimote touchpad attachment
A Nintendo patent shows that Nintendo is, or was, considering the graft of Wii U-like features onto the regular old Wiimote. The company applied for a patent for a device that adds a touch panel to the Wiimote, using an infrared LED and mirrors to feed info about the position of your finger into ...
Sony patents biometric controllers, handhelds
Everyone's getting into the biometric controller business -- without actually getting into it. Nintendo's Vitality Sensor caused a lot of blood pressure spikes upon its announcement, but was delayed into oblivion. And don't hold your breath for Ubisoft's Innergy. The next device to get ...
Apple looking to add avatars to Game Center, patent filings show
Use Game Center much? Some potential patents Apple has filed for may hint at more robust features coming to the platform in the future -- specifically, avatars. Apple's documents (via AppleInsider) show customization options and fully animated avatars akin to Nintendo's Miis or Microsoft Xbox 360 ...
Patent points to possible Kinect-based parental controls
Tech blog Geekwire recently uncovered a U.S. patent for software which uses the Kinect to scan a potential player's body size, and restrict mature content based on their estimated age. It does so not just by examining their height, but the proportions of their body parts -- still, we think it ...
Microsoft patents modular phone with controller attachments
A new Microsoft patent depicts a concept for a "slider" type cell phone with customizable control schemes -- in the form of multiple controller attachments that snap into a cavity in the phone. "The second devices can comprise one or more game controllers, batteries, physical keyboards and/or ...
Wii U WiiPad controller patent reveals magnetometer, flash memory
The Wii U's tablet-esque controller may tout its touchscreen as its main selling point, but there's a lot more than meets the eye going into every one of Nintendo's resistive-screened revolutionaries. Patent diagrams for the WiiPad's schematics list off plenty of components you'd expect (touch ...
Nintendo files patent for 'massively single-playing online games'
Playing games online can be a mixed bag of fantastic and horrible experiences, depending on what you're playing. If you're lucky, the game you're interested in has an active, helpful community of friendly people, eager to help new players become members of the neighborhood. If you're unlucky, ...
