Sony Patent Could Stop You From Playing Used Games, Possibly on the…
A patent application published today resurrects the rumor that Sony's next gaming console will suppress the playing of used games, and outlines how such a scheme would be accomplished without the use of an always-on Internet connection for verification. In short, an RFID ID stamped onto the new discs would track their…
This Kinect Patent is Terrifying, Wants to Charge You For License…
A patent filed by Microsoft last year, but only made public last week, wants to turn your Xbox 360's Kinect into an instrument via which large companies can monitor your media usage and, if you're found to be in violation of something, charge you for it.
Sony Wants Your PlayStation to Automatically Know Who You Are
In May this year, Sony Computer Entertainment filed an application for a patent concerning biometric security. Not an entirely new idea, since there are consumer devices like phones (and the Kinect) that already have things like facial recognition, but it's the scale of Sony's thoughts on the matter that are important…
The Next Xbox Could Transform Your Living Room Into One Massive 3D…
It's not quite holodeck technology, but it's not far off. A patent filed back in March by Microsoft describes advanced display technology that extends the gaming environment from the television to all four walls of a room.
Sony Wants to Turn Commercials Into Video Games
A Sony patent called "System for converting television commercials into interactive networked video games" is trying to do...well, exactly what its title says it's trying to do.
Sony Interested in Interrupting Your Gaming with Commercials
Are commercial breaks something gamers in the future will have to deal with? According to a newly surfaced patent, they might.
Time to Play "What the Hell is This Thing Sony Just Patented?"
What the hell is this? A steering wheel? A jet fighter's yoke? It's certainly a peripheral for the PlayStation Move, with swing-wing handle grips out at the side. Why is that feature necessary?
Microsoft Working on a Gaming Helmet, Glasses
Since 2010, Microsoft has been working on a gaming display system so small that it wouldn't need to be sitting on an entertainment unit or even held in your hands. You could wear it in a pair of glasses. Or in a stupid helmet.
Nintendo Triumphs in 2008 Patent Infringement Lawsuit
Three years ago Ohio-based technology company Motivia filed a patent lawsuit
Sony Thinking of Vitality Sensors for PlayStation Consoles?
Maybe! A patent application, filed in 2010 but only recently uncovered, has Sony looking at biometric controls on devices that look like a DualShock, a PlayStation Move controller, and a handheld.
Kinect Could Automatically Control What you can Watch On Your 360
A Microsoft patent, filed in March 2010 but only publicly released last week, is called PARENTAL CONTROL SETTINGS BASED ON BODY DIMENSIONS. It's about using tech like Kinect to automatically restrict content on a PC or Xbox depending on who (or what) the camera sees in the room.
Nintendo Files Trademarks for "Wii U" but Doesn't Own wiiu.com [Corrected]
Our good friends at Fusible note, somewhat wryly, that while Nintendo's gotten around to filing trademark applications on the Wii U it's lacking ownership of the wiiu.com domain. The console by that name is due for sale sometime in 2012.
Nintendo Seeks to Patent the Massively Singleplayer Online Game
Back in 2010, Nintendo filed a patent application for something called a "massively single-playing online game," something whose interactions don't take place in real time and what sounds a little Animal Crossing-ish (above).
Retired Sony Engineer Says 3DS Copied His Patent
The Nintendo 3DS uses glasses-free 3D technology that infringes on a patent held by a former Sony engineer, according to a lawsuit filed two weeks ago.
Seized European PlayStation 3 Systems To Be Released Into The Wild
While the Blu-ray patent infringement lawsuit between electronics manufacturer LG and Sony rages on, a court decision in the Netherlands has halted the confiscation of PlayStation 3 systems entering Europe, with the more than 300,000 units already seized ordered returned.
Dutch Court Orders PS3 Seizures — Including Those In Homes
Several thousand more PlayStation 3s were seized by Dutch customs officials on the eve of Sony's courtoom showdown with Korea-based LG, whose allegations of patent infringement have effectively halted the distribution of consoles
European Customs Seize PlayStation 3 Shipments
Tens of thousands of PS3s were seized by customs officers last week in the Netherlands as part of an ongoing contentious court battle between LG and Sony, the Guardian reports.
Could This Be The Future Of Typing On A Control Pad?
Having to enter letters and numbers via a control pad sucks, as anyone typing out credit card numbers or download codes on an Xbox 360 or PS3 will attest. If only there was a way to make this necessary evil easier...
Alternate PlayStation Move Had Balls
As nice as Sony's PlayStation Move is, we can't help but look at this old patent for the device and think one of its original designs was a little nicer.
Patent Application Imagines The DS Helping With The Groceries
Still trying to sell the DS to people who don't typically play games, Nintendo has plans for an application linking the DS with a supermarket's inventory so users can simplify their shopping list and find what they need more easily.
Patent Application Hints At Vitality Sensor's Games
A patent application filed by Nintendo mentions a Wii Vitality Sensor game in which players control the flight of a cartoon character with a combination of Wii remote gestures and - wait for it - breathing.
Is This How We'll Play PS2 Games On A PS3?
Sony has patented a means whereby you can play PS2 games on a PS3. And they're some kooky means.
Sony Explores Alternative to Split-Screen Multiplayer
A couple of patent applications published recently show that Sony's looking at stereoscopic video for more than just 3D gaming; it could take the place of split-screen local multiplayer.
Another Patent Filing Speaks of Rumble-Enabled DS
A newly published patent application lends additional credence to what Nikkei reported last month, that Nintendo's upcoming 3DS handheld will feature force feedback
Microsoft Seeks to Patent the DLC Upsell
A recent patent application describes a process in which an Xbox Live gamer, invited to a multiplayer session, but missing a critical piece to play (a map, a track, whatever), is offered and may buy it without dropping the invitation.
Nintendo Patent Implies a New DS Cartridge Design
Siliconera found a patent application from Nintendo that is one of either two things - a new cartridge for existing DS configurations, or a new cartridge for a new DS. Or it could be both, come to think of it.
Patent Filing Hints at DS Vibration Feedback Through Stylus
Rumors of a new DS make this kind of news a little juicier: Nintendo at the end of last month filed an addendum to a 2005 patent that describes a vibration feedback system, this time coming through the stylus.
Namco Files Patent for Wiimote Drumming Game
A pair of attachments would turn two Wiimotes into a set of sticks, presumably for an air-drumming game, according to a patent filed recently by Namco Bandai.
Microsoft Patents the Exercise Guilt Trip
Microsoft's filed a patent that would make avatars more realistic and less idealized, with the point of getting your husky ass out to exercise if what you're seeing in the dashboard is a more realistic presentation of yourself.