So you're asking for more people that can speak and read Japanese on a dominantly English forum?
Even though GAF is predominantly English, there are actually quite a lot of people who can speak and read Japanese here.
So you're asking for more people that can speak and read Japanese on a dominantly English forum?
This kinda seems bullshit.
Assuming the worst case-scenario and Sega actually manages to win this, would this mean the end for Level 5?
900 million Yen is not a huge amount of money.This kinda seems bullshit.
Assuming the worst case-scenario and Sega actually manages to win this, would this mean the end for Level 5?
FixedThis kinda seems bullshit.
Assuming the worst case-scenario and Sega actually manages to win this, would this mean the end for SEGA's already low popularity?
900 million Yen is not a huge amount of money.
We can only hope.
We can only hope.
New information coming up (from the actual patent details on the first patent I posted):
I think this is definitely one of the two patents in question - it's for a touch soccer arcade game specifically. The patent in question ONLY covers soccer games (Edit - however in the ammendments, Sega has suggested that they can use it for any games requiring control over a single character and groups of characters simultaneously), so even though it can be perceived as vague, it's not as vague as just moving a character via touch.
I've got a little bit more coming in a moment once I get done trying to work through the translation of the actual details of the patent. I'm a bit rusty and I don't have google translate to rely on (its actual jpg images of the patent itself that I'm looking at in details), so if someone is a bit more comfortable with Japanese, I'll be happy to post them as well. Otherwise, it'll wait until I'm done glancing for the highlights.
Anyone else can find the patent though with the patent number I posted originally.
And I did find the origin date. The patent's original filing was back in 2004.
Welp there goes all my support for anything Sega does.
If this were the US, I'd say they probably could. Europe, maybe not. Japan... I really have no idea how software patent disputes tend to go there, I'm not too optimistic for Level 5 to be honest short of a settlement that renders this whole thing a non-issue.
Haha, yeah go ahead and try to sue Nintendo and Square Enix, Sega, see where that gets you.
Given how often Namco uses mini games during loading screens I actually find this to be appropriate.They did win their suit against Namco for having light up button prompts in Tekken 2's training mode. (A feature Sega barely uses in their own fighters bafflingly enough.)
character 50 is drug-operated and moved thereafter, a ball is automatically passed back
Level 5 is REALLY bad at securing their idea by patents.
While other software companies have hundreds or even thousands of software patents, IIRC Level 5 has very few of them, or even none.
I don't know whether that is good or bad, though.
It seems like they focus on making games rather then patent trolling...honestly sega today could learn alot from Level 5.
They successfully sued EA over that whole Simpsons/Crazy Taxi thing. I don't think winning against Nintendo or Square is out of the question.
Anyone familiar with Inazuma able to say whether or not this sounds like something in the game? Still digging for any others that I can find... But this one specifically referenced a soccer touch screen game...
(21)Application number : 2011-131223 (71)Applicant : SEGA CORP
(22)Date of filing : 13.06.2011 (72)Inventor : TSUTSUMI ATSUSHI
ITO MITSUHIRO
(54) IMAGE PROCESSOR AND METHOD THEREOF
(57)Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly control the movement of a character by a simple operation.
SOLUTION: When carrying out one-two pass from one character 50 to the other character 52, single or double operation is carried out to the other character 52 on a touch panel 22. When the character 50 is drug-operated and moved thereafter, a ball is automatically passed back from the ally character 52 to the character 50 after the ball is moved to the ally character 52.
Edit - Image included with the patent:
So... the patent in the OP wasn't filed until last year right?
How can Sega sue Level 5 for infringing a patent that hadn't been filed yet?
What the hell is wrong with SEGA lately? First the Shining Force videos and now this?
What was with Shining Force videos?
That sounds like a broad-ass patent.
You want to know what the funny thing is? This sounds technically more advanced than what IE has. IE doesn't have the function of grouping multiple players and moving them at once.Sega (in the patent) was granted a patent on the idea of using a combination of swipes and drag/hold techniques to control multiple characters at once, while also maintaining primary control over one single character (in the case of the patent, a player with the ball, but they suggest it can be other things as well). The examples provided include moving linemen into formation using quick swipes while using a long drag to move the character with the ball up field. (So basically, a long drag will move the guy with the ball, while a quick swipe will move linemen, and a quick swipe on top of the ball to another character will pass the ball, etc. - there are multiple techniques mentioned here (including grouping multiple characters together to move at once) but they generally revolve around the same fundamental ideas).
There's a little bit more detail to it, but this basically the fundamental argument of what Sega has patented here.
Anyone know if that sounds like Inazuma?
So... why did Sega suddenly go for this? What's their reason?
Why aren't they suing EA for it too? Too afraid or is this Japan only fiasco? FIFA titles do the same.