Video game developers are constantly trying to innovate, to do something new to draw players in. One of the ways they do this is through the introduction of new game mechanics, new ways to interact with the world of a video game to change the way it's played. Some of these are small subtle aspects of the game that improve quality of life, and some are the core of the game itself. Either way, often once these new mechanics are seen gamers can't wait to see them again.
Unfortunately, more and more there appears to be a trend of game developers patenting these mechanics, attempting to prevent them from ever being seen again unless it is directly from that developer. They aren't just patenting the specific code and implementation either, but the general idea of the mechanic, something that often just seeks to emulate what we see in the real world every day, and are often so broad and egregious that it stifles future developers in an unfair way. These sorts of patents range from Sega patenting "Not wanting to get hit by a car" (U.S. Patent No. 6,200,138), Warner Brothers patenting complex interpersonal relationships and someone really hating your guts (U.S. Patent No. 10,926,179), and more recently Nintendo patenting the very concept of the mythical beast Pegasus (U.S. Patent No. 12,220,638).
It would be one thing if these developers were patenting their specific code, the exact way in which they implemented these concepts but they aren't. They are patenting an idea, a concept, a general way of interacting with the world, often ways that have existed long before video games were ever a thing. They are saying "We own this idea, no one else." and in doing so are unfairly stopping competition, bullying smaller game developers, and hurting the gaming community as a whole. It needs to stop.
by blk97