They were granted patent - why can anyone have patent on game mechanic is beyond insane, but they do have it.
It is a very shitty move, and sets dangerous precedent when it comes to game mechanics (Nintendo never lost case like this in Japan).

On the other hand, Palworld devs should've thought twice before waving middle finger into Nintendo's face.

Just because a patent is granted doesn't mean it will hold. A patent has to be inventive that a skilled person in the art wouldn't have general knowledge. Point being Palworld just needs to find game mechanics similar to the patent but also pre date the patent

They wouldnt have won the case if they used the argument for copyright violation.

If it was that easy, they would have filed that long time ago.

I said that they would have had a stronger case for copyright violation than patent infringement, not that Nintendo would necessarily win it.

Anyway until the exact patents are specified, there's not a lot to go on.

It's also why we haven't seen anyone take a crack at emulating the Nemesis system, because WB owns the patent to that entire mechanic (it also doesn't help that the mechanic itself is complicated in design itself).

Apparently they did file some patens back in 2021 though, but I also like to imagine Palworld was also in super early Alpha at that stage, seeing as how it released to the public in a phase two beta style launch (playable state, some content to keep gamers playing, etc). However, the recent patents were filed after palworld sold gangbusters, which meant that Nintendo started to build a case after seeing the numbers, meaning they do want to crush their competition via abusing the law and patents, which can be a common tactic to use, if you cba outshining your competition (and when you're big, you tend not to pour money into making yourself look better, when you can just take an easy pot shot at smaller fix in the sea). 

That being said, I don't think this will kill PocketPair. I just think there will have to be some changes made, but I am also hoping that Nintendo doesn't pull a further dick move by trying to drag Pocketpair through legal proceedings for months/years on end, because if they do that, then they can slowly crush the entire studio (or buy them out when they're weak enough and simply gut the studio and kill the game, which we all know Nintendo has no issues doing with their own games). 

See while I get that, I do see two current issues with modern patent holdings:

1. Patent trolls exist, and it's not just smaller parties that do this either, big companies can also patent troll, but not in the typical 4chan way (being openly obnoxious about it). 

2. Patent holding can mount up over time and eventually form a specific stranglehold on global innovation.

The latter point is eventually going to become a reality with gaming, since we all know by now that gaming currently operates a lot on trend chasing or copying what currently works with gamers, meaning that if one of the big 3 stack up enough patents, then your competition isn't going to have much wiggle room to innovate themselves (when they actually try to that is). 

See with Nintendo and the whole "capture" mechanic, you've literally put your competition into a deadlock, how else are you going to reinvent a mere capture mechanic, when the base form patent itself is based upon capturing something?. Say for example you lasso a Pal with a rope, that still counts as a capture mechanic and ownership of said beast you rope (capture). They could change their UI look at the capture status, but I know Nintendo, they'll just nit pick the rest of the mechanic itself after the UI argument (which is what I see as patent trolling, because if the UI argument can't win you a fight, what's the point in trying to be logical then?, because you'd come off as incessantly nit picky). 

Microsoft DirectX Will Now Transition Into SPIR-V As The Interchange Format, Marking A New Era of Open-Source Development With Open Standards

https://wccftech.com/microsoft-directx-transition-spir-v-new-era-open-source-development-open-standards/

AMD’s CEO Believes That The AI Markets Has Room For “More Players”; NVIDIA Hasn’t Achieved Monopoly Status Yet

https://wccftech.com/amd-ceo-believes-ai-markets-has-room-for-more-players-nvidia-hasnt-achieved-monopoly-status-yet/

GPD confirms AMD “Strix Point” Zen5 APUs cost twice as much as “Hawk Point” with Zen4

https://videocardz.com/newz/gpd-confirms-amd-strix-point-zen5-apus-cost-twice-as-much-as-hawk-point-with-zen4

AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 to feature 16 Zen5 cores and 40 RDNA3.5 CUs: Strix Halo lineup leaks out

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-ai-max-395-to-feature-16-zen5-cores-and-40-rdna3-5-cus-strix-halo-lineup-leaks-out

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K box design has been leaked

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-core-ultra-9-285k-box-design-has-been-leaked

Let’s go with the Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Humble Store has three new sales:

• SEGA puts its games up to 85% off during 6 days: https://es.humblebundle.com/store/promo/sega-publisher-sale/
• The Tactical Supremacy Sale features up to 90% discounts during 6 days: https://es.humblebundle.com/store/promo/tactical-supremacy-sale/
• And Publisher 505 Games puts its games on sale with up to 90% deals during 13 days: https://es.humblebundle.com/store/promo/505-publisher-sale/

Fanatical has a new Star Deal and a bundle:

• The Star Deal is Fallout 76: Skyline Valley - Deluxe Edition, 70% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/fallout-76-skyline-valley-deluxe-edition
• The Diamond Collection BYOB (Fall Edition) is here with 17 games to get in bundles of 3+, 5+ or 7+: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/diamond-collection-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Unity shows what’s possible in Unity 6 with the Time Ghost Demo
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/unity-shows-whats-possible-in-unity-6-with-the-time-ghost-demo/
Unity has shared a new tech demo that showcases what’s possible in the latest version of the Unity 6 Engine, called Time Ghost. This demo features spectacular visuals and graphics. So, be sure to check it out.
>> It’s a less than 5 minutes video.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Empty-

GAMING NEWS

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven PC Demo Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/romancing-saga-2-revenge-of-the-seven-pc-demo-released/
Square Enix has just released a PC demo via Steam for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. Moreover, the publisher has shared the game’s official TGS 2024 trailer which you can find below.

SEGA announces Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, starring Goro Majima
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sega-announces-like-a-dragon-pirate-yakuza-in-hawaii-starring-goro-majima/
SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have just announced their new Like a Dragon/Yakuza game, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii appears to be a spin-off, and not the next part of the main Like a Dragon series.
>> Hiku has made a thread about it.

The second part of the Friday news:

The embodiment of 2010s existential dread could get a videogame—This is Fine: Maximum Cope opens Kickstarter funding next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/the-embodiment-of-2010s-existential-dread-could-get-a-videogame-this-is-fine-maximum-cope-opens-kickstarter-funding-next-week/
Things are rough out there, folks. I'll be honest, I'd intended to blithely rattle off a list of all the things that are going wrong in the world at the moment, but even approaching the task made me want to go and have a lie down. While the youth are sloughing off the existential dread with their skibidis and fanum taxes, my generation was briefly encapsulated by a single webcomic by cartoonist KC Green in the 2010s: This is Fine.
Surfacing around the year 2013, the comic depicts a dog calmly and quietly engaging in a bit of denialism, taking a light sip of their coffee while their home's consumed in fire. As creator KC Green explains in a later interview with NPR last year, it's meant to be vague, but relates to the author's own problems discovering the right dosage of antidepressants:
(...)
Anyway, KC Green's making a videogame about the comic now, in partnership with Numskull Games

War Game: The Making of Stalker 2 will reveal a behind-the-scenes look at game development amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/war-game-the-making-of-stalker-2-will-reveal-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-game-development-amidst-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/
The creation of Stalker 2 is genuinely remarkable, and not just because the newest addition to a notoriously weird, janky shooter series has somehow become one of the most anticipated games of the year. It's the circumstances of its development that are especially notable: Developer GSC Game World has continued to work on the game even as its home country of Ukraine has struggled to fend off a full-scale Russian invasion that began in 2022.
A closer look at that process will be shared in October in War Game: The Making of Stalker 2, a documentary that follows members of the development team as they work on the game amidst the war.

'We don't think Hi-Fi Rush 2 is going to make us money,' Krafton chief says, but they bought Tango Gameworks anyway 'to maintain their legacy'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rhythm/we-dont-think-hi-fi-rush-2-is-going-to-make-us-money-krafton-chief-says-but-they-bought-tango-gameworks-anyway-to-maintain-their-legacy/
It's been quite a year for Tango Gameworks. After releasing the acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush in 2023, it was shut down by Microsoft in May 2024, only to be rescued from oblivion a few months later by PUBG publisher Krafton. In a new interview with Game Developer, Krafton CEO Changhan 'CH' Kim explained the company's motivation for snapping up Tango, and he claims it wasn't for money—it was for the love of the game.
"We wanted to maintain their legacy," Kim said. "Although they did not have a big success in their games, we saw many creatives worth pursuing. That's why we wanted to work with that organization."
The real goal of the acquisition, Kim said, is to increase the diversity of Krafton's lineup: Making videogames is an inherently risky "hit or miss" business, "but having more project lineups is actually a way to mitigate risk, because one of them might work out."

Minecraft Live returns on September 28 with 'a new look and feel'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/minecraft-live-returns-on-september-28-with-a-new-look-and-feel/
Shortly after announcing an overhaul of the Minecraft update schedule and the end of the annual mob vote, Mojang has announced that the next Minecraft Live showcase, with "a new look and feel," is set to take place on September 28.

Several emergency patches later, Blizzard almost has WoW's new solo dungeons figured out
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/several-emergency-patches-later-blizzard-almost-has-wow-s-new-solo-dungeons-figured-out/
After a whirlwind of patches, World of Warcraft: The War Within's Delves are at least in a more stable spot than they were a week ago. Enemies no longer inexplicably become easier to defeat in groups than they are as a solo player, and the run-ending attacks have been pruned back. Delves are currently the challenging solo alternative to normal dungeons that Blizzard said they would be, but a few nagging problems remain.

A year after extraction shooter The Cycle: Frontier was shut down, it's back—well, in Fortnite at least
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/a-year-after-extraction-shooter-the-cycle-frontier-was-shut-down-its-backwell-in-fortnite-at-least/
A year after the extraction shooter The Cycle: Frontier shut down for good, Yager Development has brought it back—sort of—as The Cycle: Prospect Island, a new island in Fortnite that aims to keep "the spirit" of the original game alive.

Concord game director reportedly steps down as Firewalk developers fear layoffs or a possible closure
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/concord-game-director-reportedly-steps-down-as-firewalk-developers-fear-layoffs-or-a-possible-closure/
A Kotaku report says Concord game director Ryan Ellis has stepped down from his position at Firewalk Studios, and will take on a "support role" instead.
Three sources told the site that Ellis, a former director on Destiny 2 who left Bungie in 2016 and founded Firewalk in 2018, announced his stepdown last week, shortly after Sony took the game offline in order to "explore options" that will "better reach our players." (...)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will see the return of Inquisition's protagonist, and you'll be able to customize their appearance and voice
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/dragon-age/dragon-age-the-veilguard-will-see-the-return-of-inquisition-s-protagonist-and-you-ll-be-able-to-customize-their-appearance-and-voice/
An IGN video preview of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's character creator included a pretty shocking revelation about how it will account for our choices in previous games: The protagonist of Dragon Age: Inquisition will appear in the game, and we'll be able to customize their voice, background, and appearance to match our original saves.
>> PCGamer also has a positive preview/hands-on of the game, in case you haven’t lost all your hope in it.

Unsurprisingly, UFO 50 seems to have a big secret meta game that I've only just scratched the surface of
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/unsurprisingly-ufo-50-seems-to-have-a-big-secret-meta-game-that-ive-only-just-scratched-the-surface-of/
UFO 50 has taken over my life these past few days. When I'm not glued on the simple Windjammers-esque pleasures of Bushido Ball, I'm throwing my great big walrus body around perfect blue skies in Waldorf's Journey. I don't think I'll be able to ever stop playing it. In her review Kerry called it a "superb retro-style smorgasbord".
In addition to hosting 50 8-bit style console games belonging to a fictional 1980s studio, UFO 50 is really dedicated to the fiction of its games' provenance: each has a precise little history, and running through the whole collection are references to other games in the collection. It also has a terminal accessible in the main menu which allows players to enter eight figure codes.
[Word of warning: If you'd prefer to discover all this yourself, be aware that potentially huge spoilers follow.]

Despite some surprisingly chill Flight Simulator 2024 system requirements, the 'Ideal Spec' demands more RAM than storage
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/despite-some-surprisingly-chill-flight-simulator-2024-system-requirements-the-ideal-spec-demands-more-ram-than-storage/
If you're looking forward to finally stepping into the cockpit of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the official X account has put out a handy chart for the system requirements to run it, and it seems surprisingly well optomized. If you wanted to, you could technically run the game on a rig bought almost a decade ago, which could mean your old graphics card and CPU might be worth less than the $200 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Aviator Edition bundle. 
>> The top spec. requirements ask for 50GB of SSD storage and 64GB of RAM. Congeatulations, Mummelmann, going with 64GB is starting to pay off.

Parking Garage Rally Circuit is a tightly-designed shot of drifting, PS1-era graphics, and ska music straight to the veins
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/parking-garage-rally-circuit-is-a-tightly-designed-shot-of-drifting-ps1-era-graphics-and-ska-music-straight-to-the-veins/
I didn't have my expectations set too highly for Parking Garage Rally Circuit going in. I like the PS1 (or, as the Steam page invokes, Sega Saturn) style of graphics a lot. I find them charming, nostalgic, and pleasing to the eye. But it's also very fashionable at the moment, which means there's no guarantee that a game using them is going to be interesting.
I'm pleased to report that Parking Garage Rally Circuit (which I'm gonna start calling PGRC for my own sanity) is, however, really quite good. It's a very stripped-down racing experience: there's eight tracks, each of which you can go through three times via the three weight classes of car you can unlock. You have an accelerate button, a brake button, and a drift button. That's the game.

And now, the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend:

+GOG

• GOG only has one: the 505 Games Publisher Sale, featuring up to 90% discounts during 13 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240919_505_games_publisher_sale

+Steam

• The Game Devs of Color Expo, with the goal of “amplify the creative power held by people of color in games” features upcoming games, demos and also games featuring up to 85% discounts. I’ve seen deals that will last until the 24th, the 25th and the 26th:: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/gdocexpo
• ELDEN RING will be 30% of until September 26: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1245620/ELDEN_RING/
• Noita will have a 60% deal until the 26th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/881100/Noita/
• Crusader Kings III gets a 70% discount until next Thursday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1158310/Crusader_Kings_III/
• The NightDive Studios Publisher Sale has games up to 85% off until the 26th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/NDSPublisherSale2024
• The Anno franchise is on sale until Thursday, the 26th with up to 85% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/Anno_Franchise_2024
• EA is ding a September Showcase and has its games up to 90% off until September, the 26th: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/EA/sale/september-showcase-2024
• SEGA also puts its games on sale, with up to 85% deals. Some deals will end Thursday 26, while others will last until the 3rd of October: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/SEGAPublisherSale2024
• Wild Indigo Ranch has a demo and a 50% discount until October, the 3rd: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1751350/Wild_Indigo_Ranch/
• And here’s the last one, with Publisher 505 Games putting its games up to 90% off until the 3rd of October: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/505GamesPublisherSale

And that will be all. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

AMD: "Nvidia isn't a monopoly until we say it is".

Nvidia:

They say there is room, and yet the other two are way, way behind and still playing catch-up. This kind of leg race is going to take years to even come close, and I think AMD is just in denial mode at this point. next step comes with acceptance that they're in 2nd to last place.