Video game patents you may not know about

Here are some of the more unusual video game patents that have been filed and approved.

EA: The Mass Effect dialogue wheel

You know that wheel that pops up when you are about to respond to speech in the Mass Effect games? Well, EA loved that wheel so much that they patented it, so it will be theirs forever. (Cue evil laugh.)

EA: A gaming console with a wireless controller

EA patented the gaming console. Yes, that’s right, they decided that any game console that runs off an OS and uses a wireless controller should be under their ownership. EA was quite clear when it came to filing this patent – luckily the patent expired in the early 90s.

Nintendo: The D-Pad

The early Xbox controllers were amazing – the positioning of their dual analogue sticks was every Call of Duty players’ dream. The D-Pad, was another story all together. Nintendo owned the iconic “plus” shape and was the only company allowed to use the shape until the patent expired in 2005.

Activision: Blur’s social networking

Activision might have over 30 legitimate patents under their belt, but the gaming giant has some pretty weird ones, too. Did you know that Blur’s social media aspect is a patent? The idea of social media in a game, integrated into the mechanics of the game, is owned by Activision.

Activision: Figurines in games

It is a no-brainer that Activision would patent their world famous Skylanders figurines. The patent is filed as “server based interactive video game toys” and “the use of a platform able to identify such toys”. Funny enough, the patent did not interfere with Disney’s money maker, and Disney Infinity launched without any hiccups.