Sega get the FPS ball rolling [patent]

[Nintendork]

I'm currently reading through the patent to understand how the Revolution controller, the article doesn't mention the words Nintendo or Revolution for obvious reasons but they just filed a patent on this baby:

 

 

click image to digg me up.

 

As I say, I'm concerned Sega will own the exclusive rights to use the light gun shell in all Nintendo Revolution games.. which would be a great shame and could put prices up to consumers if a third party developper intends on using it.

 

I hope it's an open accessory.

 

http://digg.com/gaming/Sega_files_patent_for_Revolution_gun_controller

 

Minus the boring crap:

 

" [0040] In the game device, the game machine successively forms three-dimensional explosion images of the course of the cannonball impacting, exploding, and disappearing in accordance with the lapse of time, and may comprise an image processing means for applying, to the three-dimensional explosion images showing the course of disappearance, two-dimensional explosion images similarly showing the course of disappearance as a semi-transparent texture. "

[knightendo]

i won't even pretend to know what all that means lol but i have to say it is great to see developers thinking about expanding on the rev controller already, and sega was sure to be one of the first. nice find

[Nintendork]

I'm not sure how legit it is really.. I got the article from RevolutionFanboy (part of the joystiq empire)

 

And looking through the 59 page patent.. it seems this controller is aimed at the Dreamcast and arcade machines.

 

I'm not sure whether this is a generalised patent, and the ideas can still be used in the Revolution?

 

But the patent details how you can place the little dreamcast dongle thing in the top of it.

 

I'm starting to think this is another bum article published by Revolution Fanboy.

 

After all the patent is dated: 2000-05-24

[knightendo]

awk bum.

 

lol. shame really, with all the talk of all the attachments possible with the revo controller this could've been a cool little add-on. although i suppose where the "B" button is on the revo's own controller will already make it feel like a gun in such games.

[Nintendork]

There is one date on it, from a few weeks ago.. which was filed.

 

But all the documents I read have dreamcasts in it: http://img469.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshot399nj.jpg

 

I'm still staying quite critical of it, I see no Revolution link at all as of yet.. I've mouthed of at the people at RevolutionFanboy.. but I think my comments might have been wrong. After all why would they file a patent in 2006 for Dreamcast/Arcade machines?

[Retro_Link]

That's a patent for the Official Sega Dreamcast lightgun that was released for the dreamcast!

 

[Nintendork]

Yeah, but there was a new patent filed 4 weeks ago.

 

Under patent law when a patent is filed an 'abstract' should be provided which is the front page.. the abstract tells us a brief description and links it to the dreamcast controller saying effectively "it's gonna be like this"

 

Aparently the revolution patented controller wont be revealed for 18 months?

 

Patent abstracts

 

What I don't understand is why we see Revolution patents emerging last week.. fully detailed but something as meager as a controller is just an abstract.

 

Very curious, perhaps Revolution patent was filed over 18 months ago.. i'm no expert in this.

[mario114]

I don't see how any other company could have the rights to it, i mean it's nintendo's control pad, inless that weird thing that sega made uses a remote which clips into a shell, and relys on the same technology to work, other wise ninty could get around it much like other compansy get around the patent on the D-pad.

[knightendo]

I don't see how any other company could have the rights to it, i mean it's nintendo's control pad, inless that weird thing that sega made uses a remote which clips into a shell, and relys on the same technology to work, other wise ninty could get around it much like other compansy get around the patent on the D-pad.

 

as nintendork said: "But the patent details how you can place the little dreamcast dongle thing in the top of it." meaning, nintendo's own controller might slip in the top of it? maybe sega have realised that the shell for their light gun could be used in a completely different way with nintendo's controller...?

[shade]

This is either a patent for revolution or a re patent for the dreamcast gun as that abstract IS the dreamcast gun. Look at picture B and arrow 15. You can see a round bit. That round bit of plastic is present on the bottom sides of the dreamcasts VM. Sega could implement a similer design. Sega probably have exclusive rights given to them from Nintendo to create the Official gun for revolution. Third parties won't have to pay a license fee. If sega does not make a gun someone else will as it would be great for Light gun games and FPS games.

[Nintendork]

knightendo if you know anything about x-y trajectory co-ordinations which I obviously don't.. because I probably spelt that wrong.

 

The console's revolution controller will slip into the top like the dreamcast toy does along the barrel so the laser pointing technology can be taken advantage of.

 

It will fit in the same way as a visual memory unit did on the dreamcast... if that's what is intended.

 

As far as i'm aware once you've had a patent for 10 years it's not longer yours right? I remember studying drugs in chemistry.. one guy helf the patent for aspirin and another with dynamite.

10 years later they wore off.. perhaps this is merely for chemical structures though.

[Charlie]

Obviously it's a special sort of gun, you can't patent a bog-standard light gun, there are millions of them out already. I doubt it's used only for the Revolution, Sega will be making a next-gen FPS and this gun will ship with it, for use on any console (not needed on the Revo?).

[AshMat]

The DC gun slotted into the back of the gun thought, won't this need to slotinto the front of it?

 

I don't really understand this, Why would nintendo let sega design the gun for the revo? 'm still sure that's just the dreamcast gun.

[Jamba]

The VMU of the DC and the rumble pack slotted into the back of the light gun. It would make sense... Nintendo weren't exactly successful with their light guns though were they?

 

More importantly though I'm pretty sure Sega own the rights to House of the Dead which would be a pretty good addition to the Rev line up.

[AshMat]

I've decided now o disregard this. I just do not believe that it's rev. It is EXACTLY the same as the DC one.

[knightendo]

knightendo if you know anything about x-y trajectory co-ordinations which I obviously don't.. because I probably spelt that wrong.

 

The console's revolution controller will slip into the top like the dreamcast toy does along the barrel so the laser pointing technology can be taken advantage of.

.

 

yeh that's what i meant. and no i don't know anything about those but i got ur point.

 

i don't think nintendo have "let" sega design a gun for revo retro-lover, it may be possible sega have renewed their patent(?) so that this can be tweaked to be an add-on to the revo controller for some game sega have planned...?

[AshMat]

If it's virtua cop i'm going to turn it into a real gun and shoot myself with it.

[knightendo]

who owns the rights to publish time crisis games...?