Topic: Nintendo patents........

[BlackNMild2k1]

Sanity Effects
you want examples? hey no need to yell.....

Quote
As noted, the character may experience hallucinations as a result of the sanity level. Hallucinations may occur in the following exemplary forms:

Wall carvings coming to life and reaching out for the character
Something in wall or under floor moving by the character (Frighteners type of thing)
Statue watching the character (Head tracking)
Suit of armor moving (Relaxed to on guard stance)
Static statue or object that appears to follow the character when they're not looking
False doors that appear and disappear when the attempt to open is made
Glowing eyes blinking in the darkness, yet when the area is illuminated they disappear
Painting that shifts and changes along with its meaning
Points of interest markers that the character's head will watch


In addition to the visual effects, the game may also be programmed to cause audio effects as a result of the current level of sanity of the character. For example, the character and thus the player may experience the following audio effects:

Ambient environmental sounds that get amplified or distorted
Heartbeat of character increases (May also be synchronized with Rumble Pak, a product offered by Nintendo)
Wind
Lightening
Cavern/damp-dripping sewer sound
Creatures sounds
Footsteps
Earth rumbles (e.g. great beast foot steps, may also be synchronized with Rumble Pak and camera shake)
Loud noises coming from beyond a doorway, but when opened there is only silence
Whispering sounds coming from random locations that fade in and out


In addition to the visual and audio effects described above, the game may also be programmed to cause miscellaneous effects as a result of the sanity level, such as:

Hallucination: lights go out, and a creature appears as lights come on, then the lights go back off, then the light comes back on and the creature is gone
Stretching walls and corridors so they require more time to traverse
Bleeding walls
Enormous roar that emits from a tiny rodent (Mouse or rat)
Dripping water from above, but when the character takes a second look it is now blood
Shadows that appear to shift and change
Character's torch mysteriously blows out, loud noise then it is once again lit
Faint maniacal laughter (That gets louder and louder as the character draws deeper into insanity)
Ambient audio, such as a water drip could become louder as insanity increases, so a really insane character will occasionally have this irritating dripping sound to distract him
Lagging shadow (the character's shadow appears to follow the character)

hmm... wonder what game will use them next?

Eternal Darkness 2? coming to a Rev near you? probably not but it would be nice.

accidentally posted this in the wrong forum, can someone move this for me

[KnowsNothing]

Interesting that this was just patented today....

Perhaps, though, with Silicon Knights gone, Nintendo filed this patent in order to prevent the Eternal Darkness series form going multiplatform.  While Silicon Knights will be able to make another ED game in name, without insanity effects the game would lose a ton of its appeal.

But this got me thinking about the Rev.  Maybe the new Rev interface will allow for insanity effects like we've never experienced before.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Denis Dyacks name is in the patent

Quote
Inventors:  Sterchi; Henry C. (Redmond, WA); Ridgeway; Edward A. (Redmond, WA); Dyack; Denis P. (Ontario, CA)

but I see what you're saying, no ED compelte experience w/o Nintendo's approval (i.e. on a Nintendo console)

[ruby_onix]

The patent was only just approved, but it was filed for back on Dec 14, 2000.

[KnowsNothing]

Oh blol.

[Bill Aurion]

Well that's just plain silly!

[Sir_Stabbalot]

Heh. Looks like Ninty filed this so no one else would copy it, but  it's going to keep ED from going Multiplatform without Ninty's permission.

[Bill Aurion]

Well Ninty owns the rights to Eternal Darkness anyway, so the patent really isn't needed...

[odifiend]

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
Well Ninty owns the rights to Eternal Darkness anyway, so the patent really isn't needed...

Really?  That just seems bizarre because it migrated from the PS1 originally, right?  I thought for sure, it would be Dyack's...  Silicon Knights can't seem to keep a franchise...

[ThePerm]

no too human migrated from ps1

[Bill Aurion]

I don't recall Eternal Darkness starting on the PS1...I can only think of Too Human...

[KDR_11k]

This is a shot in the face for Call of Cthulhu, which implements the same system. Perhaps Nintendo will agree to license the patent if the game is made exclusive to a Nintendo console?

[Stimutacs Addict]

in IGN's feature on the Xbox 360 title "Condemned", the developers talked about how the player will find bizarre hallucinations, strange visions occurring and won't know if they are real or just in the player's head.

hmm

[MarioAllStar]

As soon as I saw the "Rumble Pak" mentioned that immediately set off a red flag for me. That surprises me that a patent would take that long for approval.

[KDR_11k]

Stimut~1: That's not in violation of the patent, the patent involves a sanity bar (or value, at least) that determines the frequency and magnitude of rthe hallucinations.

[Stimutacs Addict]

word. reading can get you somewhere, apparently