Genesis controllers

[floattube]

That's ridiculous. How can you patent a shape?

[brainerdrainer]

yeah that's weird

[AppleQueso]

...why is it strange that the specific d-pad design was patented? Most console manufacturers had patents on the shape of their controller and a/v ports, cartridge designs, etc.

[floattube]

...why is it strange that the specific d-pad design was patented? Most console manufacturers had patents on the shape of their controller and a/v ports, cartridge designs, etc.

I can understand patenting controllers and what not, but it's kind of dumb that Nintendo doesn't want anyone else to use a cross d-pad. Every controller would be better if they used a cross shaped d-pad. Especially XBox 360, playing Shenmue 2 with that controller was torture.

[AppleQueso]

...why is it strange that the specific d-pad design was patented? Most console manufacturers had patents on the shape of their controller and a/v ports, cartridge designs, etc.

I can understand patenting controllers and what not, but it's kind of dumb that Nintendo doesn't want anyone else to use a cross d-pad. Every controller would be better if they used a cross shaped d-pad. Especially XBox 360, playing Shenmue 2 with that controller was torture.

Exactly, Nintendo wants to keep that design to themselves. Why would they just freely hand that tech away?

Also other companies can make cross d-pads, they just have to have the inner workings of the thing done differently. Dreamcast's d-pad was a cross for example.

[floattube]

...why is it strange that the specific d-pad design was patented? Most console manufacturers had patents on the shape of their controller and a/v ports, cartridge designs, etc.

I can understand patenting controllers and what not, but it's kind of dumb that Nintendo doesn't want anyone else to use a cross d-pad. Every controller would be better if they used a cross shaped d-pad. Especially XBox 360, playing Shenmue 2 with that controller was torture.

Exactly, Nintendo wants to keep that design to themselves. Why would they just freely hand that tech away?

Also other companies can make cross d-pads, they just have to have the inner workings of the thing done differently. Dreamcast's d-pad was a cross for example.

I mean, it's really just a d-pad. I can understand not wanting to give away tech and everything but it just seems like a jerk-move to handicap other controllers. Although Microsoft's newest controller has a pretty decent d-pad, so I guess there are ways around it.

[Cronozilla]

You guys know the patent for Nintendo's D-Pad expired in 2012, right? At the time, it was their edge in the market. It was 17-20 years ago that it was awarded.

[AppleQueso]

You guys know the patent for Nintendo's D-Pad expired in 2012, right? At the time, it was their edge in the market. It was 17-20 years ago that it was awarded.

I was thinking that might've happened, but I wasn't sure. Either way I don't really see it as a "jerk move" for a company to patent their own designs.

[floattube]

You guys know the patent for Nintendo's D-Pad expired in 2012, right? At the time, it was their edge in the market. It was 17-20 years ago that it was awarded.

I was thinking that might've happened, but I wasn't sure. Either way I don't really see it as a "jerk move" for a company to patent their own designs.

Well I do. But it's okay, I've been a Nintendo Fanboy my entire life and it hasn't changed a bit.
I still love you Nintendo <3

[Key-Glyph]

If I'm not mistaken, there was even a lawsuit back in the day over the technology that communicated the commands from a controller to the avatars on a screen to make them move. I read it in a magazine when I was a kid, and I remember (obviously) that the company suing on the grounds of infringement lost the case. I must be at least partially misremembering though (or not searching well enough), because I can't find information on the internet about it.

Anyway, here's an interesting article I found during the search: The Ten Most Important Video Game Patents.

I may be thinking of #9, but I'm really not sure.