Warner Bros. patents the Nemesis System, but some developers haven't taken it well
If you've played the two games set in the Lord of the Rings universe, then you know how it works: Nemesis is a system that procedurally creates enemies , giving them a memory of our actions and randomly generating facial features, voices, abilities and equipped weapons, also organizing them in a constantly evolving hierarchical system. A mechanic that has won critical and gamer acclaim, which Warner Bros. has patented to prevent it from being implemented by the competition.You can learn more about the subject thanks to the video attached below.
Some developers, who have seen their freedom undermined, have not taken it well at all. Mike Bithell, author of Thomas Was Alone, Volume and John Wick Hex, described the move as "disgusting, especially for a franchise that has built its brilliant Nemesis System on top of a bunch of mechanics copied from other games. As all do. games. Because that's how our culture and creativity work. Be better neighbors, Warner Bros. " . Like Cat Manning, Narrative Designer and Writer at Riot Games working on League of Legends: "I took a look at the patent, and it's so vast it's absurd. Many other emerging narrative systems I've worked on or just have seen can be described in that language. It's probably not legally enforceable, but I and other indie developers don't have the money to find out! I have no interest in copying the Nemesis System. Personally, I have other things I'm interested in. But the patent it is so extensive that I fear it will block the creation of any similar mechanic. "
The move is bound to cause further discussion, but it must also be said that this is not the first time this has happened. There are many developers who have decided to patent their gameplay systems. As Game Maker's Toolkit's Mark Brown pointed out, BioWare did the same thing with the Mass Effect dialogue ring, Silicon Knights with the Eternal Darkness sanity indicator, and, very recently, Bloober Team with The Medium's Dual Reality system.
