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Capcom vs Lu Bu

TraceTrace GNU Terry Pratchett; GNU Gus; GNU Carrie Fisher; GNU Adam WeRegistered User regular
I apologize profusely if this should go in Debate and Discourse.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/08/26/capcom-sues-koei-tecmo-over-patent-infringement
According to Japanese news site Sankei, Capcom is suing fellow publisher Koei Tecmo for multiple cases of patent infringement.

The exact contents of the patents are yet unknown, but alleged infringements include a number of functions found within key games, including the ability to import or content from an old title to a new one, disc-based expansions, and controller vibrations to warn when enemies are nearby.

Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends and 49 other games have been cited in the lawsuit. Along with roughly $9.43 million USD in damages, Capcom is also calling for many of the sales of these games to be suspended.

According to Capcom, the games in question containing said patent infringements have "greatly contributed to the sales" of Koei Tecmo, and wants to claim 5-10 percent in license fees.

Capcom has apparently become a giant floppy dong when I wasn't looking.

It tickles me pink that they're suing over stuff like, disc-based expansions and importing content from older game titles to newer game titles.

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  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    Capcom has resorted to patent trolling now?

    That's just... pretty awful.

  • TraceTrace GNU Terry Pratchett; GNU Gus; GNU Carrie Fisher; GNU Adam We Registered User regular
    It's hilarious.

    Disc-based expansions and imported content is something almost every gaming company in the world has done.

    Will Capcom now sue Microsoft for the disc-based expansions of the Age of Empires series?

    What about Bioware/EA because of Mass Effect and the imported content there?

  • TraceTrace GNU Terry Pratchett; GNU Gus; GNU Carrie Fisher; GNU Adam We Registered User regular
    the fact that Hyrule Warriors could now be delayed because of a lawsuit is also infuriating.

  • PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
    I'm tickled by Capcom just now noticing their longstanding rivalry with Koei.

  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Wow. I'm a Capcom whore... And I think this is despicable.

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    "ability to import or content from an old title to a new one"

    You mean, like, the Gold Box series of RPGs?

  • OrogogusOrogogus San DiegoRegistered User regular
    Elvenshae wrote: »
    "ability to import or content from an old title to a new one"

    You mean, like, the Gold Box series of RPGs?

    As far as I know it started with Wizardry 2, which came out in 1982. But the article could be simplifying the wording; patent language is often extremely specific, so it could very well say something like "...by means of searching a console's hard drive for the save file and cross checking it against blah blah blah..."

  • PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
  • ZxerolZxerol for the smaller pieces, my shovel wouldn't do so i took off my boot and used my shoeRegistered User regular
    edited August 2014
    Elvenshae wrote: »
    "ability to import or content from an old title to a new one"

    You mean, like, the Gold Box series of RPGs?

    sheeyit even the og Wizardry games let you do that

    but you know, a true patent troll doesn't let bullshit like prior art stop them from collecting that phat shakedown cash

    Zxerol on
  • BotznoyBotznoy Registered User regular
    In the legal proceedings they should just yell "Can anyone provide me with a decent challenge!" at the sillyness of this lawsuit

    IZF2byN.jpg

    Want to play co-op games? Feel free to hit me up!
  • ViskodViskod Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    I remember when you were like, my favorite company Capcom, and could do no wrong.

    For shame.

    Koei's defense lawyer should totally be dressed up like Phoenix Wright when they object to this.

    Viskod on
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    I seriously think there's a Dick Dastardly-type Capcom employee, complete with giant cartoonish moustache and bags under his eyes. He slowly moves from one department to another, sabotaging the company from within.
    His resume includes:
    "Cancel all Mega Man games, even ones that are done."
    "Release endless reboots and HD remakes."
    "Continue to lose rights to Marvel games, pay to get them back only when convenient. "
    "All DLC on-disc."
    "Sue everyone for also making video games."
    "Generally fart in our customers faces."

    Local H Jay on
  • DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    Man...questionable business decisions has been Capcom's MO this gen.

  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    I can't wait for Capcom to announce the inevitable in-brief lawsuit DLC.

    wWuzwvJ.png
  • CantidoCantido Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    Capcom to sue Koei for using "air combos."

    Cantido on
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  • DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    TOGSolid wrote: »
    I can't wait for Capcom to announce the inevitable in-brief lawsuit DLC.

    How'd you get ahold of details for the next Phoenix Wright game?

  • TraceTrace GNU Terry Pratchett; GNU Gus; GNU Carrie Fisher; GNU Adam We Registered User regular
    I hope this backfires so hard Capcom gets bought by Koei

  • TraceTrace GNU Terry Pratchett; GNU Gus; GNU Carrie Fisher; GNU Adam We Registered User regular
    http://games.on.net/2014/08/capcom-suing-koei-tecmo-over-patent-infringements-on-dlc-and-notification-technology/
    It seems that Capcom are suing Koei Tecmo, due to patent infringement discovered in 50 of their titles, including titles from the Samurai Warriors, Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi games. As noted by Siliconera, Capcom claims that back in 2002 they filed a patent for technology which combines an existing game with another piece of software to acquire new content.

    Capcom are also seeking licensing fees for another patent filed for technology which notifies the player of nearby enemies by vibrating the controller.

    The first oral arguments in the suit were held yesterday in Osaka, with Capcom seeking licensing damages of 5 to 10% from Koei Tecmo, who made approximately 9.73 billion yen ($94 million USD) in total sales. I imagine the Koei Tecmo lawyer’s argument consists of holding up a Warriors game in one hand, a Sengoku Basara game in the other and staring at the opposition in disbelief.

  • Grunt's GhostsGrunt's Ghosts Registered User regular
    When they say disc based expansions, are we talking about the stuff Blizzard been doing with WoW for years? Or pushing out the same game year after year like Madden?

    Because I'm sure Capcom is about to get the Mother of All Ass Whoopings.

  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    I'm wondering if they're talking about like what Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is. The full original game, with the added expansion stuff also included in the package. I don't know enough about Koei Tecmo to know if they've done something similar.

    It still strikes me as one of those "No fuckwad, you can't patent that". Along with the vibration thing, what is wrong with you?

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Capcom is dead.

  • TraceTrace GNU Terry Pratchett; GNU Gus; GNU Carrie Fisher; GNU Adam We Registered User regular
    Capcom's been dead for awhile.

    This'll be the crossbow bolt in the brain in the zombiefied corpse.

  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    Wow. That's... disappointing.

    And sadly, Wolfman, the patent system doesn't work that way (see mini games during loading screens, dialogue rings, etc)...

    It's to encourage innovation, obviously.


    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
    It takes a while for anybody to notice. Just like the development and release of Resident Evil 6.

  • Skull2185Skull2185 Registered User regular
    Oh man... if Hyrule Warriors gets delayed because of this I'll be... it's just... you don't even know
    I'll be super annoyed... like, a lot

    Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    Thinking about it more, I recognize that it's well within their legal rights to exploit the patent system in this matter, but it's just why now?

    Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends is a PS2 game... came out in 2004 (I still have my disc, lolol). The other 50 games are no doubt iterations within the Musou franchise (because they all did this). For example, Dynasty Warriors 3XL did the same thing, and came out before SW XL. I guess they reference Samurai Warriors XL as the example becuase Sengoku Basara is basically "Xtreme Samurai Warriors: XXX?"

    I don't know what game vibrates the controller though.

    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Thinking about it more, I recognize that it's well within their legal rights to exploit the patent system in this matter, but it's just why now?

    Because they're running out of money and are desperate.

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Skull2185 wrote: »
    Oh man... if Hyrule Warriors gets delayed because of this I'll be... it's just... you don't even know
    I'll be super annoyed... like, a lot

    But think of how awesome it will be when Megaman is playable in Hyrule Warriors following Capcom's loss, spiral into bankruptcy and purchase by Nintendo.

  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2014
    Can we just take the Phoenix Wright team and move them over to Aksys? Because that's about the only thing I think is salvageable from the desiccated corpse of Capcom.

    joshofalltrades on
  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Thinking about it more, I recognize that it's well within their legal rights to exploit the patent system in this matter, but it's just why now?

    Because they're running out of money and are desperate.

    Yeah, I guess desperation is the only real motivation for them to do this because it definitely doesn't seem like a "long-run" play. If they manage to get the sales of the Musou series blocked I'm pretty sure that's the kind of thing that would genuinely make a lot of people not buy Capcom anymore on principle alone.

    Didn't somebody else sue like this recently? Did they win or lose?

    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
    Wait.
    Step one is to stop selling games.
    Step two is to stop Koei from selling games.
    Pattern???

  • EclecticGrooveEclecticGroove Registered User regular
    Can we just take the Phoenix Wright team and move them over to Aksys? Because that's about the only thing I think is salvageable from the desiccated corpse of Capcom.

    I still want a new Dragons Dogma game because it was awesome. :(

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Guys, it's not desperation -- according to Capcom's last quarterly report they're still pretty damn profitable.

    Then again, just because you're making money doesn't mean that stops the desire to make more money.

    This kind of shit actually happens all the time, though on a much smaller scale. The difference here is that Capcom's waging a giant assault rather than trying to patent one or two specific game mechanics.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    Guys, it's not desperation -- according to Capcom's last quarterly report they're still pretty damn profitable.

    As someone who makes quarterly reports, they are ALWAYS made to show profit if you can at all finagle them to do so. They're not a really good way to say yes or no we're losing money.

    And that quaterly report is nowhere near "pretty damn profitable" it's more "we're just getting by we need to do something soon or this drop will continue and get more severe".

    Magic Pink on
  • PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
    Companies that aren't growing generally consider themselves to be dying.

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    Guys, it's not desperation -- according to Capcom's last quarterly report they're still pretty damn profitable.

    As someone who makes quarterly reports, they are ALWAYS made to show profit if you can at all finagle them to do so. They're not a really good way to say yes or no we're losing money.

    And that quaterly report is nowhere near "pretty damn profitable" it's more "we're just getting by we need to do something soon or this drop will continue and get more severe".

    They can, but there's always that pesky GAAP thing, which requires the results to play by the rules. I haven't seen anything that would indicate it's non-GAAP. Especially since I've seen more than a few Capcom reports in the past that reported a loss.

    And while the profit fell, the profit is still far too large to engage in this as a "desperation move."

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • GeddoeGeddoe Registered User regular
    Trace wrote: »
    I hope this backfires so hard Capcom gets bought by Koei

    The time for Sengoku Basara vs Sengoku Musou vs Dead or Alive vs Street Fighter : Extreme Beach Volleyball is at hand.

  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    Street Fighter Warriors?

    I'm pretty ok with this.

    wWuzwvJ.png
  • TommattTommatt Registered User regular
    Even if we talk consoles, wasn't rockstar the first one to do a disk based expansion with the old GTA:London on top of GTA (was it one or two? For the original Playstation)

    Going back further, what about sonic vs knuckles for the genesis, this kind of did this as well.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    cloudeagle wrote: »

    And while the profit fell, the profit is still far too large to engage in this as a "desperation move."

    To you and me, yeah. To a (possibly insane) corp exec, probably no.

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