Patent application hints possible plans for Wii online gaming

A recent publishing of a patent application by Darren Smith of Nixon & Vanderhye has unveiled certain clues to what Nintendo might (just might) be shaping up the Wii’s online experience to be. Patent application number 20070123353 is entitled “Invitation system for on-line video games” and introduces a hot-swappable game session-handling mechanic.

 

Or so it appears. Primarily, the patent application filed in August 2006 encompasses a server registry and storage of invites sent by one console to another over what is termed as an “invitation server.” The server handles the forwarding and recording of invites and acceptance of invites sent. It even “stores” the invitation, allowing either of the two separate players to continue playing a game or join a (previously?) hosted game when the other logs out.

It’s unclear, however, what Nintendo plans to do with such technology at this point, but the final claim of the patent application seems to point out a definite direction the technology is driving at. We’ll quote this portion ad verbatim:

A method for inviting users to play video games comprising: receiving at a first game system used by a first user to play a first game an invitation from a second user using a second game system inviting the first user to play a second game different than the first game; storing in nonvolatile memory of the first game system invitation data indicative of the invitation from the first user; and re-starting the first game system to play the second game, wherein the re-starting comprises using the invitation data stored in the non-volatile memory to enable the first game system to automatically initiate game play processing for playing the second game with the second user.

It appears that everything really revolves around fail-safe networking and game session persistence, which highlights a completely robust and flexible networking system. Although Nintendo has its lips zipped on online gaming plans, leaked information from a memorandum mentioned that they were at work with GameSpy regarding online gaming. We wonder if this is what they’re working on?

Via United States Patent and Trademark Office

A recent publishing of a patent application by Darren Smith of Nixon & Vanderhye has unveiled certain clues to what Nintendo might (just might) be shaping up the Wii’s online experience to be. Patent application number 20070123353 is entitled “Invitation system for on-line video games” and introduces a hot-swappable game session-handling mechanic.

 

Or so it appears. Primarily, the patent application filed in August 2006 encompasses a server registry and storage of invites sent by one console to another over what is termed as an “invitation server.” The server handles the forwarding and recording of invites and acceptance of invites sent. It even “stores” the invitation, allowing either of the two separate players to continue playing a game or join a (previously?) hosted game when the other logs out.

It’s unclear, however, what Nintendo plans to do with such technology at this point, but the final claim of the patent application seems to point out a definite direction the technology is driving at. We’ll quote this portion ad verbatim:

A method for inviting users to play video games comprising: receiving at a first game system used by a first user to play a first game an invitation from a second user using a second game system inviting the first user to play a second game different than the first game; storing in nonvolatile memory of the first game system invitation data indicative of the invitation from the first user; and re-starting the first game system to play the second game, wherein the re-starting comprises using the invitation data stored in the non-volatile memory to enable the first game system to automatically initiate game play processing for playing the second game with the second user.

It appears that everything really revolves around fail-safe networking and game session persistence, which highlights a completely robust and flexible networking system. Although Nintendo has its lips zipped on online gaming plans, leaked information from a memorandum mentioned that they were at work with GameSpy regarding online gaming. We wonder if this is what they’re working on?

Via United States Patent and Trademark Office