Nintendo Patents Watch

I don’t play much mobile games aside from Pikmin Bloom. Hope someone else can answer this.

Screenshot of WIPO trademark search result, showing “POKEMONTRETTA” application

According to @bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net, Pokémon Tretta was discontinued in 2023. But for reasons unknown, on 2025-11-19 Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures jointly filed a “POKEMONTRETTA” trademark application in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
branddb.wipo.int/en/similarna...

Photo of Hino speaking at WePlay Expo, in front of a Professor Layton background

At WePlay Expo in Shanghai, Akihiro Hino shared what’s new about Professor Layton and The New World of Steam:

• Unlike DS/3DS titles, UX designed for big screen with mouse and controller input
• More puzzles, longer story, and better graphics than ever

Source: weibo.com/tv/show/1034...

令和4年度 知的財産権制度活用優良企業等表彰 知財功労賞 経済産業大臣表彰 知財活用企業（商標） 株式会社セガ

• It’s also unserious that the video tried to contrast Nintendo with Sega’s (in their mind) lax legal stance, even though Sega actually won a government award in 2022 for initiating “aggressive” enforcements, warnings, and lawsuits. See the shiny certificate below.
www.jpo.go.jp/news/koho/ti...
6/

Table from Capcom 2025 annual report https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/data/pdf/annual/2025/annual_2025_01.pdf 著作権等侵害 特許 商標の保有状況 決算年（3月期） 2023年 2024年 2025年 著作権等侵害削除件数（件） 6,940 7,110 6,176 特許保有件数（件） 912 1,060 1,164 商標保有件数（件） 5,523 5,885 6,343

• Trademark owners MUST enforce the trademarks, or they may become “generic” or “abandoned”. For example, Capcom requested 6940 takedowns* in FY2023, 7110 in FY2024, and 6176 in FY2025.
* including trademark and other copyright infringements
www.capcom.co.jp/ir/data/pdf/...
5/

• While the video is overall fair, they couldn’t help themselves taking a potshot at Nintendo “abusing” its legal rights. They brought up Nintendo’s trademark enforcements as (in their mind) proofs, despite the fact trademark and patent being two different matters.
4/

• The video failed to mention that the ¥3.3B settlement includes future patent license to use the Nintendo patents. It’s a gesture to Colopl signaling that if you follow the industry norms, there won’t be further patent lawsuits.
3/

• What it really means is that most companies file VG patents as a defensive measure. They aren’t suing each other for patent infringement unless someone egregiously ignores industry norms. (It’s explained in the video what Colopl tried to pull.)
2/

I was asked about this video re: Ninendo v Colopl. It’s relatively well-researched and I appreciate that. A few points I’d like to add:

• The “code of honor” framing is uncommon. It was used by only one analyst in one talk, bordering on mythologizing (no wonder the video chose to go with it).
1/

Sorry I’ve been busy, and couldn’t watch the video till today. Thanks for sharing it. I was writing a respond to you, but it got too long so I’m posting a new thread on my account.

Drawing from patent US20250352904: FIG. 31 is a non-limiting example of a flowchart showing the details of an orientation calculation process

…
More details, such as handling different Joy-Con orientations, can be found here: image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-pu...

Screenshot from Nintendo Switch Sports promo video: Basketball Shoot

Screenshot from Nintendo Switch Sports promo video: Basketball Dunk

Drawing from patent US20250352904: FIG. 17 shows a non-limiting example of a swing-down operation

Drawing from patent US20250352904: IG. 18 shows a non-limiting example of a game screen according to the exemplary embodiment

…
3. Shooting/dunking

Screenshot from Nintendo Switch Sports promo video: Basketball Jump (before shooting)

Drawing from patent US20250352904: FIG. 15 shows a non-limiting example of a swing-up operation

Drawing from patent US20250352904: FIG. 16 shows a non-limiting example of a game screen according to the exemplary embodiment

…
2. Jumping

Screenshot from Nintendo Switch Sports promo video: Basketball Dribble

Drawing from patent US20250352904: FIG. 11 shows a non-limiting example of a vertical swing operation

Drawing from patent US20250352904: FIG. 12 shows a non-limiting example of a game screen according to the exemplary embodiment

Published today, patent US20250352904 is for the basketball offensive moves in Nintendo Switch Sports:

1. Dribbling
…

Screenshot from the BN webpage: 任天堂株式会社より2025年11月20日に発売されたNintendo Switch™ 2用ゲームソフト「カービィのエアライダー」です。 製品の全編を受託開発いたしました。 開発には内製ゲームエンジン『SOL-AVES（ソルアヴェス）』が採用されました。

Screenshot of the JPO trademark search page: SOL-AVES 6731365 6731366

Today Bandai Namco officially confirmed that Kirby Air Riders was built with BN’s in-house game engine SOL-AVES (ソルアヴェス; img 1). The trademark was filed on 2022-12-09 (img 2). Air Riders seems to be the first released title using the engine.
www.bandainamcostudios.com/products/%E3...

• It’s unclear to me if certain points, such as the unit being loss-leading, were speculations by the reporter or his source(s).
• Kinji Abe, the journalist, has had some exclusive scoops in the pasts, and won awards for his reporting. So even though the info is unofficial, it might be credible.
2/

I saw several reports on how the region-locked PS5 came about, and wanted to provide some context:

• The source is a TV Tokyo segment named Journalist Insights, equivalent to a newspaper column.
• The “insights” were from the reporter’s own unnamed source(s), not Sony’s official disclosure.
1/

@gibbogame.bsky.social Not sure if you’re still on Bluesky, but may I ask you about the source of the following quote in your Nintendo 7974 report?

> カプコンによれば、一部のPS4ユーザーはPlayStation 5ではなくSwitch 2に買い替えているという。

I can’t locate it in Capcom’s Jul-Sep financial report, presentation, or Q&A.

Previous thread regarding the memory price and other issues impacting the Game Card here: bsky.app/profile/ninp...

Q6 I’d like to verify how the increase in component costs affects the profitability of Nintendo Switch 2 hardware. While the cost of memory modules has been increasing lately, if this trend continues after you have exhausted your current stock of components, what will be the impact? Is there a possibility that the hardware profitability could decline? A6 Furukawa: We believe that we'll be able to maintain the current level of profitability for hardware for the time being unless there are significant changes in external factors, such as a shift in tariff assumptions, or other unexpected events. While we are aware that the costs of various materials are rising, we also anticipate some areas where cost reduction may be achieved for Nintendo Switch 2 through ongoing mass production efforts. Therefore, currently we do not expect the recent rise in material costs to greatly impact profitability. We will continue our efforts to maintain the same level of profitability as we currently have.

Although Furukawa claimed recently that the rising material costs can be offset by production cost reduction, I’m not certain that Nintendo anticipated this level of upheaval.

In retrospect, Switch 2’s modest 256GB storage and 8nm node were a good hedge against the AI-fueled cost escalation.
3/

Image clip of Morgan Stanley Research report: Memory – Maximum Pricing Power

Image clip of Morgan Stanley Research report: Memory Takes A Bite Out of Hardware Margins

• Notebook prices are expected to rise by 5–15%
• Smartphone production is expected to contract by -2.0%, and PC production -2.4%

This echos the recent Morgan Stanley reports about memory makers’ “maximum pricing power” and OEM/ODM makers’ “risk of margin pressure”. (image sources: Hupu, Moomoo)
2/

메모리 용량 줄이고, 중저가 모델 단종…'생존모드' 돌입한 IT기업 메모리 용량 줄이고, 중저가 모델 단종…'생존모드' 돌입한 IT기업, 천장 뚫린 메모리반도체 가격 PC용 D램, 한달 만에 137% 급등 모건스탠리 "메모리 탓 원가쇼크" 서버·PC기업 투자의견 '줄하향' 현실이 된 '메모리플레이션' 中오포·비보 스마트폰값 인상 이어 삼성도 印서 보급형 제품 10% 올려 메모리 원가비중 큰 게임용 ...

Korea Economic Daily reported that IT companies are entering “survival mode” due to runaway memory costs: www.hankyung.com/article/2025...

• 2GB DDR5 price +136.8% in 1 month
• 64GB TLC NAND price +14.21% in 1 week
• Nvidia & AMD are considering discontinuation of mid- to low-end GPU cards
2/

Sources:
www.famitsu.com/article/2025...
www.famitsu.com/article/2025...
www.famitsu.com/article/2025...

YouTube video by 『シャインポスト』公式 『シャインポスト Be Your アイドル！』発売記念！ アイドル大集合スペシャル

Producer Ishihara stated that to avoid negative reactions to the use of AI, great care was given to ensuring rights and compensation, so that players, staff, and talents can all feel secure. A promo video featuring many VAs suggests that they participated willingly and were presumably paid.
4/

To train the models, each VA recorded 30-40 songs of their choice. Mistakes were not corrected but used as is.

Suzushiro, one of the VAs, said that by combining direction and training, the AI “singing” is somewhat different than hers, but probably is how the character themselves would sing.
3/

Screenshot of Shine Post NS2 game, showing 5 idols’ personal stats

Screenshot of Shine Post NS2 game, showing an idol making a mistake in a performance

Screenshot of Shine Post NS2 game, showing 5 idols’ ratings after performing 2 songs

Your actions and choices alters the idols’ stats (img 1), which affect their singing pitch, tempo, volume, vibrato, and note length when in concerts. An idol may make mistakes (img 2) that result in poor performances (img 3). Konami uses AI to generate singing voices with these variations.
2/

YouTube video by 『シャインポスト』公式 【6月5日発売！】「シャインポスト Be Your アイドル！」ゲームPV/ Nintendo Switch™ 2

I’ll always choose a game w/o AI voice acting over one with. That said, Konami’s Shine Post: Be Your Idol! presents an interesting case study of *perhaps* justifiable use.

The Japan-only game is an NS2 launch title in which you manage idol groups and try to keep your agency afloat.
1/

Drawing from patent US20250350898: FIG. 17 shows example cross-talk paths to a listener's respective ears from internal left and right loudspeakers of a handheld stereophonic (multi-channel) video game playing device.

Drawing from patent US20250350898: FIG. 16A is a flowchart of example automated program control steps that may be performed by a programmed digital signal processor and/or an appropriately structured digital signal processing circuit in example embodiments.

When the original patent was published in 2023, I suspected but wasn’t sure if it’ll be used in Switch 2. This new continuation added a section about 3D sound from a handheld’s built-in speakers (crosstalk), a strong indicator that it’s indeed used in NS2.
patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/de...
2/

Drawing from patent US20250350898: FIG. 5 shows example spatialization parameters.

Drawing from patent US20250350898: FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example modified architecture that uses cross-fading.

Patent US20250350898 seems to confirm that Switch 2’s 3D spatial sound is a home-grown solution by NoA, not a licensed product.
It’s the latest continuation of the original 2021 patent that describes techniques to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and quality of an object-based audio spatializer.
1/

I believe so. The patent seems to be for one of the Hunter x Hunter games that Konami made in the early aughts.