Nintendo patents new handheld tech

The Mario Factory files a patent in the US for a portable gaming system that is controlled by tilt and movement.

Everything looks familiar so far...

The latest video game-related patent to turn up at the US patent office shows images of a portable which detects when it is moved or tilted. The images accompanying the patent show a handheld that looks not unlike an original Game Boy, although such images are for illustration purposes only and are often not reflective of the final hardware.

The motion-sensing handheld patent was filed on March 30, (published on the Web site on August 2) and explains the handheld's new controller system, "Simulation refers to game control for analogously representing a change caused in the actual space in a form of a game-space state change, based on at least one of an amount and a direction of a tilt, movement or impact applied to the housing."

It continues, "Game control includes the case of simulation on a state change of the game space itself and the case of simulation of an indirect effect upon another object caused due to a change in state of the game space."

Highly scientific diagram of hitting the machine.

The patent comes with 75 pages of drawings showing how the portable could register movement from left to right, tilt, and some kind of "impact" on the case.

Nintendo's official comment is, "We file hundreds of patents every year--this is just one of them."

359 Comments

  • Tarzanman0

    Posted Jan 5, 2008 5:43 pm PT

    Can't Nintendo just give us a normal handheld with great games instead of a complicated system with mediocre games

  • prinxali

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 8:50 am PT

    Yo can sum1 explain me like wot is a weewii, heard its a nother nintendo portable, can someone explain me if its new or old, and if it sbetter then ds or not.... somone please explain me

  • treeko3

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 1:28 am PT

    IF nINTENDO SOES DECIDE TO PATENT THIS THEN I WILL BE SO DISSOPOINTED IN NINTENDO.

  • Tremblay343

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 3:45 pm PT

    Sounds kinda stupid. Kirby tilt and tumble sucked balls. Just because the Wii is kinda fun with it motion sensors doesn't mean that all things should have it. Btw, not that i enjoy to toss sony's salad like rose_please, i play my PSP way more than my DS cause the DS has a bunch of crap caual puzzle games, or some final fantasy remakes. I mean pokemon and mario were fun for a while, but still, i play my PSP a lot more.

  • Kratos_1024

    Posted Aug 10, 2007 12:21 pm PT

    rose_please. Wow ok first alot of people though that the ds was gonna have terrible battery life but it didn't and second i think we should let sales tell us which the better ds or psp oh wait they have ds pwnd the psp

  • Jagzthebest

    Posted Aug 10, 2007 8:25 am PT

    its a new gameboy with tilt. move over gameboy micro. well since I've never owned a gameboy but I do own a psp, I don't really care. PSP is good enough for now. all I can say is - meh

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Aug 10, 2007 3:39 am PT

    I hope rose_please is not from Sony, you have to be older than 3 years old to work!!!

  • johneese

    Posted Aug 9, 2007 7:12 pm PT

    LOL rose_please is pathetic! he must be from sony... i own both a psp and a ds, and my ds could kik my psp's ass anyday. and i only play emulators on my psp.. which are nintendo.

    Anyways, this looks sweet. nintendo will continue to dominate the handheld world.

  • V-Nine

    Posted Aug 9, 2007 4:39 pm PT

    My only worry is that given current screen technology the image becomes hard to view past certain degrees of viewable angles and all the potentially violent shaking I expect this device will have everyone doing, will make just seeing whats going on ....difficult?.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Aug 9, 2007 3:25 pm PT

    Every other day on the way to and from work, I always see someone on the bus playing their DS. Man, I can't wait to see how ridiculous people look playing this new portable in public. Other people who don't know about this will probably think the kid has a screw loose.

  • Benshki

    Posted Aug 9, 2007 2:26 pm PT

    rose_please. Please remove your tongue from Sony's ass, thank you.

    Back on topic. Erm can you imagine walking down the street and seeing someone play this? surely people would ring an ambulance thinking this person was having a fit of some kind? :/

    It's a good idea ill give them that, just think of the precautions of this being portable, i mean if your holding it standing up and walking, would the hand held think you was walking in the game? what about if you suddenly move and hit someone in the general public. A lot of kinks? Maybe Nintendo will figure it out.

  • rose_please

    Posted Aug 9, 2007 12:44 pm PT

    why would u want this on a handheld portable? that'll eat batteries in an hour lithium or not. and you'll look just as retarded playing the wii. though i bet all the wii fan girls here would think otherwise cus nintendo is gawd to them and would go balls to the walls to defend there gimmick console. the psp is alot better than a ds, then again, the wii fan girls who couldnt afford a psp would think otherwise... sad...

  • nathris

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 7:11 pm PT

    They filed a patent for the technology, not the system. Nintendo's next system probably won't look like that, they just used it as an example to illustrate the technology.

    With the success they are having with the Wii and it's Wiimote it seems logical for the next generation of handhelds to incorporate the technology.

    Basically what they are doing is saying. Hey Sony! We're patenting the technology years in advance you can't steal it months before the release of the system and slap it on to yours and call it "new".

    Although I don't think there will ever be a PSP2...

  • xgalacticax

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 6:48 pm PT

    we see this all the time dont we?
    nintendo comes out with new design - haters go "this is the end for nintendo". The product comes out, becomes a success - haters go "it wont last, its a fad, blah blah" sheesh!!!

  • -Ronin-_basic

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 5:53 pm PT

    PatLTornado

    Yes they will pull out of console market in a few short years and I very highly doubt that they'll been around in the next round of consoles

    ---------------

    Are you basing that on anything? Aside from random speculation and personal bias, I mean.

    People have been predicting the "death of Nintendo" (or at least, their withdrawal from the console business) for the last few years now. And they're still doing pretty well for themselves. The Wii has been nothing but a moneymaker for them to this point, and the top tier games haven't arrived yet. It hasn't come close to hitting its stride; developers haven't begun to realize its potential yet.

    People do this kind of thing all the time; they predict something, and if it doesn't come to pass, they keep predicting it. EVENTUALLY, there will come a day when it finally happens, and they can claim they were right. Regular prophets, they are.

    Obviously Nintendo will stop making consoles eventually; that day will come when their well of ideas runs dry. When it does, naysayers will rejoice and claim victory on their correct prediction.

  • PatLTornado

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 4:29 pm PT

    Kind of odd that fanboys don't think that Nintendo isn't building a portable Gamecube when this is obviously the case.

    Yes they will pull out of console market in a few short years and I very highly doubt that they'll been around in the next round of consoles just as alot of people suspect that Sega will be back in the next round.

    Nintendo will NEVER pull out of the handhled market,. Thier success in it is neverending just as SEGA's is neverending in arcades.People will not stick with DS for over five years so it's no question that DS's successor wil be a portable Gamecube So, sorry to burst your bubble fanboys.

  • trunksjimmy71

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 4:29 pm PT

    To brian1213... Yes

  • brian1213

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 4:07 pm PT

    i bet playstation is gona try to copy this

  • ryanstoy91

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 4:05 pm PT

    It's like Kirby Tilt N' Tumble without the Kirby

  • merch

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 3:35 pm PT

    every one that said i was wrong stfu!!! i called this like 2 years ago.

  • bloodychimp

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 3:11 pm PT

    jdiegs21

    Marcusmaximus04 the wii is selling so well because it is cheap and it puts more focus on the casual gamer as opposed to the 360 and PS3 which puts more focus on the hardcore gamer. But all my friends who have a wii say are getting sick of all the mini games that keep coming out for it. Rayman raving rabbits, wii sports, wario ware, the list just goes on.

    No, actually thats pretty much the end of the list. Wii has plenty of good games for the "hardcore" coming out this fall (I don't feel like listing them but take a look at my wishlist). And face it, there is hardly anything worth playing on the 360 or PS3 right now that can't be bought on the PC.

  • Younggun135

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 3:01 pm PT

    one question..... WHAT??

  • Quadster

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 2:39 pm PT

    No offence to Nintendo - but this is gonna be there worst console

  • eholmes

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 2:19 pm PT

    Nintendo's probably just jumping on the patent without much intent, just to keep the idea open.
    Then again, this isn't that "new" or "advanced"; Kirby Tilt n' Tumble, anyone?

  • _Cab0ose87_

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 2:09 pm PT

    @higgydiggy- Yea... i'm almost positive that was meant to be a joke.

  • darkchaostitan

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 1:40 pm PT

    Arn't they making a product just like this for the DS? That's probly what this is and not some new hand held. Other wise it would be kind of pointless.

  • rav44

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 1:34 pm PT

    next they'll sue iphone for gameing with tilt movement.

  • speedracer216

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 1:27 pm PT

    gaticus,
    that's why it would be backwards compatible with ds

    it'll be interesting to see if this really is the direction the big N goes

  • Soupass1

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 1:19 pm PT

    built in rumble anybody? the only thing handhelds dont have.

  • geardawg

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 11:37 am PT

    Cheeseboy90 wrote: I really hope this isn't the next portable system from Nintendo. Only 2 buttons?! Come on! That's a huge step backwards because the DS have 6 buttons.

    ___________________________________________
    It's just a diagram, it will have more buttons and have a touch screen for backward compatiblilty. Just wait...

  • jdiegs21

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 11:29 am PT

    Marcusmaximus04 the wii is selling so well because it is cheap and it puts more focus on the casual gamer as opposed to the 360 and PS3 which puts more focus on the hardcore gamer. But all my friends who have a wii say are getting sick of all the mini games that keep coming out for it. Rayman raving rabbits, wii sports, wario ware, the list just goes on.

  • Gaticus

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 11:17 am PT

    It will not be a brand new handheld the DS hasn't fallen short on the sales figures yet and why wouldn't they just make a DS option pack with the same technology for games on a prosperous system.

  • MarcusMaximus04

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 10:56 am PT

    Cheeseboy: more buttons aren't always better. Whatever your take on the wii, it has very few buttons (that are actually useful in any game) but the motion controls add what equates to as many buttons as the developer wants. There's a reason why the wii is selling so much.

  • kirbykook

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 10:37 am PT

    I doubt it's a new handheld. Probably a Pokemon Mini. (I hope so. I tend to move my DS a lot when playing.)
    Plus it was patented in Japan in 1999.

  • DarkSan00

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 10:20 am PT

    it would probably be a new DS or like froggyknight said, a new pokemon mini

  • Nightingale27

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 10:16 am PT

    If it came out, I wouldn't buy it. End of story.

  • FroggyKnight

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 10:07 am PT

    This is not a new handheld. It is a renewal of the Pokemon Mini Patent. Compare the image above with this:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokemon_Mini

    Additionally, if you read the patent, you'll see that it was first submitted in Japan EIGHT YEARS AGO!
    Patent

  • el_chupacabras

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 10:05 am PT

    I think that this might only be a patent check for N. This maybe just the stuff they add to the next ver 2.1 DS. I don't think they would want to go with a new hand held altogether. But I could be wrong.

  • -Ronin-_basic

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:59 am PT

    Cheeseboy90

    I really hope this isn't the next portable system from Nintendo. Only 2 buttons?! Come on! That's a huge step backwards because the DS have 6 buttons. ----------------------

    "The images accompanying the patent show a handheld that looks not unlike an original Game Boy, although such images are for illustration purposes only and are often not reflective of the final hardware."

    Right from the article. The second half of that sentence should clear it up.

  • Zuul13

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:58 am PT

    motion detection would really suck on a handheld. of course it would be easy to do, but it is hard to concentrate on something that you are shaking and moving around. Car/sea sickness in a handheld. I don't think this is going to go through

  • Cheeseboy90

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:57 am PT

    I really hope this isn't the next portable system from Nintendo. Only 2 buttons?! Come on! That's a huge step backwards because the DS have 6 buttons.

  • wargraymon

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:48 am PT

    would be neat to play wario games with the tilt again, those were fun

  • DS_fan_atic

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:35 am PT

    ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the Gameboy Evolved

  • polishkid99

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:27 am PT

    thats kinda stupid.... i hope that doesent come out... on a portable system that would be really stupid... u would have to shake it everywhere....

  • willripyouanew1

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:18 am PT

    I think that this is just to C-block someone else, I find it hard to believe that they''d re-invent the gameboy or the Ds.

  • Reizoko03

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:08 am PT

    Hahaha, some of you guys really need to reread the article, before you go on criticizing. This is only a patent and the design used in the patent is probably just a model to keep things simple rather than the actual picture of the handheld itself.

  • higgydiggy

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 9:06 am PT

    highly scientific diagram ?i got advanced science in school this year so ill remember to draw little stars and explosionish things lol

  • okassar

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 8:45 am PT

    Hmm,cool.Looks alot like gamboy color though,a better design would be a good thing.Yes,I know it is just a patent,but let me pose a problem.Alot of people just happen to move alot with portable systems and,with motion sensing,that might trigger unwanted controls.And...umm...impact?!?!?!What the hell,I would enjoy hitting a system,even if it won't affect it...

  • -SiiLeNCE-

    Posted Aug 8, 2007 8:45 am PT

    This is nothing big. Nintendo is just patenting this idea early so they can keep their options open. They were probably just brainstorming in the office and thought it was a cool idea.

    But if this is actually true then there is definitely a gameboy successor coming soon; and I am so there

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