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Nintendo Wants More Enjoyable Gaming
The company has filed a patent to make bad gamers go the way of the Atari.
Super Mario
January 13, 2009 | by Rachel Cericola

Just because you aren’t a good gamer, it doesn’t mean you can’t be better. It doesn’t require you quitting your job or hours of special thumb exercises; just one patent from our friends at Nintendo.

According to Yahoo! Games, the company has applied for a patent that would put demos into various games. Users could choose between a thumbnail or full-screen view. Either way, the person playing could get a tutorial, which would make things a whole lot easier.

Another idea is that gamers could join the action anywhere—a tidbit that’s typically reserved for those that have made it to a certain level. The goal is to make that would-be gamer a lot less frustrated.

Part of the patent application says that this new technique would allow “a player to freely play and enjoy the game to the end.” It goes on to say that the end result should prevent “a player who desires to clear a game by him/herself from losing his/her interest in the game.”

Gamers and non-gamers out there: Is this a good idea? Would you be more or less likely to play? Would it be a factor when it comes to getting games for yourself or loved ones? Sound off in the comments section below.



Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer
Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.



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Comments (3) Most recent displayed first.
Posted by Jerry  on  01/15/09  at  12:47 PM

That’s a fantastic idea, personally I “and probably many others” don’t have that much time on my hands to keep doing levels over and over again because of not finding a way to beat/clear that level and/or get all the things.  If I only have a half hour on my hands to jump in quickly then I’d like to know I can make some progress and not just get stuck in the same level wondering did I try this route already?  Also I would be more likely to go out and purchase another game sooner after I had finished, rather then wait an extra few months because it took me so long to complete.

Posted by Dennis  on  01/13/09  at  12:47 PM

I think it’s a good idea to add walk-throughs and hints. A lot of us don’t have the time to spend hours trying to get past a difficult level, so we have to give up on a game, or go find these items on our own. If this is built into the game, it will still be left up to me to use them, and it also is my decision whether I got my money’s worth. I’d say that the game would have a higher value if it isn’t collecting dust on a shelf.

PC games are always better, and the availability of trainers and cheats means that I can finish a game without spending an innordinate amount of time doing it.

Posted by John  on  01/13/09  at  09:53 AM

The never ending problem with console systems is that the games seem to keep getting shorter and shorter and the skill level required to play them gets diminished with every new release. I enjoyed when games used to be a challenge that took weeks to beat. I am tired of spending money on games that I finish in 2 days. Wii is in a little different category than ps3 and xbox, but if I was paying 50-60 dollars for a game that has a built in walkthrough, I think it really takes away from the learning process and problem solving that the creators of the game intended you to struggle with.

PC games give you what you pay for, for the most part. They can have more content and generally require a certain level of skill to move forward in the game. Real gamers will continue to play PC games, while the casual gamer will find it more convenient to play an easy to beat console game.



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