pouët.net

Evidently, Namco has a patent on mini-games during loadscreens. It is dated around 1991. Surely, there must be prior examples of running minigames during loading on some oldskool platform? Anyone know of any?

Was present on Ridge Racer Type 4 loader, and Tekken (1) for the Playstation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoplWn7LKW8 but also on psx.

i. fucking. hate. software patents!

So, as even if it feels like a long time ago, the playstation1 was after 1991 :) - it would likely have to be something amiga/c64ish

Sure :) But a list of all games with that feature would be nice too.

can you patent something that a lot of developpers have done after you?

or wait, is this patent registered in 1991?

Invade-a-load ('87-'88 I think) There were others before this though. (possibly on Interceptor Micros or Players games) Seen a couple on the Spectrum in the same era as well.

Oh there we go, Joe Blade II on the Speccy

I used to think software patents are evil.
I then revised my opinion.
I think all patents are evil.
Just look up Wight brothers.

4mat - awesome, thanks! Now all we need is a pack of rabid lawyers, and the world can move on in it's natural state of freedom and creativity :)
(beautiful isn't it?)

So all you need to do is mare sure that what you're loading while presenting the mini-game isn't the code for the main game but just data. In terms of loading requirements, modern games are 99% data, anyway.

doomy - I made the same observation. Apparently though, the way-of-the-patent is such, that this is an ADDITIONAL claim. You can still collide with the base-claim, that is a minigame during load.

Are they actually trying to enforce this patent? If not, why care, it's just another patented "just incase" thing that would very likely fall flat in court.

hornet, dunno about the patent and all that. but i think youtube has some nibbles going on in google chrome when loading (ask dwarf:)

Wright brothers?

sol: Patents aren't evil, they are just horribly outdated. Today, technology moves way too fast for the current patent-model.

Some game that I had for the c64 had a space invaders game while loading with music by Rob Hubbard. Don't remember the game, just remember stopping the tape to listen to "one man and his droid"

roxxor: that's the first thing I thought of too, there were a few games with it (I'm sure there was another game on some instead of invaders, can't remember what though). If you scroll up a bit, you'll see 4mat linked to a video of it :D

IIRC, "Navy Moves" on the spectrum ('88) had some game while loading. Can't remember if "Army Moves" (prequel, '86) had one or not.

I also remember some easter eggs games on loading screens of other Speccy games, but I can't remember any title (I'm sure some by "Hewson" had one, but can't remember which)