[casual_games] Gameplay patents

[John Viguerie]

At the end of the day its ink on paper.

The submission I mentioned is for software algorithms
and innovative data structures that are the
underpinning of the gameplay - not the gampelay or the
game itself - an important distinction...  It may not
even be new, but the application of it likely is or at
least seems to be after a yoeman investigation.

Anything typically used in sw engineering specs like
Visio, CASE tools, DFDs(data flow diagram, showing my
age), etc. is appropriate.

In this case I used Open Office-ODP (ironically,  a
powerpoint knockoff!): arrows, boxes, data structure
representations, jpg, gif, etc.

Most of all what's required that's sorely lacking...
DISCIPLINE.  To take the time and effort to completely
think through and document an innovation and the
technology landscape into which it applies.  Its
always more fun to just jam code.

Do as much as you can, read your own stuff as if
you're seeing it for the first time, when your idea
seems like its been dumbed down such that a
two-year-old can understand it, seek advice.

Patent-hating for philosophical reasons is just
irresponsible.  But then again there are many
successful properties and personal fortunes built on
ip theft.  In the RIAA/MPAA major media world its been
pretty cut-and-dried until only the last few years.

Now we have the "Danger Mouse" and "YouTube" models...
if you've got enough VC cash to finance the safe
harbor model, pay for the bandwidth while the wide
world seeds your site with misappropriated copyrighted
material, OR your game is so hot that the copyright
owners are inclined to JOIN instead of SUE, you just
might get there and become a billionaire... no patents
required.

A patent is simply a risk-mitigation tool, nothing
more.

















--- Audry Taylor <talshannon at hotmail.com> wrote:


> >I just dropped off a sixty-one page game technical

> >design document to my patent attorney yesterday -

> not

> >a single line of code - not a single pixel or

> vector

> >or even a formal graphic design treatment has been

> >performed... yet.

> 

> 

> What's the best resource for finding out how to

> prepare a game design 

> document for patent?  Does any website or book offer

> up a sample document 

> that covers what sort of information needs to be

> included?

> 

>

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