Shadow of Mordor: The Nemesis system patent validated across the Atlantic.
IGN announces that the US Patent and Trademark Office validated the patent on February 3 and would come into force on the 23rd.
If Warner pays the costs, this patent will remain valid until 2035. But then, why has this system not appeared anywhere else in an identical form since its use in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War? In all likelihood, studios and publishers have been cautious about this system.
WB Interactive has finally secured the patent to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War's signature Nemesis system after multiple failed attempts. https://t.co/LLo6U1XHcS pic.twitter.com/7Xjow1LGlN
— IGN (@IGN) February 6, 2021
Indeed, validation procedures were underway since 2015. If it is only validated now, Warner Bros. had to rework it several times due to similarity with other patents, filed in particular by Square Enix.
Any studio wishing to use the Nemesis system will need to obtain a license from Warner Bros from now on.
Let us recall that if the Nemesis system could be patented, it corresponds to a concrete application of the system, developed and coded, thus going beyond the stage of an idea. Stay tuned for the next update.