Ninja Concept Art from New 3D Fighting Game

#1 Cool! Now make it real.

#2 Looks great- really nice, modern SF style. Two thumbs up guys.

#3 Patented? Here's a public reaction--I'll never buy a game from a company that patents software--particularly for games.

Id software doesn't have to do it. But you do?

#4 The software isn't patented... the blocking system itself is patented. Obviously your not really the smartest most business oriented person in the forums. If you were you would know that a company that takes pride in their work should do what "THEY" feel when it comes to securing their assets.. Our business is ran by us. It isn't ran by any one person and definitely not another business or company. Take for instance Google. What if they didnt patent their search engine dynamics and say, " Hey Yahoo didn't... why shoud we..." They would be another search engine with the same success as lycos. But guess what genius consumer that is evidently not so wise, thanx to their patent design... they were able to release worldview-1, a global digital satellite into the depth of space. If you dont plan on downloading the game when it is released thats wonderful. We, as in our team, are sure hundreds more will. I failed to mention that I am the CEO of my own record label and just received 120,000 dollars to produce a single album. I think its safe to say running your business the way you want truly pays off. So if you want to continue to flame please go and flame my myspace: www.myspace.com/aaronvictoria_thegoodboy Oh yea and when you're done flaming please make sure you download our new personal side projects from Snocap.

#5 @Lee - Patenting has it's uses, whether in the game development niche, or anything else. And boy oh boy- if you looked up patents that have to do with game dev, you would find yourself spending at least a month reading through them all. BUT:

@Aaron - Software patents aren't too... well, it's not very friendly. So I can side with Lee there. It's like a double edged sword... If you're business oriented and want to be makin' the dough, then it's great. If you want to be "friendly" with the rest of the development world, particularly the indies and open-source lovers, it's not the best way to go.

But I don't really want to get in-between that... Just know that I am pretty unbiased when it comes to that. I could care less who patents what, why, when. I'll worry about it when I might be infringing on one of the millions of patents out there, and have to find a patent hound to deal with it.

On a side note, I love that style of art. It's quick and easy to pump out, but it has a certain flair about it. Reminds me of some of the Metal Gear Solid art, mostly because of the pose I think.

Oh, and out of curiosity, can you share the link to the patent for the blocking system? I'd like to see what you're doing there. Obviously since it's patented, you don't have to worry about anyone stealing it.

#6 Well I'm convinced. Patenting software and game ideas is a great, great idea.

By the way, why don't we discuss specifics. What's the patent number?

#7 Cool concept... And I agree with Lee here though. The patent of ideas or game Mechanics (eg. a blocking system seems wrong. I think it stops other developers improving on concepts.

I'm still interested in what it's gonna be. I've done some fighting systems in my own time with different blocking systems I've never seen in any other games (it's never been released, but I still have all the code)... So maybe I'll just sue you guys if it's close mine :-P

#8 Well its not about wanting to sue anyone in all reality. Its simply getting credit for our mechanix. Its similar to when the Wachowski brothers patented "Bullet Time"... It was used in several games the only thing they ever really asked is that developers referred to the movie when speaking about it to the media. They wanted credit for something they deemed theirs. It had been used plenty of times before its just they made it famous and they wanted credit. We wanted this game to have something special to call ours. So we decided to copyright " Dynamic Defense Engine ". Then we decided that someone could rename it and change the way it works just a little bit and be outside infringement. We want people to use the engine free of cost. We also want to see it develop more in the up and coming release of the game which will be "FREE" to the public. I'm a music producer. I make more than enuf money from album sales and underground artist development. I mean just last night I got a call to produce a song for 30,000 dollars. I just want to make a fun fighting game for computer gamers.

I really wanted people to wait til the release of the project but i will explain how it works now. The one unique thing about the system is that all the defensive maneuvers are handled by holding one button, the defense button. I know its not the first game to feature a single button defense design either. One game that has featured this is the very famous franchise, Mortal Kombat. But with games like Mortal Kombat, high attacks and low attacks meant having to block high and block low. In a fast paced game like "The Greatest Fight Ever" that option would make game play extremely overwhelming. The reason being the game incorporates 4 players simultaneous action. Our defense system lets you hold down one button to defend against blocks from the back and the front. I know what you guys are thinking... " So someone can sit there holding the defense button and never get hit? " Thanks to a well designed defense meter, any given player can only hold down the defense button so long. If the player is the victim of one of the games deadly combo attacks they only have seconds to react with a counter defense technique. This is a well-timed pressing of an attack button while evading. If its timed wrong you will be the victim of a "block crash" which will leave you
unable to block the remainder of the combo. If the combo is long you can pretty much expect watch your character bashed until the finale. The only other option is to continue to block. As your gettin attacked your block meter is slowly decreasing regardless, yet you are also losing portions for evasive moves. If your block meter gets to low and you continue to engage in defense the final attack from your opponent will render a "block crash" which will leave you unable to block again until your meter refills. The key is to pay attention to your block meter which is a small thin block that appears underneath your character when the defense button is held down. Releasing the button begins the replenishment process. It doesn't immediately return to full status so players must be wise or be devastated.

The most unique thing about the system is that each characters, based on their training, personality, and structural dynamix will defend themselves in a realistic manner. Lets take for instance... the ninja which u see up top. Not only is he fast and very nimble... he is trained in the martial arts. Years and years of defensive training and development would normally improve his awareness and defensive balance. So when holding the defensive button during attacks... you will notice the ninja evades attacks much like a ninja would. You'll see him deflect projectiles with the flick of his wrist... slap punches, and hop over low attacks... all in real-time with real-time physics and dynamics. Now... lets look at the rogue, who's special moves include using the grab button to steal items such as weapons and special moves from his opponent. Nimble and quick the rogue is.... much like the ninja, but hosts a much different style of evasion. While not as strong as the ninja, we had to give the rogue a unique balance of defense. Instead of using strength to block moves. The rogue uses his speed and agility to dodge attacks, so u never really see him become physical during his defensive movement. The assassin is much like them both but uses acrobatics while evading. But we wont get into those details just yet. Expect a demo within the next few months depicting the ninja and the rogue with one fully destructible stage and tons of action. More concepts coming soon. Stay on the look out.

Once again thanx for all the feedback. Please leave more, tell us what you would like to see in a fighting game and give us an opportunity to incorporate it for better game play. And all of the concept credits goes to our concept artist Mike, who is incredibly talented with all things art. You will see more of his artwork very soon.

thanx
-Aaron

#9 Well its not about wanting to sue anyone in all reality.

No, in reality that's the only thing a patent is for.

Sounds like a reasonably good blocking system, but certainly not clever enough to warrant a patent. Heck, I think I've got at least ten things that are as clever in my game, but I wouldn't dare presume to patent any of them because they are all, ultimately, derived from other games. Just like yours.

You haven't actually patented it, have you?

#10 A similar system (with a block meter) was used in a star wars game way back when...Jedi Knight Battles I think it was called. A sub-par game but my friend and I enjoyed it. This system seems a bit more complex though, I look forward to seeing how it works out :)

#11 The patent request I submitted thru Litman Law is still pending response. I love to see people display there high school eduction tho. Tell me something professor, do you honestly think that console game system designers patent consoles so that in the event someone duplicates the system they can sue them. No... they do it to show credible ownership before any U.S. Court. If in the event a lawsuit need be made... it defends the product and is more than helpful. I don't know what part of Houston you're from... but the part where I stayed when I attended Sam Houston University sure wasn't crawling with companies manufacturing replica game consoles. And each aspect of every video game is derived from another game in the current market. Unless it's genre defining, which is almost impossible if not impossible at this point in time. What type of game are you putting together and what makes it so special.

I hope it's award winning whatever it maybe. You speak with the conviction of someone with years of education... but your steady monitoring of these forums show me you have very little time to accomplish anything positive in your life, let alone time to better your intellect. I have 4 years in a 6 college plan completed, not to mention over 7 years of military service. I've served long hours and learn much from people. I served 6 months in iraq, 3 in iran, 4 in pakistan, and 2 in the United Arab Emirates. Its safe to say i done a lot and gained moderate amounts of education in the process. It amazes me that from all of your post so far I have learned absolutely nothing other than how to annoy dedicated individuals and waste time in public forums. If you want we can even make a friendly bet that my little "side project" will actually makes an impact on the pc game community and maybe make and appearance in the consoles game market not long after. I got the funding and the intelligent resources to pull it off. What do you have? Let be professionals... Do you ask Sega to see its copyright submission paperwork for Sonic in a Sega forum? I don't think you do. Unless you want to look ridiculous.


... please leave posts about game progress or at least something that makes sense. If you don't find something interest to the point you can't stand it please stop visiting the thread. Its that simple... Thanks to all the people who give constructive comments...

- Aaron

#12 Thanx Tom... I'm excited to get this demo and new webpage available. Please give us more time. I am currently in the middle of 2 record contracts and relocating to fulfill a contract for one of Sony Musics new artist. We are working hard to get more visuals and imagery to the public. We just have a lot going on at the same time. Never fear tho the game is coming along nicely.

... Thanx Agn
- Aaron

#13

Quote:I love to see people display there high school eduction tho

... ohh the irony.

#14 Rant Begin

I remember a game called dead or alive 1-4... it had what sounds like the same blocking system.
THere were mutliple angles of attacks, and multple angles of defense. They attack high, you block high, etc. It also had a countering system where you had to press a counter button, and the directional in reference to high, middle, low.

I'm also going to side with Lee. I don't feel people want "credit" for something like inventing a new method of blocking. I think they want their "cut" Personally , i feel the code is the core of what should or shouldn't be pattented.

In that case, you can't have life meters... cause they invented that back on atari... they might not have pattented it, but still you shouldn't use their idea. Oh, or a score... oh you can't have a screen asking you to press start. etc.

Rant End

I do like the concept art, but i'm wondering why a Ninja would need to be all robotic. You mentioned that the ninja would be defense hardened from years of training.. why would he need that if he's looks like a robot?

#15 I must say Aaron, you are getting pretty personal here. Don't try and bash people's intelligence because they feel this or that about a decision you've made. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, it's just that you sound a little heated here. If you've served time in the military, someone's opinion on such a minute matter seems kind of preposterous. And I've known plenty of "idiots" who went to college for 10 years, so standing on the soap box like that kind of offends me being that I've never been to college outside of night classes on various subjects.

It's hard not to agree with everyone here though- that's not the most original blocking mechanism I've seen. Far from it really. I've played at least... oh... Geese, probably upwards of 30-50 fighting games in my time. While a good majority of those are 2D fighters, a good chunk is also 3D... And just about every one of them has something similar, if not identical. DOA, Soul Calibur, Street Fighter EX3 even.

Pretty much all over the globe there is a large move against patents. Why? Well, because they suck. They suck for the indies. They suck for the big corporations. They suck for anyone, except the guy who patented whatever it may be they decided to patent for "security", "due credit" or whatever lame excuse they use to be a money grubber.

This whole discussion sparked me to read up some more on the subject. Right off the bat, I found a nice little article. Read it here. Here's a snippet:

"Imagine if you built toasters for a living, and some jerk came along, bought one, painted it green, and then patented it. Now you are not allowed to sell green toasters without the jerk's permission. Serves you right for not thinking of green toasters in the first place doesn't it!"

Okay, now... There is no freakin' law saying you can't patent your idea. Though, if you are such a keen businessman who seems to be raking in the dough, you'd know it isn't a good idea to just throw around catch phrases like "our patented" this or that, when you don't actually hold a patent. You'd also have the skills (did college give this amazing thing to you, business know-how?) to research the demographic you were targeting and going to market to- and you'd have known that patenting would offend your potential consumer.

Just my two cents, and the last I'll speak of it, save for rebuttals.

#16 The blocking system sounds cool. But a blocking system without good animations imh aren't very good. So I cant wait to see what you can show us. :)

#17 Hmmm why'd he remove the inital post?

#18 Aaron, I think what you're running into here, which you didn't expect, was a skeptical audience. The video game industry is full of a lot of talk and hot air, and all the people who are posted here are pretty seasoned professionals, from the tone of their responses, and are far more interested in concrete results than idle speculation and fantasy. You may have noticed several which could be summarized with "show me".

You should be glad to have access to such a treasure trove of useful experience, and I daresay you'll be wording your future marketing material, forum posts, etc. with more care. Looking over it, I think it's quite possible I took what you were saying a little too literally, and you opened a can of worms that you didn't even know existed! Please be sure that I have had unpleasant forum-related experiences in my life, too.

Short answer: software, business method, and game patents are not popular. Now you know. :-)

So I hope you'll put your ninja back. It is a cool drawing, as I was, in fact, the first to say.

#19 We weren't trying to discourage your efforts, just having a little discussion :) Put back that Ninja before we chop your head off while you're not blocking! ;)

#20 Man there was suposed to be pictures of a cynbernetic ninja here, and all I see is a pretty godamn stupid argument wheter game mechanics may be viable for patents. My opinon on this matter though, is NO! They should not be, although the code that implents these features could certainly be. Anyways, why the blazing f*ck do you talk about patents before you have a playable game? You make indie games because you think its fun, not because you want to earn money. Speaking of which, i think you would have to be really inoative to make any on indie games, all you hear about is the succesfull ones, you never hear about those who fail miserably(although i would not call making a game a failure only because it was no comercial succes).

Speaking of ninjas, i really like the ninjas in Onimusha 1. Allthough they could do with some syringes and clockwork mechanis grafted into their heads =)

Oh and also, Aaron refering to his military records kind of creeps me out.