After trying it several times since 2015, WB Games has successfully obtained a patent on the enemy system that appears Shadow of Mordor and its aftermath, Shadow of war. The patent enters into force later this month.
As reported by IGN, on February 3, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a document issue notice confirming that WB Games’ patent on the system was approved and would officially take effect on February 23, 2021.
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The enemy system first appeared in the 2014 athletic attack Shadow of Mordor, and would expand greatly in the 2017 sequel Shadow of war. The Nemesis system uses randomly generated orcs to populate the world. Players attack these orcs, sometimes kill them, take control of them or even lose them. As these events happen, the orcs will react, become more powerful, gain new skills, and make direct reference to past experiences with the player. It’s a great system. And soon, only one publisher, WB Games, will be able to use it.
Once the patent is active, other developers or publishers who want to use a Nemesis system will have to close a deal with WB Games or take legal action.
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Since 2015, shortly after the release of Shadow of Mordor, WB Games has been trying and failing to get this patent. Earlier numbers included a lack of specificity, which is very important in a patent, and conflicts with other existing patents.
WB Games will have the ability to maintain this patent until 2035, assuming they keep all their orcs in legal and financial order.
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