pouët.net

Helloes,
I recently came across this video
that talks about this patent .
tl:dw; there was a patent for "minigames during loadingscreens" from 1995-2015.

Anyhu, it got me thinking: where there any cracktros(infront of a game) before 1995 that featured an interactive component/minigame before november 1995? — and if so, then would those be prior art and therefore was the patent technically never valid? :)


ps. I seem to remeber a disk copy programm where you could play a game during disk copy but ... I guess that would be a stretch ^^

there was this which people put in front of all kinds of things, including cracked game (menus)

not a patent lawyer so no comment on validity

Invertix was cool :)

I didn't know about Invade-a-load. It seems like a strong contender to invalidate the patent.

There's also a space invaders game during loading of the game galaxian 2 on X68000.

Also there's Joe Blade 2 on the ZX Spectrum had Pacman:
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2623/ZX-Spectrum/Joe_Blade_II

So, plenty of prior art and these things were clearly known about a long time before the patent... yet very few games had them. And, given that the patent expired 10 years ago you don't see them now. You've got to ask why? Maybe.. just maybe.. the patent isn't the reason.

Also.. game developers held celebrations when the patent expired? What, really? Citation needed!

Hot take: there's more to this than you can fit in a 1 minute hot take video

One of the most famous Amiga cracktros, "Intro 89" by Quartex (music: Oberheim - Vortex 42 theme), allows the watcher to use joystick to control the checkerboard
https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=18997

I remember Invade-a-Load. Played it alot before The Way of the Exploding Fist was loaded.

Invade-a-Load :D sometimes it was better than the game loading.

i dont give a ff about patents, interactive intros are just cool.
i think atari had more of them than AMIGAAAA for a change.