Back in 2009, the U.S. Patent Office granted U.S. Pat. No. 9,731,208 to Mattel, Inc. The patent relates to “systems for executing instructions according to a video game contained on an item of first media … a video game console including a housing, [and] a second media device supported by the housing.” Essentially, this means Mattel was interested in exploring how a console game could be transferred onto a piece of tech players could take with them on the go and then brought back again to record their progress into the console once they’re back home.
History buffs in the video game space might recognize this technology as similar to that of the Sega Dreamcast Visual Memory Unit, or VMU. While Mattel hasn’t been in the console market for several years, it’s fascinating to see that their interest in the space has been preserved in the patent record.
Illustrative Claim:
1. A method of playing a video game, comprising: commencing a video game using data stored on a first item of media, the first item of media configured to be received and read by a first media device;
selecting a character for play in the video game using data stored on a second item of media, the second item of media configured to be read by a second media device when the second item of media is located in proximity to the second media device for a predetermined period of time;
manipulating the character in the video game;
upon reaching a particular point in the game, modifying an attribute of the character using data stored on a third item of media, the third item of media configured to be read by the second media device when the third item of media is located in proximity to the second media device for a predetermined period of time;
and updating information relating to the character on the second item of media by relocating the second item of media in proximity to the second media device after locating the third item of media in proximity to the second media device to cause data representing the modified attribute of the character to be sent back to the second item of media.
