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Two New Patents From Nintendo

by Karl Castaneda - February 10, 2005, 3:47 pm EST
Total comments: 26 Source: Total Video Games

Two logos were registered this past December.

According to the Japanese Patent Office, Nintendo registered the names and logos for "Nintendo V-Pocket" and "PCGP." The latter of the two was done with Game Freak, the developer of the Pokemon franchise, but it has yet to be confirmed if this has anything to do with another inception of the popular series.

As for V-Pocket, speculators think it may have to do with the DS, as the logos for the two are surprisingly similar. Details are scarce at this time, but all questions will surely be answered in the coming months.

Talkback

Ian SaneFebruary 10, 2005

PCGB is Planet Gamecube B!tch!! Only those wacky Japanese arranged the initials wrong.

Or maybe it's Pokemon Center Gameboy.

BlackNMild2k1February 10, 2005

Quote
Originally posted by: PGC NewsBot
Two logos were registered this past December.

According to the Japanese Patent Office, Nintendo registered the names and logos for "Nintendo V-Pocket" and "PCGB."


Actually the Patent Picture says "PCGP"

VideoGamerJFebruary 10, 2005

As much as I dont like fueling the fire for all this online hype, that's problably what the V-Pocket serves.

King of TwitchFebruary 10, 2005

Ah, V-Pocket; finally a portable Virtual Boy

...

KnowsNothingFebruary 10, 2005

PCGP obviously stands for "Pokemon Colosseum: G___ P___" because Nintendo knows that's what we all want.

Bill AurionFebruary 10, 2005

Pokemon Card Game Player...

V-Pocket *might* just be the Play-Yan, but who knows!?

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorFebruary 10, 2005

Pokemon Card Game Plus... -_-

Pokemon Online Grand Prix.....

er... Pokemon C...

Pokemon Colosseum Grand Prix.. Booo!

Kirby_PopStarFebruary 10, 2005

How could V-Pocket be Play-Yan if the article says "According to the Japanese Patent Office"...

Play-Yan is already that product's official name in Japan. Why would they patent something different? Something tells me that this is going to be a shocker. Possibly a Nintendo DS Option Pak of some sort.

http://www.gameboy-advance.net/img/nintendo_ds/ds-option-pak.jpg

KnowsNothingFebruary 10, 2005

Mentioning "Option Pak" reminded me that I want some PDA features for my DS right now.

Bill AurionFebruary 10, 2005

Quote
Originally posted by: PaleZer0
Pokemon Card Game Plus... -_-

Pokemon Online Grand Prix.....

er... Pokemon C...

Pokemon Colosseum Grand Prix.. Booo!

Nup...Pokemon Colosseum XD... ^_^

thepogaFebruary 10, 2005

Nintendo Video- Pocket?

JonLeungFebruary 10, 2005

Quote
Originally posted by: thepoga
Nintendo Video-Pocket?


I was thinking the same thing. Play-Yan doesn't sound like a great name outside of Japan.

PCGP? The mystery is that a lot of things to do with gaming begin with those letters.
Cards? Cartridges? Cordless? Combat? Controllers?
Gamers? Games? Gaming? Glove? Go?
Party? PC? Play? Players? Playing? Plug? Press? Pokémon? Power?

SgtShiversBenFebruary 10, 2005

Did anyone click the properties of the picture. If EB is right about this it says "Gamecube, RPG" it could be an RPG or it could not be. We shall see.

Hostile CreationFebruary 10, 2005

Quote
I was thinking the same thing. Play-Yan doesn't sound like a great name outside of Japan.


Most people are suggesting that, since this comes from the Japanese patent office, it's probably another product. But I dunno.

RobageejamminFebruary 10, 2005

Ah, yet another reason to look forward to May. Quite a mind boggler at that...Personal Computer Gaming Peripheral? Or Parrot Cleansing Garbage Plaque? well, same difference...

BlackGriffenFebruary 10, 2005

"Two New Trademarks," perhaps?

BG

KDR_11kFebruary 11, 2005

SgtShivers: Erm, Pokemon Colosseum was already an RPG. Just because people claim it's not a full RPG doesn't mean it belongs to a different genre.

NephilimFebruary 11, 2005

2 things
1.Clearly its a pokemon game, because its game freaks
2.Nintendo V-Pocket could equal DS carts with pokemon/kirby movies inside, Yes they are in America and europe but Not Japan, clearly could be for this....I said Kirby because game freaks seems to be close with Hal and after all it is Nintendo V-pocket and not pokemon

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorFebruary 11, 2005

Bill, was that link a joke? Because there is nothing there currently...

JonLeungFebruary 11, 2005

I'm sure you guys noticed that the second "P" looks different. I compared it to the "P" in "Pokémon" and it's not quite the same. It's slanted and has the top part extending past the side but it isn't as similar everywhere else. Though I suppose if it did have something to do with Pokémon, that would make it too obvious, that is, if it was meant to be an obvious tease, rather than just the patent office going, "oh, look at these."

I was also thinking "PC", what with DSes being able to communicate with PCs. Though Nintendo products tend to be in their own world (you pretty much have to go to third parties for DexDrives and USB Memory Cards) maybe they're going to take advantage of the fact that nearly everyone has a PC, so long as such devices are more beneficial to game play and don't open things up to piracy.

As mentioned, it DOES look like something they'd throw on many boxes as a logo of a feature. If it was a plain old game you'd expect that the letters would be more meaningful if you're just going to refer to it by that. People call games "SMB 3", "SSBM", "Pokémon R/S", but it's not like they're their official names or anything.

"V-Pocket"...now unlike "P", "C", or "G", the letter "V" doesn't exactly have a whole lot going for it. "Video" seems to be the obvious choice (which is also related to video gaming like the "P", "C", and "G" words I mentioned earlier). Visual? Visceral? Vivid? Unless it's a made-up word, sort of like "Viewtiful".

I guess we'll find out in May or at least this year.

nineFISHFebruary 11, 2005

I think most people would be right to assume that V-Pocket would be "Play-Yan" for the U.S. market. It doesn't really matter that the patent was filed in Japan. It makes the most sense, but you never know with Nintendo. I think most of the speculation for PCGP has been good as most of the serious guesses have been close to what Nintendo might be thinking. However, I wouldn't be surprised if this patent may just be for the sometimes rumored successor to the Game Boy Advance. I'd guess that this successor would come next year, and there has been talk about a device that could play GAMECUBE or GAMECUBE-like games. PCGP would fit along the lines of a 'Portable' / 'GameCube' 'Player'... Just something to think about. Nonetheless it shall be interesting to see.

Bill AurionFebruary 11, 2005

Quote
Originally posted by: PaleZer0
Bill, was that link a joke? Because there is nothing there currently...

=O !!!

Looks like EB made a no-no and Reggie laid the smack-down!

nickmitchFebruary 11, 2005

People Can Go Party

dafunkk12February 11, 2005

Quote
Originally posted by: DeadlyD

1.Clearly its a pokemon game, because its game freaks
That's like saying just because a game is coming out of Tiburon, it's an EA Sports game. But for some reason, EA decided to have them work on the upcoming Superman game. Sure, they're doing a massive staff hiring since it's been a long time since they made non-sports games, but...

Maybe the folks at GF think maybe it's time to work some new magic in an effort to not be a one-trick pony.

KDR_11kFebruary 11, 2005

The PCGP logo reminds me of the PCCD logos on the side of PC games that come on CDs.

And screw V-Pocket, I want a V-Watch! Perhaps the V-Pocket is the version for the distinguished gentleman?

JonLeungFebruary 12, 2005

Quote
However, I wouldn't be surprised if this patent may just be for the sometimes rumored successor to the Game Boy Advance. I'd guess that this successor would come next year, and there has been talk about a device that could play GAMECUBE or GAMECUBE-like games. PCGP would fit along the lines of a 'Portable' / 'GameCube' 'Player'... Just something to think about. Nonetheless it shall be interesting to see.


It's PCGP, isn't it? Not PGCP?

Are PSP discs the same size as GCN discs? Or at least about that? It makes sense; the GBC seemed like a portable NES, the GBA seems like a portable Super NES, the DS seems like a portable N64. A new handheld beyond the current GBA/DS, if following the console-mirroring trend, could be like a portable GCN. If the PSP is essentially a portable PS2, and small discs in a handheld are feasible without an uber-huge hit on battery life, then the next handheld could have the advantage of backwards-compatibility with GCN games without having to wait for developers to port them over. Minus some features, like multiplayer, but that's like playing GBA games on the DS, same loss. I guess with the PS2 backwards compatiblity with the PSX, and assumedly every PS(?) compatible with games from all previous PlayStations, Nintendo will want backwards compatibility where they can get it. But the new handheld, if able to play GameCube games, would have to come out before the GameCube is obsolete for too long, and it also can't come too soon, or people will be confused about whether to buy a GBA, DS, or this new thing...

If we're flying with that idea, then V-Pocket sounds like a handheld too, what with "Pocket" in its name (though the Play-Yan is a great fit)... But Reggie says they're going to stick with the DS for a while, not that they probably aren't already developing a new handheld, so I don't think a new handheld will (or at least should) come to the market too soon.

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