
Nintendo has filed an “Invitation System for on-line video games” (No. 20070123353 patent). Nintendo has in the past not used many of the patents that they have successfully obtained, so this may not ever be used. Still, this concept sound like it would be a pretty nice feature to have on the Wii.
The “abstract” definition of this patent is as follows:
Example methods and systems for inviting users to play video games involve receiving at an invitation server an invitation from a first user logged into the invitation server using a first game system that invites a second user logged into the invitation server using a second game system to play a game. The invitation is forwarded from the invitation server to the second user and an acceptance of the invitation from the second user is received at the invitation server. Invitation acceptance data indicative of the second user’s acceptance is stored at the invitation server after the second user logs out of the invitation server. When the second user subsequently logs back into the invitation server, one or both of the first and second users is sent information based on the stored invitation acceptance that enables the first and second users to play the game.
United States Patent Application
via Codename Revolution