Netflix recently announced its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery for more than $80 billion. This deal effectively makes Netflix the owner of several television and film IPs, including the likes of Game of Thrones and the many properties falling under DC Comics.
On the gaming front, Netflix will soon become the new owner of NetherRealm Studios, Rocksteady, Warner Bros. Montreal, and more. The entertainment giant will also own gaming franchises belonging to these studios, in addition to any patents. This, of course, is significant since Warner Bros. Discovery owns the patent to the Nemesis System from Shadow of Mordor. Following the deal’s announcement, fans are now asking Netflix to release the patent.
Less than one day after Netflix announced the merger, a petition on Change.org seeks to free the Nemesis System from Warner Bros. Discovery’s chains.
According to the petition, Netflix has a historic opportunity to unlock this system for both indie and AAA developers. Petition starter Jared Travis notes that the entertainment giant could license out this system to other developers, establishing itself as a major player in the gaming world.
On the other hand, the Nemesis System being widely available could make for more innovative and dynamic gaming experiences moving forward. Because this system has only been used twice, many believe it still has plenty of untapped potential.
For the unaware, the Nemesis System was used in Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War to dynamically rank orcs and various faction leaders throughout the games. This system meant that orcs would often come back stronger, and remember their last encounter with the player, rising to take the place of fallen leaders and higher-ups.
At its best, the Nemesis System made for memorable mini-stories outside the main narrative of these games. Unfortunately, because Monolith Productions, the team in charge of using the Nemesis System, was shut down earlier this year, there has been a lot of uncertainty about the patent and its future use.
This is exactly why fans seem so eager to get Netflix’s attention and free up the patent for wider use throughout the gaming industry.
At present, the petition has 192 signatures, so it still has a long way to go before gaining Netflix’s attention. However, the good news is that many social media users support this sentiment, asking for the patent to be licensed or released following this merger.
