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Nintendo’s lawsuit against Japanese publisher Colopl won’t stall White Cat Project Switch release

Console giant says these are "completely separate matters"

Nintendo’s lawsuit against Japanese publisher Colopl won’t stall White Cat Project Switch release

Nintendo isn’t letting its ongoing lawsuit against Japanese publisher Colopl stop the latter from releasing its games on the Switch.

Despite its flagship smartphone RPG White Cat Project allegedly infringing on Nintendo's patents, the title is still on track for a Nintendo Switch spin-off.

Called Shironeko New Project, it's set to release on the console sometime in 2020.

“Their game software sales and the lawsuit are completely separate matters said Nintendo in a statement to Siliconera.

Shadow ban

The patents reportedly infringed by White Cat Project were filed by Nintendo between 2001 and 2006. The most visible is the “shadow” effect placed on characters hidden behind game geometry, featured in more recent 3D Mario titles.

Other patents reportedly include multiplayer connectivity, sleep mode confirmation screens, characters attacking near touch input locations and touch-screen joystick functionality.

Nintendo took legal action against Colopl for infringing all five of these patents back in January.


Staff Writer

Natalie Clayton is an Edinburgh-based freelance writer and game developer. Besides PCGamesInsider and Pocketgamer.biz, she's written across the games media landscape and was named in the 2018 GamesIndustry.biz 100 Rising Star list.