Nintendo Wins Mii Patent Case, Ships Switch Consoles Via Plane To Meet Demand

There's been a variety of Nintendo news this morning, from patent cases to unrelenting Switch console demand. The former has to do with a lawsuit dating all the way back to 2011, while the latter involves Nintendo spending up to $45 extra per individual Switch SKU moving the devices via air, just to meet continued outrageous desire for its hybrid device.

The court case, confirmed recently by a federal appeals court to have been a mistake that should not have been granted, was asserted against Nintendo by RecogniCorp back in 2011. The original claim was that Nintendo's Mii characters utilize the same techniques used by RecogniCorp to make police sketches of subjects. Nintendo had the following to say regarding the court victory.

 

“We are very pleased with the court’s decision,” said Ajay Singh, Nintendo of America’s Director of Litigation and Compliance. “The decision marks another case in which Nintendo’s unique ideas overcame unjustified threats of patent infringement. Nintendo has a long history of developing innovative products and we will continue to vigorously defend all our products from meritless patent lawsuits.”

Elsewhere, relentless demand for Nintendo's hybrid console continues. Confirmed to be still selling out worldwide as recently as last week, The Wall Street Journal has determined that Nintendo is now shipping consoles to the U.S. and Europe using planes, a nonstandard method that is substantially more costly. WSJ's estimate is that this costs approximately $45 extra per Switch system, an amount far from negligible that suggests Nintendo is taking the shortages seriously. It also suggests that the shortages are entirely unintentional, a narrative that runs contrary to the wide belief that products like amiibo and the NES Classic Edition have been made artificially scarce by the Japanese company.

Also flying off of shelves is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The title has already topped Amazon's 2017 bestsellers list, and I can see why; among other things, it's a blast to play online. For more Switch and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, check out our review.