The Pokemon Company has filed a patent on some new expertise that might drastically advance how card video games are streamed on the Internet. Last week, PokeBeach reported on a brand new patent submitting for RFID tag-embedded card sleeve that can be utilized together with cameras to assist enhance the interactive viewing expertise of card sport matches on-line, resembling these streamed by The Pokemon Company throughout numerous regional and world championship tournaments for the Pokemon Trading Card Game. The expertise makes use of RFID tags to trace the areas of playing cards, which might enable each viewers and commentators to see which playing cards are in a participant’s hand, that are nonetheless of their deck, and that are in a discard pile with out informing the gamers themselves. 

The expertise is credited to The Pokemon Company worker Paul Earl Grimes and was initially filed again in 2019. However, the patent wasn’t awarded to The Pokemon Company till earlier this yr, which may clarify why we have not seen it used but. This expertise is not essentially unique to be used in Pokemon Trading Card Games – the patent notes it might be utilized in poker tournaments or in every other card sport match. 

If utilized, the expertise may open up model new avenues for interacting with card sport matches on Twitch and elsewhere. Not solely does the RFID expertise present real-time details about playing cards that may’t be captured by way of cameras, it may be used to reinforce visuals in order that viewers who way more data than earlier than. Currently, card video games like The Pokemon Trading Card Game, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh both use an overhead digicam and below the desk cameras to assist present numerous bits of data or have moved to digital variations of the sport resembling Magic: Arena for a greater enjoying expertise. Given that The Pokemon Company closely options the Pokemon Trading Card Game at in-person tournaments, this might be a good way to reinforce viewing.