9 Amazing Video Game Features You'll NEVER See In Anything Else

The all-timer example of a killer video game feature gated off from the rest of the industry due to a patent is Namco's brilliant idea to place mini-games within loading screens to, in the patent's own words, prevent "unnecessary wastage of time."

The patent was first filed in 1994 for the console release of Ridge Racer, where players were able to play a version of Namco shooter Galaxian during the game's loading screen.

It's such a terrific idea to stave off player boredom while loading, and yet despite the obvious appeal the concept had to basically every developer out there, Namco's filing deterred others from ever implementing such a mechanic.

Games like FIFA and Bayonetta have circumvented the patent by included fleeting interactive distractions during the loading process, but the lack of truly substantial, attention-stealing mini-games is entirely Namco's doing.

The patent finally expired in 2015, but ironically video game loading times had decreased enough by this point that mini-games didn't seem much of a priority for developers.

With SSDs surging in popularity in both PC and console gaming over the last few years, the necessity for distractions during loading screens has basically gone away completely, meaning there's little likelihood we'll ever actually need to see this again.