Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. has given fans hope that the Nemesis System could be saved

Following the major news of Netflix’s intent to acquire Warner Bros., a petition has been launched calling on the streaming giant to release the Nemesis System license. Currently owned by Warner Bros. and most recently used by the now-shut-down Monolith Productions for the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series, the Nemesis system is a game mechanic that enables enemies to react dynamically to player actions, giving each player a unique experience and creating emergent story moments with NPCs. Earlier this year, when Monolith was shut down, many fans of the Shadow of Mordor series lamented that the system may be lost forever. Today’s news has given some fans hope, but others question if a petition is necessary at all.

Fans create a petition calling on Netflix “to unlock the Nemesis System”

The petition was shared on Reddit via the GameDev subreddit. The post is a lengthy appeal to video game fans to encourage Netflix to “take a developer-friendly approach and allow the Nemesis System to actually impact the industry the way it was meant to.” The post claims that “for years, developers across the industry have wanted to use this system.” But Warner Bros.' patent on the Nemesis System has left many development teams unable to take advantage of it.

Reddit post about the Nemesis System petition.Source: Reddit

While the petition has garnered nearly 200 signatures at the time of writing, the Reddit community remains generally unconvinced. The most upvoted comment reads, “Not sure why gamers are so focused on this patent. The patent is so specific that licensing it doesn’t make sense.” In a reply to that comment, another user suggests another reason why no developers have utilized the system: “…its benefits don’t really apply to most gameplay loops and/or it requires significant investment for it to work properly and in a satisfying way.” The consensus is that, while the Nemesis System sounds excellent in theory, it wouldn’t actually apply to most games.

Comments replying to the Nemesis System petition.Source: Reddit

Many users also argued that developers could create their own version of the system. One user wrote, “You can go ahead and make an evolving rivalry system with dynamic enemies, you just can’t use the exact steps outlined in their patent.” This is not legal advice, by the way.

Thankfully, some commenters were quick to point out that Netflix does not yet own the Nemesis System. The acquisition process will take time and require rigorous regulatory approvals across multiple countries. At this point, not only does Netflix not own the Nemesis System, but there is no guarantee that it will ever own it.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

September 30, 2014

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