The Pokemon Company and the US patent system are fucking insane. Patent trolling is so advanced that The Pokemon Company applied for a patent in 2023 on the concept of multiplayer games and fucking got it

A simulation system in which a user can assume and enjoy changes in an operation of a character in a case in which the character is operated inside a virtual space and that can be simultaneously played by a plurality of users is provided. For example, a simulation system includes processing circuitry configured to set commands in a plurality of characters and set an execution order of the commands in a case in which a plurality of commands are set operate the character inside a virtual space based on the commands and the execution order set in the character, set commands and an execution order based on an instruction from each user having each character, and operates one character and other characters inside the virtual space.

This shit is ridiculous.