How Early Video Games Synchronized Gameplay Over Modems
A 1998 patent describing a method to keep two remote video games in sync by exchanging command signals and timing codes over a modem connection.
Original patent title: “USRE36574E - Video game”
A 1998 patent describing a method to keep two remote video games in sync by exchanging command signals and timing codes over a modem connection. Granted to MILTON HAROLD W in 2000 with 21 claims and 16 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a hardware assembly that sits between a video game console and a modem to enable remote multiplayer gaming. It captures player inputs (like button presses) from the local console and receives similar inputs from a remote player via a data link. A synchronizer component then ensures these two sets of inputs are fed into the game's processor at the same time. It also uses a counting mechanism to track when the game states drift apart; if the synchronization codes don't match for a set number of cycles, the system retrieves stored player parameters to re-align the games.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover modern high-speed internet multiplayer architectures that rely on server-side state reconciliation.
- Does not cover wireless or Bluetooth-based controller synchronization.
- Does not cover cloud gaming where the game logic runs on a remote server rather than a local console.
- Does not cover synchronization methods that do not utilize a specific local and remote synchronization code comparison.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
Instead of trying to sync the entire game state (which was too much data for 1990s modems), it only synchronizes the input commands and uses a counter to detect when the two consoles have drifted out of sync.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Early dial-up modem adapters for 8-bit and 16-bit consoles
Peer-to-peer multiplayer configurations for early PC gaming
Modem-based game link peripherals
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent represents an era when developers were solving the fundamental problem of 'lag' and state divergence in early dial-up multiplayer gaming. It highlights the transition from local-only play to the networked experiences that define modern gaming, specifically addressing how to keep two consoles running the same game logic simultaneously over slow, unreliable phone lines.
Filed
February 9, 1998
Granted
February 15, 2000
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
While this specific patent is historical, the foundational principles of input synchronization are still used by companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo in their peer-to-peer networking stacks for console gaming. Modern netcode development has evolved far beyond this, but the concept of input-based synchronization remains a core component of fighting game netcode.
Market impact
This patent reflects the technical hurdles of the pre-broadband era, where developers had to invent clever workarounds to enable remote play. It helped define the early landscape of console-to-console communication before the industry standardized on centralized server architectures.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a hardware assembly that sits between a video game console and a modem to enable remote multiplayer gaming. It captures player inputs (like button presses) from the local console and receives similar inputs from a remote player via a data link. A synchronizer component then ensures these two sets of inputs are fed into the game's processor at the same time. It also uses a counting mechanism to track when the game states drift apart; if the synchronization codes don't match for a set number of cycles, the system retrieves stored player parameters to re-align the games.
The clever bit
Instead of trying to sync the entire game state (which was too much data for 1990s modems), it only synchronizes the input commands and uses a counter to detect when the two consoles have drifted out of sync.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover modern high-speed internet multiplayer architectures that rely on server-side state reconciliation.
- Does not cover wireless or Bluetooth-based controller synchronization.
- Does not cover cloud gaming where the game logic runs on a remote server rather than a local console.
- Does not cover synchronization methods that do not utilize a specific local and remote synchronization code comparison.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
25/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$39K – $124K
Midpoint $77K · expired or expiring · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Tenenbaum, J., & Hochstein, P. (2000). How Early Video Games Synchronized Gameplay Over Modems (U.S. Patent No. RE36,574). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE36574/game-boy
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Early Video Games Synchronized Gameplay Over Modems cover?
A 1998 patent describing a method to keep two remote video games in sync by exchanging command signals and timing codes over a modem connection.
Who owns patent US RE36574?
MILTON HAROLD W owns this patent, granted in 2000.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US RE36574 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 16 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent represents an era when developers were solving the fundamental problem of 'lag' and state divergence in early dial-up multiplayer gaming. It highlights the transition from local-only play to the networked experiences that define modern gaming, specifically addressing how to keep two consoles running the same game logic simultaneously over slow, unreliable phone lines.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover modern high-speed internet multiplayer architectures that rely on server-side state reconciliation.
Patent monitoring