Nintendo's Amiibo figurines, toys that boast in-game applications, have created a buzz among gamers. Now, it seems that these well-received interactive toys have caught the attention of Microsoft as the company has filed a patent for a similar gadget but wearable.
Microsoft filed the patent in April 2015 and was made public on Sept. 17, 2015.
The patent has so-called "interactive smart beads" that are connected to a ring-like device. This device will connect the beads with one another. The wearer can have the option to add, remove, as well as re-arrange these smart beads on the connecting element.
Each of the smart beads comes with a unique ID and a data storage and interacts with a base, similar to how Amiibo figurines work with the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Apart from communicating with a game console, a computer, or a mobile device, these smart beads have the capacity to remember the user history of the gamer.
Microsoft has yet to announce if this Near-Field Communication (NFC) device will make its way to Xbox or Windows PC soon.
Apart from the Amiibo figurines, the Disney Infinity has also made a dent in the market and has already generated huge money since it was launched.
In July, we reported that Nintendo managed to log its best first quarter sales since 2012. This seemed to be a good news for Nintendo despite investors predicted another Q1 loss. However, based on Nintendo's report, the company was successful in earning roughly 90 billion yen, around $727 million, in sales.
Nintendo unwrapped the first Amiibo during the digital event for the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2014.
"There's a special chip that's embedded in every figure," said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America. "Any Wii U system will recognize the figures by touching them on the Wii U GamePad, and when that happens, they spring to life in compatible games in cool new ways."
A few of the Amiibo figurines that have captured the hearts of gamers, particularly children, include Mario, Pikachu, Princess Peach, Link and Samus Aran, with many more to be unveiled by Nintendo in the future.
