What Does IP Mean In Gaming? (Answered!)

IP in gaming stands for “intellectual property”. This refers to the protection of copyrights, trademarks, and patents in gaming. It means that a video game, including its characters, level design, monsters, guns and so on are all the intellectual property of the company which produces them. When people talk about “IP”, they usually mean popular and known games.

IP is a pretty straightforward legal term, but it has taken on a somewhat different meaning as far as its use in common speech.

In gaming, when people talk about IP, what they usually mean is just the holistic aspect of a video game, and all the propriety elements.

Let’s find out more.

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What does IP stand for in gaming?

IP stands for intellectual property in gaming.

This is a term used across the entertainment industry to refer to the rights one has regarding their individual or collective creative endeavors.

In gaming, it can refer to many, many aspects of the game, or it can refer to the game as whole.

The simplest way to understand the term on a basic level is to break down the literal meaning of the phrase itself.

Your intellectual property is something you used your mind to create.

It’s not a physical product that can be sold or used in its own right, at least not directly to consumers.

In the context of gaming, let’s take the example of a solo, indie developer.

Everything they have designed in the game is their own intellectual property.

Other companies or artists are not allowed to simply take elements of that game and use it for their own—that would be theft of intellectual property.

There, you get into questions of copyright infringement.

If one developer, say, drew a monster design for their game, then published and copyrighted the game and its contents, another developer stealing that design would be illegal.

It’s a way of protecting your artistic creations.

Though you might think artists take inspiration from each other all the time, and stealing someone’s IP is not the same as stealing an outright invention, it still comes down to the question of finances.

If someone is making a profit on the back of their intellectual hard work and creativity, then that’s bad for the artist, the consumer, and the industry as a whole.

When people talk about “IP”, what they often mean is simply a very well-known, flagship game or character from a particular industry. Halo, for example, is one of 343 Industries’ biggest IPs.

Where does this notion of IP come from, then?

Where does IP come from?

IP, as I’ve said, is a broad issue, and is integral to the entire entertainment industry.

The laws which govern video game intellectual property are largely the same as those governing IP for cinema and written works.

Intellectual property laws in some form recognizable to what we have today were first laid down in the Berne Convention of 1886—well over 100 years ago.

These laws dictate the extent to which creative achievements can be protected and copyrighted under law.

Of course, IP is not automatically protected by copyright laws.

You have to apply to have your copyright approved—at that point, if anyone takes your ideas, you can sue them.

However, if you do not copyright your IP, then it is vulnerable to being stolen or remade before you can use it.

When it comes to games, many aspects of the games can make up the total IP.

Assets, like tables or chairs for a video game, game engines, the relationship between the producers and the developers, music, voice acting—just about any element of the game can come under IP laws.

Big, AAA developers are always very careful to patent what they can in their games.

Even game mechanics, such as Monolith’s “nemesis” system, have been copyrighted and kept out of competitors’ hands.

Warner Bros, the company that publishes Monolith’s games that feature this mechanic, were quick to see its value and keep it for themselves.

What is a new IP game?

So, what do people mean by “new IP”?

Well, as I mentioned, IP is considered to be a company’s big flagship achievements, often.

So, when people talk about a “new IP”, what they mean is that a new game coming out is not a sequel to or in the same universe as any other game we’ve seen before. It’s new characters and entirely new settings.

What is the biggest video game IP?

So, by far and away the largest and most successful video game IP is Nintendo’s Pokémon.

The franchise, just in terms of video games, has produced a staggering $90 billion for the Nintendo corporation.

Over countless games and spin-offs over the decades, the series has been popular with multiple generations, now.

The next biggest IP, also owned by Nintendo, is Mario—at $30 billion in total game revenue.

At a third the size of the first place, you can see just how enormous the Pokémon series is as a phenomenon.

So, IP can be used in many industries, gaming included.

The aspects of any game, ultimately, were designed by someone, using their skill and talent.

When someone takes time to develop a piece of art on their own, that art is their IP.

While many video games are made by teams of hundreds of people, the whole game remains the IP of the production company.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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