A Japanese patent analysis agency, Patent Result, has indicated that Bandai Co., Ltd. has outpaced Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., claiming the top position within Japan's 2025 gaming and entertainment patent rankings. On the list, firms are ranked based on their patent score from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
As per a report by the Outlook Respawn, Bandai obtained a total patent score of 8,565.2 in its 245 patents, while Sony secured 6,631.0 from its 208 patents- in contrast to last year, when Sony reigned supreme. The report states that Bandai's strength continues to lie in its innovative designs and technologies linked to its two iconic franchises, Tamagotchi and Gundam Plastic Models.
Also Read | 50,000 CCTV footages hacked using default password and leaked by bots; Here is how you can get saved
GREE climbs while Sony slips
In third place, mobile-game developer GREE, Inc. reached 5,121.9 points thanks to 176 patents, slipping one spot from its second-place ranking last year. Next came COLOPL, Inc. at 4,978.0 / 137 and MIXI, Inc. at 4,664.8 / 241, to round out this year’s top five.
Nintendo and Sega fall further behind
Well-known gaming giants Nintendo Co., Ltd. and Sega ranked lower, in sixth and eighth place, respectively. The analysts say this is partly because of ongoing litigation. Nintendo, along with The Pokémon Company, is in a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, which likely impacted its patent activity in this period. Sega has continued to struggle with profitability, the company dealing with a lawsuit filed in 2024 against Bank of Innovation over gacha game technology.
Also Read | ChatGPT Atlas breach: Hidden commands that follow you even after logout
How the rankings work
According to a report by Outlook Respawn, Patent Result's "Patent Score" gauges not only the number of patents but their relevance, factoring in how often a company's patents are cited or contested by competitors.
While Bandai dominates the field in toy-linked entertainment technologies, Sony has kept its focus on immersive gaming with AI. Its patents run the gamut of invention disclosures for virtual display, sound-based recommendations, and AI-driven gameplay analytics, signalling continued investment toward next-generation interactive experiences.
