quote:

Haven’t seen a source for this other than Japan Today, which seems a little weird, but reportedly a US District Court has ordered Sony to pay Immersion Corp. $90.7 million for infringing several patents related to computer-controlled vibrating motors (which Sony uses in their Dual Shock PlayStation and PlayStation 2 controllers). What’s weirder still about this news is that as far as we can tell Sony already lost this case back in October when a federal jury ruled that Sony owed Immersion $82 million. Making it even more painful for Sony this time around (if this news is true, that is), the judge presiding over the case has also issued an injunction forbidding Sony from selling Dual Shock controllers, as well as “40 game software products” (or “games”, as we know them), here in the States. It’s Sunday, so we haven’t been able to confirm the details of this case with Sony, but we’ll give them a ring tomorrow and find out what’s going on.

Taken from engadget.

A surprise to me, actually. Thought Sony was more legitimate than this.

I remember reading about this the first time around. Looks like it's not over yet, lol

I gotta say that this does suck, cause I always found Sony's vibrating feature to be the best.

Shock controllers are just annoying, usually turn them off.

just seen it on Yahoo! News

I hope that Sony wins the appeal, because I work the video game department at Best Buy.

I would absolutely LOATHE having to clear out the shelving of all of the PS2 games that are said to have infringed, systems, and Dual Shock controllers.

A list of games said to have infringed (from Joystiq.com):

A Bug’s Life; Amplitude; Ape Escape; Atlantis: The Lost Empire; Bloody Roar 2; Cool Boarders 3; Cool Boarders 4; Cool Boarders 2001; Crash Bash; Crash Team Racing; Drakan: The Ancients’ Gate; Emperor’s New Groove; Extermination; FantaVision; Final Fantasy X; Formula One 2001; The Getaway; Gran Turismo; Gran Turismo 2; Gran Turismo 3; Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; Grand Theft Auto 3; Grind Session; ICO; Jak & Daxter; Kinetica; Kingdom Hearts; Legend of the Dragoon; The Mark of Kri; Medal of Honor Frontline; Medievil 2; Metal Gear Solid 2; Monster’s, Inc.; Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus; SOCOM Navy Seals; Speed Punks; Spyro: Ripto’s Rage; Spyro: Year of the Dragon; Stuart Little 2; Syphon Filter 2; Syphon Filter 3; Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3; Twisted Metal: Black; Twisted Metal 4; Twisted Metal: Small Brawl; Treasure Planet; and War of the Monsters

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Originally posted by CGRumler I hope that Sony wins the appeal, because I work the video game department at Best Buy. I would absolutely LOATHE having to clear out the shelving of all of the PS2 games that are said to have infringed, systems, and Dual Shock controllers. A list of games said to have infringed (from Joystiq.com): A Bug’s Life; Amplitude; Ape Escape; Atlantis: The Lost Empire; Bloody Roar 2; Cool Boarders 3; Cool Boarders 4; Cool Boarders 2001; Crash Bash; Crash Team Racing; Drakan: The Ancients’ Gate; Emperor’s New Groove; Extermination; FantaVision; Final Fantasy X; Formula One 2001; The Getaway; Gran Turismo; Gran Turismo 2; Gran Turismo 3; Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; Grand Theft Auto 3; Grind Session; ICO; Jak & Daxter; Kinetica; Kingdom Hearts; Legend of the Dragoon; The Mark of Kri; Medal of Honor Frontline; Medievil 2; Metal Gear Solid 2; Monster’s, Inc.; Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus; SOCOM Navy Seals; Speed Punks; Spyro: Ripto’s Rage; Spyro: Year of the Dragon; Stuart Little 2; Syphon Filter 2; Syphon Filter 3; Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3; Twisted Metal: Black; Twisted Metal 4; Twisted Metal: Small Brawl; Treasure Planet; and War of the Monsters

Wow.

The games that I'd be sad to see go would be:

Amplitude, Ape Escape, Fantavision, FFX, Gran Turismo, the GTA series, ICO, Jak and Daxter series, Kingdom Hearts, The Legend of Dragoon, The Mark of Kri, Medal of Honor Frontline, Medievil 2, MGS2, Sly Cooper, SOCOM, and Tony Hawk's PS3.

Then again, I've played through most, if not all, of them so I guess it wouldn't be much of a loss for me.

I wonder why some of the newer games in those series (GT4, GTA: San Andreas, etc...) aren't considered to be in violation?

Any ideas?

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Originally posted by CGRumler I wonder why some of the newer games in those series (GT4, GTA: San Andreas, etc...) aren't considered to be in violation? Any ideas?

I'm as baffled as you are. I'm going to guess and say that the games shown here fully utilize the unique aspects of the DS controller. I'm probably wrong, though. I'll try to do some research and get back to this if I find anything.

This is a bit new...

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So it’s true: last week a federal court did order Sony to stop selling the PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, Dual Shock controllers, and a bunch of different games, as well as pay $90.7 million in damages after a losing a patent infringement suit brought against them by Immersion Corp. (Immersion alleges that Sony violated several of their patents related to haptics technology). Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to pick up the PS2 and all the rest of that stuff in stores—Sony managed to get the injunction stayed while they mount an appeal—but they’re almost certainly going to have to pay up sooner or later (sounds like they think that, too, with a Sony spokesperson confirming that they’re making arrangements to license Immersion’s patents). Probably one of those times they should have followed Microsoft’s lead, they settled with Immersion back in 2003 and “only” had to cough up $23 million.

Also from engadget.com.

Seems not only are the controllers in trouble. PS and PS2 are, themselves.

Last edited by Yan on Mar-29-2005 at 02:23

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Originally posted by Yan I'm as baffled as you are. I'm going to guess and say that the games shown here fully utilize the unique aspects of the DS controller. I'm probably wrong, though. I'll try to do some research and get back to this if I find anything.

Probably because they haven't sold that much yet. Looking over that list is like a best-sellers list of all the PS2 games. I doubt it has anything to do with "infringment". They're just doing that so Sony can't selll their best-sellers anymore.

LAME

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Originally posted by infinity HiGH Probably because they haven't sold that much yet. Looking over that list is like a best-sellers list of all the PS2 games. I doubt it has anything to do with "infringment". They're just doing that so Sony can't selll their best-sellers anymore. LAME

Most, dare I say "all", people who have wanted those games already got their copies. A majority of those games on that list are on their "Greatest Hits" list. And, like I said, I work the video games at Best Buy. I can tell you for a fact that, at least at my store, the Greatest Hits games don't sell that well anymore. Everyone these days wants the latest and greatest. It doesn't make sense why the courts wouldn't want to cut of those lifelines for Sony. However, then again, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some hidden economic agenda behind it.


I suck at Economics and I have the shitty college grade to prove it.

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