Sony Shocked by US Court Decision

US tech company wins big, forcing a decision halting sales of PlayStation hardware in America.

The rumble feature in Sony's Dual Shock controllers is usually used by developers to make games feel more real, but it could have the unexpected side-effect of also making Sony feel considerably lighter in the wallet.

A ruling in a California court late last week found in favour of Immersion Technology, which claimed that Sony's controllers have been using rumble technology developed by Immersion without permission or a licence.

The judge in the case ordered Sony to pay Immersion more than $90 million (£48 million) in damages. The decision also called for a halt to all sales in the US of the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Dual Shock controllers and 47 games found to use the technology. The sales ban was, however, immediately stayed, meaning that business will continue as usual for Sony while it appeals against the ruling.

Immersion went after all three console manufacturers in 2002. While Nintendo was found to be using a different technology for its controller rumble feature, Microsoft agreed to settle out of court for $26 million and picked up a 10% share in Immersion in the process.

With the next generation of its PlayStation looming, Sony has avoided commenting on how this will affect the design of the controller for its new console. Sony is currently paying licensing fees to Immersion for the use of the rumble technology, which could be avoided for PlayStation 3 by a redesign of the Dual Shock controller.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games