Dual Shock Takes Another Hit
More trouble for Sony's controller as the company loses its latest court shenanigans.
The boomerang-shaped controller Sony currently has nestled in pictures of the PlayStation 3 might not be the final design, but it's looking more likely that the Dual Shock will need to go through at least some changes soon, after Sony lost an appeal in a court case involving the controller's rumbling feature.
Sony got into trouble after tech company Immersion said Sony and others were illegally using its rumble technology. Microsoft quickly settled with Immersion (and got a stake in the company in the process) but Sony decided to face the courts, confident of victory.
That confidence took another hit with a US judge's rejection of the latest appeal. Sony is expected to appeal the decision again, and if it loses the case it will be forced to stop selling the Dual Shock and certain games or license the technology from Immersion and pay a fine of $90 million, reports PC World.
The case is thought by some to be part of the reason Sony seems to have shunned the current controller design for the one shown with mock-ups of the PlayStation 3, but the company has conceded that the curvy controller associated with the next-gen console now is only a prototype and will likely change.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
Satoru Iwata Video Interview - the late Nintendo president spoke with Kikizo in 2004 as 'Nintendo Revolution' loomed.
Kaz Hirai Video Interview - the first of Kikizo's interviews with the man who went on to become global head of Sony.
Ed Fries Video Interview - one of Xbox's founders discusses an epic journey from Excel to Xbox.
Yu Suzuki, the Kikizo Interview - we spend time with one of gaming's most revered creators.
Tetris - The Making of an Icon: Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers reveal the fascinating story behind Tetris
Rare founders, Chris and Tim Stamper - their only interview? Genuinely 'rare' sit down with founders of the legendary studio.
The History of First-Person Shooters - a retrospective, from Maze War to Modern Warfare