The ruling’s still out, but if transcripts of the appeals hearing are any indication, Sony won’t be in a position to rumble with its PlayStation much longer.Igniq reader Amstocks82 has kindly transcribed some of the recording available online from the U.S. appeals court site. Based on the transcripts, it doesn’t sound like Sony’s lawyer had a leg to stand on in the issue of patent infringement. And, as Amstocks points out, it does sound as if the lawyer was a bit confused and forgot his own argument.
Sony had previously been ordered to stop sales of the Dual-Shock controller and pay Immersion $90 million in damages. Immersion says the controller that comes standard with the PS and the PS2 infringes on their patent. A judge agreed, but Sony, of course, appealed. Not appealing the decision could have resulted in the activation of an order to cease and desist sales.
The outcome of this case could have had big implications for the release of the PS3, so Sony did the only smart thing - it went without the rumble for its PS3 controller.
Rather than say it was because of the suit, Sony’s said it was decided to forgo rumble to save gamers money. This from a company that doesn’t think $1,000 bundles are too pricey for gamers.
Immersion, by the way, says the pricing issue for the rumble and motion technology features combined doesn’t hold water either.
The oral arguments in the case took place on Oct. 3. The judge is expected to rule some time later this year. In the meantime, PlayStation fans can look forward to a rumble-less PS3 launch.
Hats off to Amstocks82!
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