Slashdot Mirror


Sony And Connectix Settle Out Of Court

Halkun writes "Sony and Connectix settle out of court. The story is at www.psxemu.com's home page" We've had a whole slew of stories about this. Once the terms are released, this whole have a big effect on the whole emulation scene, I predict.

18 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. I don't get it... by Juju · · Score: 2
    I still don't understand why Sony is trying to sue people writing emulators. After all, they loose money on the hardware, so an emulator is a good thing for them...
    Besides, I really don't believe Piracy can be linked with emulation for the Playstation. After all, you can read "backup" CDs with your Playstation and a little converter.

    I have the feeling this is just a kind of bad habit. Sony is being protective because big companies have to be paranoid and sue everything that might infringe on their copyrights.

    --
    Black holes occur when God divides by zero.
  2. Re:PS2 Emulator already in "extreme beta" by alannon · · Score: 2

    While I haven't tried this either, a glance at their website makes me think this is a somewhat elaborate hoax.
    First, the name of the thing is ekafemulator. Turn the first 4 letters around. fake.
    Next, their troubleshooting page is practically non-sequetor and references a bad URL on sony's site which they conveniently don't bother to put into an anchor tag (so you need to copy/paste it to try it).
    Finally, it seems rather unlikely that a 500mhz PIII can emulate a PS2.
    Don't you need something around a 500mhz PIII just to emulate an N64??
    Sounds fishy to me...

  3. Holy Shit! Sony bought VGS! by frankie · · Score: 2

    Maccentral has the story. Sony paid Connectix and acquired the rights to Virtual GameStation. It's the Microsoft strategy -- "if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em".

  4. Re:VGS is not Bleem by CrayDrygu · · Score: 2
    Okay, I'll give you that (as if I have a choice, right? =P), but the other parts of my argument stand. I can use real PSX accessories, and I can keep my computer's monitor free for other things.

    It is a good option if you can't afford the console...though you should be able to pick up a used one for cheap. Or maybe if you don't have a TV. I still think that even the a prefect emulator doesn't compare to the real console.

    --

    --

    --
    "I personal[ly] think Unix is "superior" because on LSD it tastes like Blue." -- jbarnett

  5. Re:Pretty vague.. by CrayDrygu · · Score: 2
    "I personaly dont understand why anyone would even want to play a playstation anymore, I would rather use a computer with emulation because they can enhance every aspect."

    When they work perfectly, they sure can, yeah. I love my NES and Genesis emulators. But PSX?

    My experience with Bleem was that if a game works, it works well, but if it doesn't work, it's almost unplayable. And there are tons of games with problems... "can't play sound," "video in black and white only," issues like that. And I could never get it to smooth out my graphics and still perform well.

    So I bought a PSOne. I love it. Know why? Every PSX game ever made works perfectly with it. I can use actual PSX controllers and accessories, and real memory cards. And I can play it on my TV, leaving my computer monitor free so I can watch for incoming messages and email.

    Personally, I don't understand why anyone would want to use an emulator if they have access to the real thing.

    --

    --

    --
    "I personal[ly] think Unix is "superior" because on LSD it tastes like Blue." -- jbarnett

  6. This case should have been taken to trial by Cerlyn · · Score: 3

    If reporting potential witness was indeed a real witness, and Connectix has indeed settled with Sony, what does it mean for bleem, which also is being sued by Sony for their Playstation(tm) emulator? What does it mean for all the other Playstation emulators out there (ePSXe [epsxe.com was down at last check], AdriPSX, etc.).

    Face it; if someone thought they were going to lose in this case, they did not want to set precedent that would look good for the other side. By the other side letting them not setting a precedent, no ruling has been made.

    So the next emulator to go on trial has nothing to cite from this case, and likely will drag out just as long as Sony v. Connectix has. In my personal view, the side that had the choice should have declined settlement, and they just should forced the completion of the case until a verdict or the other side resigned.

    While I have no idea how long this link will last, here is the court schedule of Judge Legge, who was presiding over the case. Note that this week was supposed to mark the start of the jury trial. This just seems like someone wanted to run someone out of money until the last possible minute. I do not like this one bit.

  7. Has this ever really worked by Alistair+Graham · · Score: 2

    Have the big corporations stop the innovation ? No, the emulator guys , mp3 guys video guys, will always go on regardless of law suites against people they have no personal contact with it's to far removed all these guys start doing this because they think it's fun and cool , never because they want to become millionares and take on music industrys , the corporations are putting out the matches that are starting the brush fires

  8. VGS is not Bleem by frankie · · Score: 2
    My experience with Bleem was . . .

    Stop. Don't say another word about Bleem. It does not compare to VGS. The geeks at Connectix are freaking masters of emulation.

  9. The end this time? by Rura+Penthe · · Score: 2

    Sony once dropped one of its suits (which was already truncated to only 2 of the 9 original charges), only to bring a new one the next day. Of course, they only brought that suit after an appeals court decided to reverse the first ruling and declare VGS "fair use". Now they've lost in the last piece of litigation against Connectix. Is it finally over?! Maybe they'll just file yet another suit with a slight difference to continue to harass Connectix. And what about that other company Sony sued? How does this affect them?

  10. Re:Pretty vague.. by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2

    I personaly don't understand why anyone would even want to play a playstation anymore, I would rather use a computer with emulation because they can enhance every aspect.

    There's the social aspect to think of. Most of the time using computers is a fairly solitary task for people, TV is much more sociable because of the way people setup their computer stations and their TV entertainment area. I don't yet know of anyone that's put a computer in their entertainment area in place of a TV, although some do this, it is uncommon and expensive to get a decent display size.

    It's cheap to buy a 32" TV and have four players on it. IMO even a 21" monitor is too small for more than one person and most computer setups are simply too cramped. Sure, there's the LAN play option but not everyone wants to haul their computers to a LAN party, except for the die-hard gamers.

  11. So what's the problem? by Animats · · Score: 2

    The industry makes money on games and loses money on consoles. An emulator should be a win.

  12. Use of the PS1 inside the PS2 by yerricde · · Score: 2

    Sony used the CPU from the PSX to manage the PS2, allowing it to play PSX games also. So of course Sony will use the PS2 CPUs (i hate pluralizing intialations), probly in an all on one chip setup, to manage the PS3. That leaves them with no backwards compatibility with the PSX.

    Except the PSX chip is required to run PS2 games; it serves as an I/O processor. This arrangement is fairly common; a Sega Master System is the I/O processor for the Sega Genesis.

    Sony just keeps building that game base.

    Actually, that was Toaplan.


    All your hallucinogen are belong to us.
    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  13. Re:Pretty vague.. by Fjord · · Score: 2

    Or, if Sony lost this, then they wouldn't be able to make emulators for other platforms in their Playstation 3s.

    --
    -no broken link
  14. Stalling has killed commercial PS emulation anyway by iainl · · Score: 2

    With PS2s (I know, I know, the console not the IBM one) now coming through at a rate that can supply demand, the PSOne is less important to Sony - certainly less prestigious. So basically Sony's lawyers have managed to stall Connectix long enough for the product to have reached near the end of its life in any case.

    Besides, Sony still make money off every Playstation title sold, no matter how the consumers play it.

    --
    "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  15. Re:settle what? by VValdo · · Score: 4

    Although the link is slashdotted to hell, I presume this has to do with the Playstation emulator (called the Virtual Play Station) that Connectix made for the Mac.

    Connectix, incidentally, is a company that I suspect is comprised of aliens with advanced technology OR possibly someone with a time machine. Among their breakthrough offerings (breakthough at the time, anyway) -- RamDoubler, Speeddoubler, Virtual PC, and VPS.

    W

    -------------------

    --
    -------------------
    This is my SIG. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
  16. Pretty vague.. by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 5

    ...but if true I suspect it may be that Sony no longer feels that the original Playstation is too big of an issue to keep fighting for.

    Besides, if they actually lost this case to Connectix, then it would probably set some kind of precedent, and they can't have that considering they have something much larger to worry about... future Playstation 2 Emulation.

    It may not be next week, or even this year, but history shows it will be. It's only a matter of when.



    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    --

    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
    1. Re:Pretty vague.. by ConsumedByTV · · Score: 3

      There has been precedent.
      What argument is even left on sonys side? Read this if you want to know about every thing connectix has been able to emulate.

      After all as long as they continute to use hardware that can be easily put into a computer (eg: standard cdrom or dvd) they will get this type of problem. I personaly dont understand why anyone would even want to play a playstation anymore, I would rather use a computer with emulation because they can enhance every aspect.

      The best part of emulation I have encountered is that I can use cheap controlers and have cheap game saving storage. I wont even get into the blockbuster rent thing...


      Fight censors!

      --


      "Not my manner of thinking but the manner of thinking of others has been the source of my unhappiness." - M
  17. This Goes to Show by jjr · · Score: 2

    If someone has a the will they can figure out how something works. If you are wondering what I am talking about look at these docs. Some took apart thier playstation and figured out how it works.