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Immersion Sues Sony and Microsoft Over Force Feedback

Posted by michael on from the putting-a-damper-on-things dept.

stereoroid writes: "Immersion Corp. has filed a lawsuit against Sony and Microsoft, alleging unauthorised use of their patents - here's their press release. The suit alleges that any use of touch or force feedback in their consoles violates their patents. For some obscure reason, this was first reported in the Irish Times today."

4 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. Help me understand... by eaddict · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why don't these companies come out and sue right away if it such a blatant violation of a patent or something? If I were the judge, I'd say "Well, the feedback stuff has been around for 3 years, you say you have had the patent for 5, why'd did you wait so long? Dismissed" Are IP lawyers like amblance chasers? Are there law firms who do nothing but troll IP patents then alert the holder to a violation (and by the way it will only cost you $$$).

    --
    "If you are on fire you can just stop, drop, and roll. If you fall into Lava you are just dead." - my 5yr old daughter
    1. Re:Help me understand... by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If they've had the patent for 5 years, Prio Art is going to get them booted out of court.

      It's not like Nintendo didn't release the RUMBLE PACK for the N64 way before any of the other systems had any kind of rumble feature, but as if that weren't enough, Sega's arcade machines have had force beedback since the 80's, as someone else has mentioned.

      I don't know how many times I got annoyed at Hang-On and Outrun because just tapping the edge of the road caused a vibration that caused me to lose even more control which further caused me to wipe out entirely. Of course, that's kind of the point, but it also makes for a more thrilling game and that's why I remember Sega's wonderful Coin-Ops.

      These guys haven't got a case. And even if they did, why haven't they mentioned the Gamecube? Not to mention all the PC Force Feedback controllers.

      --

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

      Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
  2. Re:not another by Morphine007 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Any idiot could have designed the force feedback stuff, even Microsoft! How did that get a patent on something so simple???

    Once something is invented it's pretty much always simple ref zippers and velcro... that's why there's patent laws; someone is innovative enough to realize that there's a huge potential market for something that's been pretty much staring us in the face for the last umpteen years, so they perfect it, and patent it so that [insert-megalithic-corporation-here] can't screw them outta there rightly deserved cash.

    --
    Oh god, that woman is John Romero!
  3. Re:Isn't is so.. by thesolo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If they were the first to come up with the idea, then Microsoft or Sony shouldn't be allowed to take their idea without paying for it.

    Yes, but there are two points here:
    1) They were NOT the first to come up with this. Loads of arcade games for instance have been using forced-feedback for many, many years.
    2) This patent is far too broad, and should have never been granted. How can you patent the concept of vibration?! I could see if they patented a certain type of motor that produced a specific form of vibration, and Sony & MS stole the plans, but they are suing because their controllers vibrate. As much as I dislike Sony & MS, this lawsuit is BS.

    I do wonder though. If Immersion wins, can the child in this story sue them instead of Sony??