Sony not doing well in court effort to save the Dual Shock

We haven't heard much recently of Sony's court battle with Immersion Corp. to keep their Dual Shock controllers on the shelves in face of possible patent infringement. Turns out things aren't going so well, with a federal judge upholding throwing out a recent appeal by Sony to throw out the case, which relates to the controller vibration technology used in their Dual Shock units. There's no word yet how this will affect the much maligned "boomerang" mock up, but Sony only has one appeal left until they'll be forced to pay up the $90 million fine and even possibly remove the Dual Shock from shelves. In better news, Sony might be trotting out some more info on the PS3 soon, since they just opened what is traditionally a developers-only meeting on Wednesday to the media. We'll keep you posted on what goes on there, but we sure would love a solid launch date.

[Via The Inquirer]

Read: Sony court battle
Read: Sony opens developer meeting

[Desert @ Mar 14th 2006 1:55PM]

Good. The dual shock design is crap. At the very least the d-pad and left analog stick need to be swapped. Sad it takes a court action for them to re-design their controller. They have the design so impedded into fanboys' minds that they are afraid to change it.

[Alex @ Mar 14th 2006 1:59PM]

The asymmetry's of the controller is one of it's greatest features. It's what makes Katamari Damacy playable.

[dracoleb @ Mar 14th 2006 1:59PM]

umm, this has nothing to do witht the design of the controller, just with the vibration. Don't see why Sony is the only one involved in this though, as far as I know Nintendo was the first to really make vibration in console games

[john @ Mar 14th 2006 2:02PM]

i agree with you 1 because fanboys have to stop defending a controller that has been used on their last two console.

its time for a new controller, as the dualshock was nice for the ps1 and even the ps2 but its one generation to long already.

[diulei @ Mar 14th 2006 2:03PM]

I should really start patenting things and then suing people once they produce it. Seems like a good enough way to make millions.

[Casey S @ Mar 14th 2006 2:12PM]

What is it with you dorks calling everybody fanboys on the internet anyway? That damn sony controller is the best controller any game company has been able to come up with. Don't tell me that the xbox's controller feels better in your hand, because 99% of the world will know you're a bullshitter.

[al @ Mar 14th 2006 2:19PM]

i think #1 and #3 are just haters...im not a sony fanboy or anything but i do own psp, ps2, ps1, and i also own xbox, and gamcube. and from my experience sony dual shock controller is the most comfortable yet. i would take the original dual shock over the boomerang anytime. though, im not sayin that it would be bad because i never actually get to feel it yet.

[wizard @ Mar 14th 2006 2:21PM]

The Xbox 360's controller does feel better...

[The Snapple @ Mar 14th 2006 2:25PM]

yeah... i don't give a crap about doul shock anymore.. i got my x360 controller now...

[Luke @ Mar 14th 2006 2:31PM]

What about GameCube?

[thispaceforsale @ Mar 14th 2006 2:33PM]

If I were to compile a list of 10 things needed for a great game, vibration/force feedback would not make that list, and only in certain types of games (driving/sim) would it make the top 20.
I cannot think of a game that has made vibration an interesting, original and neccessary component.
With that being said, I can't imagine this would effect the ps3 as there are numerous other vibration technologies out there either in the peripheral pc world or a homegrown solution as nin has done.

[Newton Heath @ Mar 14th 2006 2:35PM]

I don't really care for the vibration part. Take it out as far as I'm concerned as I've always switched it off.

On another note, given Sony is losing the battle as some company apparently owns the rights to gaining pleasure due to causing things to vibrate, I'd have thought there are lots of Women stocking up on certain "items" that might fall under the same category.

[Mosquito Control @ Mar 14th 2006 2:39PM]

Sony's controller always felt awkward to me. Too short, and as mentioned the left analog stick is misplaced. My thumbs feel too close together when using both sticks. The back buttons just feel misplaced, and the lack of a trigger drives me crazy.

Can't stand it. It's an SNES controller with small grips. It's well over a decade old, and the analog sticks are tacked on to where they fit, not where they're comfortable.

The 360's controller is much more comfortable, as is the Wavebird, unusual button layout and awful Z button aside.

[vidGuy @ Mar 14th 2006 2:43PM]

The XBOX had to go through a controller redesign before I'd even touch the thing. The Dualshock does need a rehash, and I think moving the left stick up into it's rightful spot would do wonders for the controller. My personal favorite isn't even 1st party: the Logitech wireless XBOX controller. The 360 controller made a step in the right direction, feeling very similar to the Logitech version.

[Dave @ Mar 14th 2006 2:46PM]

Nintendo went a different way to make their controllers vibrate, Sony and MS both used the same method, which was already patented. Microsoft settled a long time ago for much less money, and bought a large chunk of stock in the suing company. Now it looks like Sony's going to have to AT LEAST pay more than 3 times what MS paid, and will still have to pull product...

[Jake @ Mar 14th 2006 2:49PM]

#5: I agree with #7. The 360 has the best controller of any console.

[Mosquito Control @ Mar 14th 2006 2:54PM]

I like the triggers + shoulder buttons of the 360.
But I dislike the easy-to-hit (X) button. It should be hard to push. I've accidentally turned the console on, and accidentally paused the game a few thousand times.

I like having the triggers recessed a bit more than the 360. The Dual Shock always sucked for me because I felt like I was pinchign the controller in my hands. With the DC and the Xbox the controller rested on your index fingers more than was pinched by them. The 360 is still this way, but not as much.

[portorikan @ Mar 14th 2006 3:31PM]

The xbox controller (s) has always felt better than any other controller. The DS sucks. The new 360 controller feels great. My only complaint is regarding the start and back button being in a weird spot in the middle.

[Steve @ Mar 14th 2006 3:51PM]

I hope Immersion loses and goes bankrupt after all the court fees and damages they've caused for the delay of the PS3!!

[kenny @ Mar 14th 2006 4:25PM]

#11 = vidGuy

you hit on the mark by mentioning Logitech, seems they know how to upgrade a controller's design...look at their RumblePad 2 USB controller for PCs, its a more correctlly evolved PS Dual Shock controller--which if you look in their PS line, they seem to be more egronomical for hands.

sorta miss the original WingMan RumblePad which seemed to fit hands better...and had throttle, which is missing for some reason for the RP2....

The Xbox 360 to me is one of the most comfortable controllers i've ever held, right up there with the N64 controller..

[Bob Johnson @ Mar 14th 2006 5:28PM]

Do you people realise how ridiculous the word "fanboy" is? And you all use it like it the newest cool saying.

Go go fanboys. C'mon dawgs get down with your rad l33t selves.

so ghay.

[Shmoe @ Mar 15th 2006 6:15PM]

boomerang? try lesbian dildo

[Coyote @ Mar 16th 2006 11:07AM]

In the vein of 22's comment, Ill have to say to #11 that the most "interesting" use of vibration Ive seen is the add-on for Rez that seemed to keep all the girls happy :P
And yes vibration was novel when it first came out but its not really a requirement (more annoying accually), now if it were true force-feedback then Im sure we'd want to fight this more.