Ex-Midway guy suing Nintendo for Wiimote controls, has himself some prior art
Normally when we see somebody filing a lawsuit with interface-related patents in question, we're talking about some vague thing filed a couple months after that product went into production and with little relation to the real-life technology under fire. No such luck for Nintendo this time around: Patrick Goschy, an ex-Midway employee, has a YouTube video of himself demonstrating something astoundingly similar to a Wiimote / Nunchuck... eight years ago. His demo shows his hacked-together controllers providing a surprisingly-responsive interface for a bit of Ready 2 Rumble Boxing on the Dreamcast. Goschy, who appeared on Fox News in Chicago last night, says that he has had no formal involvement with the Wii, but holds the related patents and is taking Nintendo to court over its implementation. Rumor has it that Nintendo might have to sacrifice as much as 47 seconds of retail profits were the company to lose in court. Video is after the break, brace yourself for a complete lack of pants.
[Thanks, Boyo]
Update: Patrick's wife Sheri contacted us to set the story straight and says that Patrick isn't suing Nintendo (yet). She also gave us the link to the news story, which provides some further info and a Nintendo statement which denies any Goschy involvement in the Wii's technology.
