Wii Manufacturer Under Fire Over Wiimote Patents
By James Walker
Nintendo is under fire for patent infringement once again as a former employee of Midway Games seemingly came up with the idea of the Wii-mote and Ninchuk in 2000.
A video has been making the rounds around the internet of former Midway Games employee Patrick Goschy demonstrating a device that is strikingly similar to Nintendo’s Wiimote and Nunchuk for the ill-fated Sega Dreamcast back in the year 2000. In the video, Goschy demonstrates what he calls the “Velocity Controller” on Ready 2 Rumble Boxing.
That looks a lot like the Wiimote and Nunchuk idea to me, although I am pleased to say that in the nearly ten years since this video was originally created it has become industry standard practice to wear pants during hardware demonstrations.
Nintendo, of course, has come out and denied the allegations by Goschy that the Wiimote infringes on his patents. In a statement issued to a local FOX News affiliate in Chicago (where Goschy’s former employer, Midway, is based) Nintendo says:
Mr. Goschy did not invent this technology or its use with video games… it is irresponsible to report or suggest that this invention relates in any way to the Wii system.
Irresponsible to suggest Goschy’s device in no way relates to the Wii? I’m not sure Nintendo actually watched the video in question. The device Goschy is demonstrating looks to be close to dead on as the precursor to the Wiimote.
This is the second blow to Nintendo this week on the patent front. Earlier this week it was reported that both Sony and Nintendo have been sued by Copper Innovations Group over technologies used in both Nintendo’s Wiimote and Sony’s SIXAXIS controller.
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January 16th, 2008
Actually it is not a blow to Nintendo. They have the rights to all of Goschy’s patents through a deal they struck with Midway. Should the man get his props? Yes. Can he sue? No, he signed his rights to this tech away to Midway in his employment agreement.