SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug 26, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ:IMMR), the leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, today announced that Immersion and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), have settled their litigation, which was pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington since June 2007.

Immersion and Microsoft have agreed to resolve Microsoft's claim under a 2003 Sublicense Agreement between Microsoft and Immersion, as well as Immersion's counterclaim that Microsoft breached a confidentiality agreement between the companies dated May 2007. Immersion agreed to make a one time payment to Microsoft in the amount of $20.75 million. In addition, Immersion will be admitted to Microsoft's Certified Partner Program. Other terms of the settlement are confidential.

"We are pleased to resolve our outstanding dispute with Microsoft and to put this litigation behind us," said Immersion president and CEO Clent Richardson. "We now have our full attention and focus devoted to working with innovative companies around the world, including Microsoft, to accelerate and rapidly achieve global adoption of our haptic technology in gaming, consumer electronics, mobility, and medical products."

Playstation 3 Wireless Controller (Dragon) DuoShock 3 [Success HK via PS3 Revolution]

But it's salt in the wound for those of us who won't see the DualShock3 until Spring or the day we decide to drop too much money for it online. Since Sony didn't release firmware 2.0 along with Home at TGS as some of us expected, they need to be more careful with these firmware updates, lest they be driven to the thousandth.

PS3 Firmware v1.94 Adds DualShock3 Support [shacknews]

I just came back from playing around with the new rumblerific DualShock 3 controller.

It's funny how you don't realize how much you miss a thing sometimes until it returns. I knew that shooters on the PS3 sometimes felt a little off, but I typically adjusted pretty quickly and it didn't bother me.

But playing through a new level of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (pure awesomeness) with vibration on, I realized just how much I missed the vibration of a machine gun or occasional kick of a handgun. The vibration is nothing special, nothing that you haven't always had in the Xbox 360 controller, but it sure is nice that Sony has finally gotten with the times.

As you can tell from my pics, one crisp, one not so much, the only external difference is the appearance of the words "DualShock 3" on the front edge of the controller.

I also noticed that the controller now has a much more solid feel. Before the PS3 controller felt hollow, almost toy-like, now it has the heft of the Xbox 360 controller but in a seemingly slightly smaller, more compact package.

Sony Computer Entertainment today confirmed news that we first broke back at E3, rumble is indeed returning to the Playstation in the form of a SIXAXIS rumble stick.

Kaz Hirai formerly announced the DualShock 3 during his keynote Thursday morning. There will be no other changes to the outward appearance of the new controller.

The new DualShock 3 is planned to ship in Japan this November, US and Europe in Spring 2008. No price is available today, but the new controller will be on hand, playable in echochrome, Metal Gear Solid 4, Uncharted, Devil May Cry 4, Toy Home, Metal Gear Online and more. In total, ten titles currently support the DualShock 3.

Hirai also said that dozens of other titles will support the DualShock 3, including just about everything going forward. It also appears some older titles might game support.

A new Playstation 3 SIXAXIS controller prototype has been sent out to the development community, according to SCEA's Dave Karraker.

The new controller is more of a tweak than any giant leap forward. Karraker said that the controller has slightly enhanced sensitivity for the analog sticks and and motion sensing. He also said that have not added rumble to the PS3 and "have no announcements regarding this feature"... I wonder if there should have been a "yet" at the end of that sentence? Otherwise it doesn't really say anything we don't know. It merely addresses the status quo, not what may happen down the line.

Hit up GamePro for the full quote on the tweaked SIXAXIS prototype.

Sony: 'We have not added rumble' to PS3 controller [GamePro]

Not so says SCEA, though their responses to our inquires and the one they posted on their site don't match up.

When contacted for comment by Kotaku, head Playstation PR guy Dave Karraker said that there was "nothing sneaky about the red light" adding that it was just an odd lighting effect and that there are no changes to the controller.

Patrick Seybold writes on the official Playstation Blog that the Home button glows red when you charge the debug controller and that it is not a sign or indication of a new controller for the 80GB model.

As I told Karaker: Pooh!

I really doubt it. This video was shot in mid-May for one. Nothing stays quiet for that long in the industry, especially during the lead-in to E3, when you can almost imagine developers hopping up and down in their chairs like excited children with a secret they desperately want to tell.

Secondly...come on guys, it's just a blur. It could really mean anything. Maybe there is a stipulation about dev kit controllers not being shown, or they use special equipment during the development process that they'd rather not have people see. Hell, perhaps they have an odd habit of writing "FUCK" in big letters on all of their development tools and needed to make the vid kid safe.

Or it could very well be a less-than artfully hidden rumble Sixaxis, though as I said I have serious doubts. The main thing to take away from this flurry of speculation is that PS3 owners would really like their rumble back plz. THX!

I've really got my fingers crossed for 'a'. I never noticed how much rumble meant to me until it was gone. I don't particularly like the idea of paying for something the system should have come with in the first place, but sometimes that's just the way the cookie rumbles. Michael Fahey

PSM digs up RUMBLE RUMOR and brings it to life [GameFAQS Forums via Joystiq]

OK, I know the idea of a headset that rumbles seem insane, but this new PS3 headset also has four mini-speakers in each earcup and a built in microphone.

The AX360 connects to the PSIII optical port to deliver optimum, Dolby certified 2.1 and 5.1 digital sound separation. For a radical and extreme gaming experience, the unit features eight strategically placed speakers, four in each ear cup. The external 5.1 audio controller amplifies each individual speaker and provides total audio control with inline adjustments for front, side, rear, and subwoofer. The integrated rumble effect also gives PSIII gamers a more realistic and immersed game play. ... With the AX360's removable microphone, PSIII users can utilize the featured VoIP and PC connections. The AX360 sound box can support two headsets to share in the chaos. Secondary headsets will be available for $59.99 MSRP.

While the extra headset sells for $60, the first one will set you back $130. Expensive? Yes, but it makes your head shake. Brian Crecente

Vista, Calif, Jan. 2, 2006 - TRITTON Technologies' AX360, one of the industry's first high performance Dolby Digital and Pro Logic certified digital gaming headsets significantly enhances the personal PLAYSTATION 3 gaming experience.

The Audio Xtreme (AX) 360 provides true 5.1 digital, 360-degree surround sound is available now for $129.99 MSRP through TRITTON's distributor network.

The AX360 connects to the PSIII optical port to deliver optimum, Dolby certified 2.1 and 5.1 digital sound separation. For a radical and extreme gaming experience, the unit features eight strategically placed speakers, four in each ear cup. The external 5.1 audio controller amplifies each individual speaker and provides total audio control with inline adjustments for front, side, rear, and subwoofer. The integrated rumble effect also gives PSIII gamers a more realistic and immersed game play.

"The PSIII is one of the most highly anticipated product launches in console history," said Chris Von Huben, president of TRITTON Technologies. "Every gamer has been told to turn down the volume, which takes away from the gaming experience. With the AX360, gamers can personally experience extreme HD audio, getting the most from games or Blu-Ray movies, without bothering anyone."

With the AX360's removable microphone, PSIII users can utilize the featured VoIP and PC connections. The AX360 sound box can support two headsets to share in the chaos. Secondary headsets will be available for $59.99 MSRP.

PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system unleashes a brilliant, high-definition entertainment experience. The Cell Broadband Engine represents a tour de force in parallel processing. Its built-in Blu-ray Disc drive delivers a whole new generation in high-definition gaming and unmatched digital media storage. Whether it's gaming, Blu-ray movies, music or online services, PlayStation 3 invites gamers to Play Beyond.

In a recent issue of The Official PlayStation Magazine UK, famed game creator Hideo Kojima talked about his upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Tidbits—The game won't take place in only the Middle East, but also South America and Eastern Europe. It is Yojimbo-like in its play, making it possible to choose and switch sides. MGS4 turns the FPS genre on its ear, undermining what we've come to expect from a shooter. Kojima explains further just how this installment is different:

To use a funny analogy—in the past, the MGS series was like a bank robber trying to rob a bank at night; so there are guards, cameras etc. And when you get spotted you're instantly known as the robber. But in this game, you're going into the bank at midday. You might just be a customer going in to make a deposit, but you still have to sneak in to accomplish your mission. So you're trying to deceive. You're on camera, so if you do weird things you'll be spotted as the robber, but if you don't you won't.

What's more, those giant robotic cyborgs (Called GEKKOs) aren't necessarily only after Snake. In some situations, they're the enemy, and in others, they are cohorts. The game is "finally out of the research stage" and looking at a late 2007 (probably early 2008) PS3 release. But, what about the SIXAXIS controls?

We can't say how we'll use the motion-sensing functionality specifically but we'll use it for sure. The controls in MGS3 got a little complex, so you'll have a little more direct control in MGS4. That said, I miss the rumble, and even now I hope it will come back.

So do we Hideo, so do we. Brian Ashcraft

Kojima Talks MGS [VGB]

Controller tech fist fight! Personally, I'd perfer feedback to sensor tech—especially for shooters and driving games. But Sony Computer Entertainment of America boss Kaz Hirai states it was a strategic choice not to include the rumble feedback. Ellaborating, Kaz says:

The issue is trying to isolate the vibration feature from the motion sensors. Is it technically feasible? Absolutely. But the balancing act that you need to do, is to be able to present the controller to the consumer at an affordable price. We have one controller in the box, but many consumers will want to go out and get an extra controller. To isolate the vibration from the sensing, if that means that the controllers are going to be so expensive, then we're doing the consumer a huge disservice.

Not even going to touch that bit about doing the consumer a huge disservice or making the controllers so expensive, but will add that we had thought it was that ongoing lawsuit with rumble tech creator Immersion Corporation that's keeping the PS3 controllers rumble-free. Silly us. Brian Ashcraft

Sensor Beats Rumble [Kikizo]

Woo. False alarm.

After getting a bit panicky yesterday about the lack of Wii rumble, we got two corrections to our story, assuring us that the Wiimote has rumble after all.

First of all, an anonymous game dev working on a way-hyped next gen game messaged us, assuring us his dev kit very much had rumble. That's a relief.

Secondly, Mark Green, editor of NGamer magazine, wrote us. Mea culpa, apparently. From the NGamer homepage:

No Wii Remote rumble? Kittsy spotted that I'd made a mess of page 15 just after we finished the mag. It was too late to correct and resend the page to the printers (apparently yelling "Hold the presses!" doesn't actually result in boiler-suited workmen running about like mad and machinery grinding to a halt). So we forget about it, assuming the worst that might happen is that a few readers might write in to point and laugh at our mistake. Of course, now it's all over the internet. And we look very silly indeed. So, to clarify: the Wiimote does have a rumble. And a speaker. Shigsy isn't going to kick out either feature (as far as we know). DON'T PANIC.

Okay, we won't, quite yet. But everyone make sure to stay up until midnight when we can spill the beans on an extremely devastating announcement that will spell financial ruin for one major console! Then you can panic! Florian "I'M ONLY KIDDING GUYS. DON'T STAY UP!" Eckhardt

Is the fact that the Wii has no rumble old news? Is it news at all? I have to admit, when I played with the Wiimote in Leipzig, I did notice that it didn't vibrate steadily in my hands in response to my movements... giving the entire thing a frictionless air that made me think of trying to play a light-gun game while holding the controller upside down. Still, I just sort of assumed it hadn't been programmed in yet.

Nevertheless, according to this scan from the UK magazine NGame, Rumble is entirely out in the Wii. The much tiny speaker has replaced it in the design and they even quote Shigeru Miyamoto.

If true, that's disappointing. Personally, I'd rather have rumble than a speaker, if I can't have both. Thanks to Kotakuite George for the tip! Florian Eckhardt

Over the weekend, McWhertor pointed out an issue of Playstation Magazine #1 from September 1997. Surprisingly enough, it ended up reading about as timely and topically as any modern print mag.

And that's not just a smug blogger shot at the obsolescence of gaming print! Kotakuite Hector noticed something on page 16 of the magazine... Sony has pulled Rumble from the Playstation controller due to a patent dispute with Immersion Technologies!

Apparently, Sony eventually just decided to ignore the patent in America — great idea! But I love the alternate theory presented: that Rumble technology will cause the plastic of the controller to explode in a razor storm of shrapnel. Florian Eckhardt

Previously: Immersion Offers Rumble to PS3

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and Square-Enix's Tetsuya Nomura are firm in their belief that the PS3 is the way of the future, but wail just as loudly as we do about the price and rumble shenanigans:

Describing the loss of rumble functionality as "unfortunate", Kojima also questioned why, if its removal was down to incompatibility with motion-sensing as Sony has claimed, the company hadn't simply allowed players to switch between the two.

Nomura's criticism focused on the price. "Right now, as a game machine, it's too expensive," he said. "If the hard disk and Blu-Ray spread, in line with that, the situation for the PS3 will change in one to two years," he added, before arguing that "when the games are there", the machine's profile will change "naturally".

Kojima also commented that "The best thing would be a PS3 with controls like the Wii." With a $200 price point, and a unicorn in each box. Eliza Gauger

Playstation 3 is best bet for the future [GamesIndustry]

Anyway, PS3 rumble is a lost cause for now. But we were interested by this post by 1UP's Luke Smith, examining Immersion's attitudes to other game console makers. The most interesting tid bit to us was that Immersion was eyeing Nintendo suspiciously for a potential lawsuit in regards to the Wii rumble feature. Apparently, they are suspicious of the Wiimote because Nintendo's previous forays into wireless controllers were not rumble-capable. Florian Eckhardt

Immersion Could Help Sony, Watching Nintendo Closely [1UP]

A heavy recoil effect when firing a rocket launcher, with the feedback trailing off as the rocket propelled into the distance

And...

A subtler "weapon switching" effect that gave you a hint about your next weapon; heavy guns produced a strong jolt, while small guns gave lighter one

Too bad that Sony isn't licensing Immersion's technology as I've always been a fan of force feedback when it's implemented well in games like Rez, Ico, or Metal Gear Solid. Xbox 360 owners may be able to take advantage of these features at some point, as they're licensees of Immersion. Hopefully, some developers will still take advantage of third party offerings for the PS3 and include force feedback options in games. Michael McWhertor

Immersion Unveils New Next-Gen Rumble Technology

But since we're on the subject of Immersion's lawsuit against Sony, looks like Immersion has offered rumble technology back to Sony. The only stipulation? Sony needs to drop to the 2004 lawsuit that granted Immersion tidy sum of $90M in damages for the violation of a similar rumble patent. And, of course, pay licensing fees.

"I don't believe it's a very difficult problem to solve, and Immersion has experts that would be happy to solve that problem for [Sony]," said Immersion president Victor Viegas. Gee, how generous. Nine times out of ten, patents are overly vague and used by companies to blackmail more successful competitors. I suspect Immersion's case is a tad more clear cut than the norm, but even so... making a condition of licensing a technology that is good for gamers the forfeiture of Sony's legal right to appeal is about as scummy as it gets in the world of corporate game politics. - Florian Eckhardt

Drop the appeal and we'll help with PS3 rumble - Immersion president [Games Industry]