Since the launch of the Nintendo Switch, extreme demand has made it difficult for stores to keep up the console in stock. The hybrid design has been praised by players around the world, but one accessory maker not so complimentary. Gamevice, developer of the Wikipad, is suing Nintendo based on alleged Switch patent violations.
According to Engadget, the lawsuit says the Nintendo Switch and its removable Joy-Con controllers violate a patent for concepts used in the Wikipad and its add-on controllers for phones and tablets. The argument is that the Switch’s concept matches too closely to Gamevice’s vision of detachable game controllers and a device with a “flexible bridge section.”
Gamevice is demanding that Nintendo stop selling the Switch, cover all costs related to the lawsuit, and pay for damages caused by infringing on the patent. Both Nintendo and Gamevice have yet to comment on the lawsuit.
Both the Wikipad and the Gamevice controllers feature dual analog sticks, four analog buttons, an analog D-pad, and shoulder buttons. By connecting with a tablet or smartphone, these controllers allow players to enjoy hundreds of games on the go. The biggest difference between Gamevice’s accessories and Nintendo’s offering is that the Switch is intended more as a hybrid between TV and portable consoles.
This is not the first time Nintendo has faced lawsuit claims. Devices don’t even need to be successful to cause an issue. In 2014, Philips tried to shut down production of the Wii U due to a couple of alleged patent infringements. One patent was for technologies that capture and replicate a user’s real-life actions in-game. The other refered to “human-computer interaction systems.”
Nintendo isn’t the only console manufacturer to face legal trouble. Sony has faced multiple patent issues over its controller parts. Way back in 2008, Sony and Nintendo were sued by Copper Innovation Group due to the way the systems are able to distinguish between each controller’s communications.
Legal actions aside, we love the Nintendo Switch. Despite its poor battery life, we value the flexibility to enjoy games in a variety of play-styles.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.