Nintendo Sues Nyko

[violentp]

...over wireless Nunchuk device. Bloomberg reports (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aTHHORLXkQjU):


Nintendo Co., maker of the Wii video-game system, sued accessory seller Nyko Technologies Inc. over what it says is a knock-off of the Nunchuk remote controller used with the popular system.

Nyko sells a wireless Kama Nunchuk designed to work with the Wii system. Nintendo contends the Nyko product copies its patented designs and infringes its trademarks for the Nunchuk name and packaging. The word "nunchuk'' refers to a martial-arts weapon made from two sticks connected with a chain.

I for one have never used one of the items in question so I have no personal involvement, yet I can't help but look at this as an extremely lame move. Maybe they're announcing their own first-party wireless unit at E3?

[Heretic Machine]

Suing third party peripheral manufacturers for making third party controllers? Lame.

[Variable Gear]

That's a pretty shitty move. Along with the "geeks and otaku" line, this marks another one of Nintendo's bumbles this week.

[Odyzen]

I don't know about Nyko, but I remember Nintendo had negotiations with third party accessory makes like MadCatz for what they could and could not make. The wiimote and nunchuck were actually devices that they could not replicate by whatever patents and licensing agreements there was. I never thought about it but Nyko's wireless nunchuck would be the first one that I've seen. They do have a wireless attachment for the nunchuck as well.

Nintendo has been pretty tight with its innovations since the days of the SNES/N64 so I'm not surprised by this move.

[Heretic Machine]

The product in question. (http://www.nyko.com/nyko/products/?i=133)

I'm really tempted to pick one of these up while I still can...

[ldi222]

Remember when Nintendo got arrogant and lost just about all of its third party support?

[Talon-]

Remember when Nintendo got arrogant and lost just about all of its third party support?

...I don't think a tiff with a third-party accessories manufacturer really equates to loosing actual third-party developer support.

One sort of doesn't matter.

[pseudopseudo]

One can only guess that they're suing because they're planning to release something very similar to the market soon and they don't want this competition out there. And I'm also guessing the official N version will be more expensive than the current price of the Nyko version.

Rampant speculation, of course.

[jacob.armitage]

That's a pretty shitty move. Along with the "geeks and otaku" line, this marks another one of Nintendo's bumbles this week.

did you read the actual article, or just that quote. it was really taken out of context. i am disappointed with how the gaming community has handled this.

Suing third party peripheral manufacturers for making third party controllers? Lame.

in regards to the wireless controller the issue appears to be a lot greater than them just making a wireless Nuncuk

"wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller"

is a quote (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aTHHORLXkQjU) used by Nintendo in a federal court.

if that quote is accurate, i see no fault with Nintendo regarding this choice.

there have been other wireless nunchuks on the market, like the Intec one which Nintendo has had no issue with.

[Talon-]

I hate the lack of an edit option in the New forum.

That "loosing" sticks out more than a zit on Cameron Diaz's face.

[Fubl]

which time .... one thing nintendo has always done is piss off its third party supporters especially Accessorys. Anyone remeber the orginal game genie .... there was a lawsuit on that.

[Purple Santa]

in regards to the wireless controller the issue appears to be a lot greater than them just making a wireless Nuncuk

"wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller"



In lawsuits of this type, that verbiage is pretty standard. Meaning, yeah it seems the "copier" is made to seem like they totally ripped off the company or person who has the property trademarked. That said...I think Nintendo has a pretty good shot at winning...the case doesn't have to come to trial for a win...just an injunction or a stop selling them which then means NYKO stops making money on a product. Obviously once that happens, the "copy" product disappears.

@ Heretic Machine...smart move to buy one now. As explained above, I don't think they are going to be around very long.

[Purple Santa]

Someone mentioned the Game Genie...thought this was interesting, showing similar patterns from Nintendo and protecting their trademarks et al....

http://www.atarihq.com/tsr/odd/aladdin/aladdin.html

[Disgustipated]

Nyko just stole Nintendo's thunder!

[Variable Gear]

did you read the actual article, or just that quote. it was really taken out of context. i am disappointed with how the gaming community has handled this.
I read the entire article, and Fischer's quote wasn't "taken out of context." He oversimplified one of the major problems of the Wii in such a way that it makes Nintendo seem completely disconnected from the market. Criticizing him for his mistake is, in my opinion, a valid response.

[ldi222]

...I don't think a tiff with a third-party accessories manufacturer really equates to loosing actual third-party developer support.

One sort of doesn't matter.

Obviously I was speaking in broader historical terms with regard to hardware and software.

[Sl1pstream]

The wiimote and nunchuck were actually devices that they could not replicate by whatever patents and licensing agreements there was.

Atari makes both of those under the G-Booster name.

[VTMarik]

In all fairness to consumer choice and such, this is an infringing product. The Kama looks and probably feels identical to Nintendo's nunchuck attachment. After all, if you look at third-party controllers for other systems they all have some feature or design choice that differentiates them from their counterparts.

If they had maybe squared off some corners, made a size change, or stuck on some ribbed rubber grips on the sides (in other words, made it oogly) then maybe they wouldn't have such a problem.

Maybe.

[TDub301]

One can only guess that they're suing because they're planning to release something very similar to the market soon and they don't want this competition out there. And I'm also guessing the official N version will be more expensive than the current price of the Nyko version.

Rampant speculation, of course.

I'm gonna assume this is a joke, since it is almost exactly the same thing as the nunchuk attachment. Did you see the pic from Heretic Machines link? Speaking of him...

[QUOTE=Heretic Machine;1502273
I'm really tempted to pick one of these up while I still can...[/QUOTE]

Why? every third party controller I've ever bought for any Nintendo system has been garbage, especially when compared to Nintendo's controllers. Is it cuz it'll be a rare item or something? That would be the only good reason aside from saving 5 or 10 dollars

In regards to the "geeks and otoku" comment, wasn't that the name of the group that asked the guy a question or something like that? I remember reading that story and I thought the name of the site or something was that which was why he said it. Meaning, it really was taken out of context. Although, it does show that Nintendo (or at least that one employee) is out of touch with their fans, I think we all want more storage space, except the casuals. So you're both right, yay.

Besides, geeks shouldn't take offense to being called geeks, not to mention the fact that that is the lamest name to call anyone. That's like my little sister calling me a dork, why would I even care? Far less worse than the names that Nintendo fans get called every day by Microsoft and Sony fans.

[TDub301]

damn, no edit button

[Sl1pstream]

IFar less worse than the names that Nintendo fans get called every day by Microsoft and Sony fans.

This might be because I stay away from other forums, but what the hell are you talking about?

Also: No edit button?

[TDub301]

the guy from Nintendo said that only "geeks and otaku" want more storage capacity, which is actually correct. What I'm saying is that to be called a geek is really nothing to cry about, you have to be very sensitive to be hurt by a name like geek. Microsoft and Sony fans have called Nintendo fans way worse things than a geek, on every forum that I visit regularly (usually desparaging remarks referring to our lack of intelligence, in their opinion). That's what I was saying, and the edit button has dissappeared or been moved somewhere where I can't see

[Variable Gear]

I don't think that people who reacted negatively to that comment did so out of shame, but instead with surprise as to how out of touch certain Nintendo mouthpieces are. Wii needs more storage, especially Nintendo wants to conduct it's great WiiWare test. The fact that Fischer tried to push that truth under the rug with such a backhanded comment is what caused people to post such negative responses. And, of course, the guy apologized a couple of hours later. It's almost like it never happened!