Splitfish: we're not copying the Revolution controller
by Dan Choi 
{ Jan 18th 2006 at 2:15AM }
So do you
remember SplitFish, the company that brought along a few interesting peripherals to CES a
couple of weeks ago? Well, they're saying their Revolution-like controller for the PS2 wasn't inspired by Nintendo's
baby at all, having had a patent pending for their split laser-guided pad for over a year now.With that said, the DualFX is expected to be released within 8-10 weeks (at the latest), easily beating its supposed inspiration to market by at least a few months. Also, it's claimed that they "weren’t able to have someone on hand at [the CNET] demonstration to fully explain how the controller works." Basically: "By squeezing harder, you can increase the look sensitivity.... If you’re not aware of that feature, the controls could seem to be strangely out of whack, since you’d be changing the settings on the fly, without ever knowing it."
Whatever the case may be, Revolution fanboys can now cease to send the good people at SplitFish hate mail and such because both of the controllers in question were apparently developed independently of one another. Hopefully the Sony-compatible controller's future sales and in-game performance will be worth all the bother.
[Thanks, Shawn]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Singledrum32 @ Jun 1st 2006 1:30AM
ok well i think we got this down that they did not copy nintendo and nintendo did not steal anything from gyration but we are getting off the topic, the controler, i actually got my hands on this and it worked very well and i thought it handled very well with the games. despite what everyone says about it based on only of it i liked it
Scott Dodson @ Jan 18th 2006 2:40AM
Hey, at least they went with the nice brown color scheme. That will match my PS2 nicely...
Zsavior @ Jan 18th 2006 3:12AM
I don't think they copied at all, but I don't think they would have bought it out if nintendo hadn't recieved so much good press from theirs. This is the problem with console gaming right now, sure alot of people have ideas but they won't actually play on those ideas till somebody else does it. Then afterwards they want to the same thing and get the same amount of acclaim. See alot compaines want to do what nintendo done did to get what nintendo done got, but ain't done what nintendo done did to get what nintendo done got right now. Specially you Split Fish you ain't done shit.
jordan @ Jan 18th 2006 3:39AM
congratulations, Nintendo, your "Revolutionary" concept was also thought of by a company that no one's ever heard of!
in addition, though their's looks like crap, at least it doesn't look like another iPod peripheral/ripoff
basher-t @ Jan 18th 2006 4:21AM
one word for jordan, Fool!.
Bangbang... @ Jan 18th 2006 5:12AM
It seems like a shameful attempt at stealing nintendos thunder. almost seems childish doesnt it?
Solidus @ Jan 18th 2006 7:28AM
Well there goes the exclusive and unique concept for nintendo.
Pravus @ Jan 18th 2006 7:59AM
Bang Bang, did you actually read the post? It says "Revolution fanboys can now cease to send the good people at SplitFish hate mail and such because both of the controllers in question were apparently developed independently of one another."
So shhhhhhh.
Wasyl @ Jan 18th 2006 8:20AM
This is really nothing like the Revolution at all. They are both motion sensing, but this controller is just for whatever games you can already play on your Playstation, while Nintendo is building their entire system, and by extension most of their software library, around it. The controller's existence is not a radical new idea, but making it the standard controller for your system is.
Powerlord @ Jan 18th 2006 9:26AM
If they really have a patent on it, the question really becomes... is it worded in such a way that Nintendo would be infringing on it? If so, that would put a major cramp in their north american release.
Of course, that's implying that Nintendo doesn't have a patent for the revolution controller filed prior to one for the controller in this article.
Hachi_Roku @ Jan 18th 2006 9:34AM
I bet Nintendo had the patent for this controller for over a year. One look at each controller shows that the "Revmote" is more complex. Afterall the splitfish uses a laser to pinpoint the location. So the fact that they said they had the patent for a year means nothing to me.
budong @ Jan 18th 2006 9:47AM
The whole controller is a glorified lightgun, don't get worked up about something that can't even do half of what Nintendo's controller can. The technology is vastly different, the only similarities being that its split into two and you point it at the screen. It can't sense tilt, motion and all that good stuff, its just a controller that beams a laser at a screen.
Ben @ Jan 18th 2006 10:10AM
#10 exactly the truth be told even though this isnt stealing it sure as hell feels like it but then again everyone should remeber nintendo did say that ppl would try to copy them that is why they still have their last and as far as i care BIGGEST secret still in store
NoSpeak @ Jan 18th 2006 10:51AM
Splitfish isn't copying Nintendo, because Nintendo copied Gyration
Benjy @ Jan 18th 2006 11:25AM
In a way they did steal Nintendo's ideas because the revo controller has been (at least in the idea stage) finalised over a year ago.
Benji @ Jan 18th 2006 11:25AM
In a way they did steal Nintendo's ideas because the revo controller has been (at least in the idea stage) finalised over a year ago.
Benjy @ Jan 18th 2006 11:26AM
In a way they did steal Nintendo's ideas because the revo controller has been (at least in the idea stage) finalised over a year ago.
SuicideNinja @ Jan 18th 2006 11:31AM
I'm sure that Nintendo's controller is much more reliable. Bad reviews for the Splitfish. I might actually turn on my PS2 to try one though...why not?
Grudge @ Jan 18th 2006 11:42AM
I think I'm declaring myself official Joystiq commentor who can't let these stupid chicken/egg debates go on.
NEITHER OF THE COMPANIES MENTIONED HERE INVENTED THIS TECHNOLOGY. All of this, in this near-exact form, has been available for PC's for years in the form of gyroscopic/space-reader mice.
Get your heads out of your collective consoles and do some damn research.
Grudge @ Jan 18th 2006 11:43AM
Sorry, was confirming when NoSpeak's comment went up - that company is an excellent example of a product brought to market years ago that does this very thing. Finally, another semi-coherent soul on this site.
Spiza @ Jan 18th 2006 1:13PM
Nintendo's controller is far more advanced than this one. For one, will this work on a plasma or lcd tv? It also doesn't contain the gyro sensors which nintendo began working with back in 2001 when it signed an agreement with gyration. You can buy the gyration controller for only the gyro effect. The revmote also has the wireless signals (not sure if its RF or bluetooth its using for those) which triangulate its position. It's capabilities are so beyond this controller's only one of being able to point at the screen like a mouse.
budong @ Jan 18th 2006 2:06PM
They copied gyration? You do realise Nintendo own a controlling share of that company, don't you?
Wasyl @ Jan 18th 2006 3:59PM
One word, Powerglove.
Grudge @ Jan 18th 2006 5:10PM
No one is saying anyone COPIED anything. Buying a company who has a good product is not innovation. Everyone is jumping to suck at Nintendo's revolutionary teet and fawning over how revolutionary (!) this control idea is!
The idea is not new. Such is the point. Nobody thought Yahoo invented the idea of online ogranizable photos when they bought Flikr.
Dave @ Jan 18th 2006 5:53PM
Nintendo does own part of Gyration [now], most likely the result of their Revolution development, however to my knowledge, Nintendo was not an original investor in Gyration.
My guess is Nintendo was developing similiar technology, and also looked around what others were doing, found Gyration and made an investment in the company to aquire their technology.