kurdt

Darth, I'm not sure why you think Immersion is somehow "abusing the patent system". How? Immersion brought a product to market (the console manufacturing market, to be precise), that they presumably spent time and money developing. Then a couple of corporations, rather than developing their own product, copied Immersion's product. MS paid the licence fee to use the product (eventually). Sony has not. I only see abuse by Sony here. In all sincerity let me ask you: Why shouldn't Sony have to pay for a patented feature they didn't develop, that they included in their products?

I would say that patent law regarding AIDS medication is a travesty, but concerning video games, I'd call it business as usual.

This is pretty cool. I bought the DS Lite last weekend (I had been waiting for an SP type of upgrade since the DS was released), and I've been playing Advance Wars DS quite a lot this week. I'd buy opera right now if I could, if for no other reason than to check emails on the go. I have no need/want of a laptop for any other reason.

Then again, I would buy a 1gig mp3 card/player for the DS as well. The interface is the main reason why these applications cross over so well.

Rumble makes a BIG difference. Racing games in general, and Forza and other "sim" games in particular, benefit from the rumble feature. I love finessing a corner, cutting just on to the raised edge of the track, and FEELING the edge between total control and a long spinning, fiberglass eating crash. I would really miss the rumble feature. Sony should just do the right thing, and pay for the feature they used without licence (like ms did).

Whoops! They weren't cartridges at all, they were "switches"; all the four cartridges did was to tell the console which installed game to run. Still, it was pretty innovative. Have a look: http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Coleco/TC4.htm

Does anybody remember the Total Control 4? I got this for xmas 1980 or '81 I think... Yes I'm that old. It was a portable sports gaming console that had actual catrtidges. I wanted it so badly I couldn't sleep for months! When finally I got it I kept it on a chair beside my bed so I could stare at it as I reluctantly fell asleep. I expected that more cartridges would become available, but none ever were. The games it came with were all very similar: Soccer, basketball, football and hockey. It was pretty fun! I am surprised that this wasn't on the list as the first portable console that accepted cartridges.

41.
Haha. O we are so sad... Yes, we...

I found Metal Gear for the NES in the box w/ instructions for about four dollars at a consignment store. I also snagged a Sega Nomad for seven dollars, and FF1 and FF2 for the original gameboy for $25 each, still sealed in plastic, and with the original 1990 (or whatever) prices on them - $39.99.

I find quite a few deals, but that's b/c I hit my local thrifts shops often.

Heliosphan, that looks more like a red hot chili pepper! Ai ai ai!

Now FINALLY I can buy a DS. When it comes to NA...

Steve Jobs Are You Listening? What about the ipod? It has a huge installed base, it is massively modifiable, and it accepts various add ons - so why not a small controller? The video quality is excellent, as is the battery life... Why not? And it would break the Nerd Barrier (by which I mean that no one I know older than 30 would ever play a gba or psp in public). Ipods are ubiquitous and available everywhere. My idea is that apple could release a game operating system (if you will), downloadable from itunes for a couple of dollars - or better yet, give it away - and then sell licenced games on itunes as well. I'd buy it. Future ipods will probably have wifi and larger screens, so this could figure into it as well.