Nintendo sues Nyko for wireless nunchuck
Nintendo is suing peripheral maker Nyko over a third-party wireless Wii nunchuck controller, Bloomberg reports. At a glance, Nyko’s wireless Kama Nunchuck (pictured) appears plenty different from Nintendo’s first-party Nunchuck controller, simply because Nyko’s offering is wireless, and Nintendo’s isn’t. But Nintendo believes that Nyko’s wireless Nunchuck infringes on its patents, nonetheless. According to Bloomberg, Nintendo is suing Nyko, claiming that the peripheral maker’s controller “wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller.”
Nintendo said Nyko has infringed on two design patents and its trademarks. The company is seeking an injunction on sales of the wireless Nunchuck and cash compensation. Nyko rep said that the company has “not knowingly violated anyone’s intellectual property,” and is currently looking into the claims. Best Buy’s website advertises the Kama Wireless Nunchuck for $35, while Nintendo’s first-party wired offering sells for $20. Nyko also sells a wireless adapter for the first-party Wii Nunchuck.
Source: CVG, Wired
I’m guessing the article has a misprint, since the item pictured is not the Nyko Kama Nunchuck, but the first party one from Nintendo. The real nunchuck that Nintendo is suing over is this one:
http://www.crunchgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/87027-wl-nunchuck.jpg
“At a glance, Nyko’s wireless Kama Nunchuck (pictured) appears plenty different from Nintendo’s first-party Nunchuck controller…”
I always found it strange that the nunchuck was wired into the wii controller anyway… perhaps Nintendo is just pissed they never got around to making it themselves…
At first glance they appear very similar. “Plenty different” would mean that they do not share similarities.
I have a Wii and I personally think it’s the best piece of ingenuity in the last few ‘generations’ of consoles. If some third party is trying to cash in on Nintendo’s good ideas then good on Nintendo to sue them
In b4 console flamewar…
“wholly appropriates … the color and materials”
lol, you mean white, and plastic? So novel.
Nintendo can’t be lovable _AND_ greedy suing asshats. Pick one!
lol they got pissed because they realized nyko’s controller is a lot better, but the funny thing is what they pick for suing, color an material?
@1 Lively…
Dude, that’s the same controller
Eh, side note: The Kama one shouldn’t be called a “nunchuck,” as the wire connecting the two componants is what makes it like a nunchuck. Kama’s would be more accurately called a “two-handed controller” or something.
Wow martin, can’t catch a break? People just want to make fun of your summary here.
Adding wireless to the controler, thus making it different not the same. So this is a different patent.
I should order one before they’re forced to stop selling them.
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0012R58LG/pasbl01-20/
Nintendo should realize, that without 3rd party support, their console will not last….
WTF….
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you….
Nyko has been making cheap knock off products for consoles for many years.. Why all of a sudden would Nintendo cause a big uproar…
Reason.. Nintendo, must be coming out with a new improved WIRELESS setup this Christmas season, and are pissed that Nyko beat them to the punch. -lol-
Nintendo lost me as a fan years and years ago…
http://rapidshare.com/files/122428543/P2P_Guys_Gets_Punished_By-Sceners.rar.html
I think Nintendo just wants to be the first company to release a wireless nunchuck. I’ve heard lots of talk about everyone with a Wii buying the wireless nunchuck from Nyko when it comes out. That’s a lot of money. And if everyone buys it from Nyko now, they won’t need it when Nintendo releases it. Bunch of crap if you ask me. Just because the developers at Nintendo are slow and Nyko was faster than them, they got pissed. Now everyone with a Wii that was waiting for the wireless nunchuck is going to have to wait longer for Nintendo to release it. Glad I don’t have a Wii. But if you look at the real picture of the wireless nunchuck it really doesn’t look that much like the original Wii nunchuck. Quite different actually. And Martin, were you smoking when you posted this? “Nyko’s wireless nunchuck (pictured below)”…and you put a picture of a wired nunchuck. LMFAO!
huh, it does look the same. without the nyko logo i wouldn’t have known it was not from nintendo
I just use a real nunchuck when i whoop azz
Bah, Nintendo’s just jealous they didn’t come up with it first.
It’s good to see patents being used to squash the competition and maintain a monopoly in a company’s specific market…
1. The design is truly not identical. Looks like a poorly designed sex toy to be honest…
2. Nintendo WAS probably developing something to make the entire interface setup wireless (i.e. nunchuk, remote and receiver)which would be awesome besides I typically buy first party accessories unless the novelty is useful (that said I’d most likely wait for nintendo’s version or mad catz even before NYKO)
3. NYKO is notorious for making sub par peripherals (and overpriced for their quality) but their R&D does innovate I’ll give them that.
4. Nintendo needs all the “proprietary” goods they can get to stay afloat because unless E3 doesn’t amaze me I may have to skeet shoot my Wii
So “monopolies” aside NYKO is not a competitor, they’re a third party. Nintendo’s pettiness in this dispute however, should come as no surprise to any gamer that knows their stuff (remember how the Play Station was supposed to be a SNES add-on and how they chased Squaresoft into Sony’s arms? I didn’t forget…) This may go without saying but thinking about what you post may be a good idea sometimes guys… just a suggestion.
Nintendo’s first problem is going to be showing that their design is ‘novel’. Logo aside, it’s not, not even close, and without that they have no meaningful case.