The Above Domain - Knowledge from upon high!

The patent litigation saga between Sony and Immersion Corporation has at last come to a close. After being sued for $91 million dollars following the DualShock's alleged incorporation of Immersion rumble technology, Sony has paid up and entered into a new business arrangement with its former courtroom nemesis. The GameDaily BIZ report notes that both parties are currently evaluating the possibilities such an agreement would entail for the PlayStation line of products.

Sony's director of corporate communications commented "We are very pleased to have reached a cooperative agreement with Immersion regarding the use of its advanced vibration technology (haptics technology). We look forward to working closely with them as we explore new and innovative ways to utilize this technology in PlayStation products." A future, rumbling version of the Sixaxis thus remains a distinct possibility and certainly one that could easily be supported by developers in upcoming games.

So the HD DVD-Blu-Ray battle ensues. Next to the ongoing console wars is this perhaps one of the hottest debate-inducing battles humanity has ever known?

Now this recent news has arrived about Toshiba's plans to launch a 51GB HD-DVD disc, eyebrows are once again being raised. Why? Well for those not in the know, Blu-ray has had the upper end on the format war in terms of storage capacity by being able to store up to 50GB of data...up until now that is.

According to a TGDaily report, Toshiba has successfully created a triple-layer HD-DVD disc that can hold up to 51 GB worth of data and has submitted their brainchild for regulatory approval. This is huge news for avid HD DVD users because HD DVDs were only previously available in 15 GB and 30 GB capacities. Particularly now as we are reaching a point where some games are about to start stretching the current DVD-9 storage capacity such as the upcoming 'Mass-Effect' which is having to be squeezed onto a single disc.

However, as to whether the creation of this third layer is feasible in terms of mass production still remains a big question. Not only would this mean higher production costs, it would also entail longer periods for production. Consumers who refuse to give in to the format war may well opt to get the combo drive players, but sales haven't been stunning given the inflated price tags of such beasts.

Media reports say that Toshiba is introduce this new format to the market before the year ends, so for now, all we can do is wait for more info to surface. We'll keep you posted of any further news as we get it.