Gamevice

Gamevice, Inc.
FoundersMatthew Joynes
James Bower
Brendan Iribe
HeadquartersSuite 200, 685 Cochran Street, Simi Valley, California, U.S.[1]
Websitegamevice.com

Gamevice, Inc.[2] (formerly Wikipad, Inc.)[3] is a Simi Valley, California based tablet and tablet peripherals manufacturer specializing in gaming products.

The debut product was the Wikipad, a proprietary Android tablet hardware engineered for mobile gaming, which featured a detachable controller. Gamevice later came to market with a peripheral-only product, rebranded under the name, Gamevice.[4]

The company was founded by Matthew Joynes, James Bower, and Brendan Iribe. Appointing the current CEO Phillip Hyun.[5]

History

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Wikipad

[edit]
Wikipad
The first model of Wikipad tablet with game controller attached
DeveloperWikipad, Inc. (now Gamevice, Inc.)
TypeTablet
Release dateJune 11, 2013 (2013-06-11)
Introductory priceUS$249
Controller inputDetachable
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, HDMI output, Bluetooth 4.0[6][7]
Online servicesGoogle Play, PlayStation Mobile, Tegra Zone[8]
Websitewikipad.com

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 10, 2012, the Wikipad was shown with both a 2D and a glasses-free 3D-enabled device.[9] In May 2012, Gaikai, a cloud gaming service which Sony acquired two months later in July 2012, partnered with Wikipad, Inc. to integrate its streaming service into the tablet.[10][11]

The Wikipad was originally scheduled for an October 31, 2011 release, but was delayed indefinitely on the day it was originally supposed to be released.[12] The Wikipad was released on June 11, 2013 in the United States with a price tag of $249.[13][14]

In March 2014, a game control mapping tool was announced for the Wikipad to help map touchscreen game controls to the physical Wikipad controller in an effort to improve gameplay.[15] Also in March, the price of the Wikipad dropped to $199.[15] In June 2014, OnLive cloud gaming support was added to the Wikipad.[16]

Reception

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Eurogamer rated the Wikipad's screen size and intentions as nice, saying it had "its heart in the right place", but decided that the lack of compelling Android games, high launch price, and outdated specs and software limited the appeal of the device.[17]

IGN gave the Wikipad poor reviews taking into consideration the lack of games in its library, flimsy construction, and software that was considered dated, even at the time of the device's release. It concludes that "The Wikipad is a mostly failed attempt at turning an Android tablet into a gaming handheld."[18]

An aggregation of reviews done by Engadget shows the average review score of the Wikipad among critics to be 58/100.[19]

Gamevice

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In January 2014, Wikipad, Inc. announced a new controller called Gamevice to expand its mobile device coverage.[20][21] The industrial design for the Gamevice controller was developed by RKS Design.[22][23] Gamevice is a detachable controller with a classic D-pad; twin triggers; A, B, X, and Y buttons; and dual analog sticks.[21][24]

On January 31, 2017, a new Gamevice controller was released for the iPhone 7.[25] On February 15, 2018, Gamevice announced and launched a Minecraft-themed controller bundle, which includes a Gamevice controller, a carrying case for the controller and a download code for Minecraft on iOS.[26]

[edit]

In August 2017, Gamevice filed a lawsuit against Nintendo in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that the design of the Nintendo Switch conflicts with its patent on the design for the Wikipad. The lawsuit sought damages on existing Switch sales and banning further sales of the console.[27] The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed by Gamevice in October 2017.[28]

However, in March 2018, Gamevice initiated a second patent infringement lawsuit on Nintendo related to a different set of patents. Gamevice also sought action through the United States International Trade Commission related to patent infringement under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, and was seeking to block imports of the Switch into the United States.[29][30][31]

On October 10, 2019, the lawsuit against Nintendo ended, alleging the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined to affirm the conclusion of the presiding administrative law judge's initial determination that no violation of Section 337 has occurred.[32]

On March 27, 2020, Gamevice filed a new patent-infringement lawsuit at the USITC against Nintendo in addition to appealing the previous case that it lost.[33] It ended in favor of Nintendo.[34][35]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Gamevice Inc: Company Profile - Bloomberg". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  2. ^ "Nintendo's Long History of Beating Patent Lawsuits". Kotaku UK. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  3. ^ "Wikipad, Inc.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  4. ^ "No Joy-Con for Gamevice as it Files Patent Suit Against Nintendo Over Switch Controller". Shacknews. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  5. ^ "Minecraft Gamevice Bundle Available Now". CGMagazine. 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  6. ^ Hollister, Sean (2013-02-07). "Wikipad survives, reincarnated as 7-inch gaming tablet for $249.99". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  7. ^ "Wikipad Gaming Tablet Now in Production". Tom's Hardware. 2013-04-05. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  8. ^ Maiberg, Emanuel (2014-03-15). "Wikipad price down from $250 to $200 — Do you want one?". GameSpot. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  9. ^ "WikiPad ties up glasses-free 3D with game controls, all in a happy Android ICS package". Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  10. ^ Tweet (2012-05-02). "Gaikai partners with Wikipad tablet | GamesIndustry International". Gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  11. ^ "Sony Computer Entertainment to Acquire Gaikai Inc., a Leading Interactive Cloud Gaming Company - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee". Sacbee. 2012-07-03. Archived from the original on 2012-07-03. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  12. ^ "Wikipad hit with a delay on launch day". SlashGear. 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  13. ^ "Wikipad finally arrives, gaming tablet goes on sale June 11th for $249.99". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  14. ^ "Wikipad gaming tablet resurrected, arriving June 11 in the US". SlashGear. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  15. ^ a b "Wikipad drops to $199 in the U.S., adds game control mapping tool". Android Central. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  16. ^ "Wikipad adds OnLive to gaming tablet and Gamevice controller". SlashGear. 2014-06-17. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  17. ^ McFerran, Damien (2013-09-15). "Wikipad review •". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  18. ^ Clark, Matt (4 September 2013). "Wikipad Gaming Tablet Review". Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  19. ^ "WikiPad 7-inch review". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  20. ^ Robert Nelson (3 January 2014). "Wikipad Gamevice controller teased for Android and Windows 8". SlashGear. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  21. ^ a b "Wikipad announces detachable mobile controller, Gamevice". Polygon. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  22. ^ "Gamevice Mobile Gaming Device - New Mobile Gaming Category". RKS Design. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  23. ^ "Gamevice Mobile Gaming Device - New Mobile Gaming Category". RKS Design. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  24. ^ Gyko Games. Geeky Gamer: June Edition.
  25. ^ "The Gamevice is an iPhone 7 controller that brings back the headphone jack". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  26. ^ "Gamevice Launches Special Minecraft Gaming Controller Bundle". Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  27. ^ "Nintendo faces lawsuit over the Switch's detachable controllers". Engadget. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
  28. ^ "Gamevice, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. et al". insight.rpxcorp.com. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
  29. ^ "Nintendo faces Switch patent infringement investigation in the US". Engadget. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
  30. ^ "Nintendo sued by peripheral maker alleging Switch design infringes patents". Polygon. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
  31. ^ "USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Portable Gaming Console Systems with Attachable Handheld Controllers and Components Thereof | USITC". www.usitc.gov. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  32. ^ "Certain Portable Gaming Console Systems With Attachable Handheld Controllers and Components Thereof; Notice of a Commission Determination Finding No Violation of Section 337; Termination of the Investigation". US Federal Register. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  33. ^ Gamevice Tries Again to Block U.S. Imports of Nintendo Switch
  34. ^ NOTICE OF INSTITUTION OF INVESTIGATION
  35. ^ NOTICE OF COMMISSION DETERMINATION NOT TO REVIEW AN INITIAL DETERMINATION TERMINATING THE INVESTIGATION WITH RESPECT TO A PATENT CLAIM
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