One of the great things about the PC is that this is where all the innovation is happening, whether that’s virtual reality or new business models. “We had to find this design that worked for the largest library of games that any device has ever attempted to deal with, but at the same time it had to be somewhat future-proof. “We had this really interesting challenge,” says Robin Walker, a veteran coder and designer who has been on the Steam Controller project since its inception three years ago. What this controller is all about is a question that gets right to the heart of what Valve itself actually is. Now it exists in strange liminal zone between software developer (it still makes the popular Dota 2 game), online store and hardware pioneer. So why was Valve so keen to make this thing? The Seattle-based company used to develop games like Portal, Half-Life and Left 4 Dead, before concentrating on its digital distribution business. Valve discontinued the Steam Controller in 2019.The Steam Controller is designed to bring the precision controls of the mouse/keyboard combo to a handheld form factor. On the other hand, a win for Valve may open the door for other manufacturers to use similar designs. The court may also require Valve to pay financial damages if Ironburg can show it lost money due to Valve’s infringement. ![]() Valve sold around 1.6 million Steam Controllers, and if the jury finds against them the court may force Valve to pay royalties for each unit sold. Valve believes the jury will find in its favor once they see and feel what the Steam Controllers for themselves.Ī lot of money is potentially riding on the outcome of this case. To combat this, Valve is mailing Steam Controllers to all eight members of the jury. Webb claims Ironburg’s lawyers will highlight sections of the battery cover in a way that obscures the button’s appearance. He accuses Ironburg of presenting “an altered reality." “Ironburg’s case will be based on altered graphics, modified pictures, and skewed viewing angles,” said Attorney Trent Webb. They say much of Ironburg’s evidence comes from altered or otherwise misleading pictures and diagrams. Lawyers representing Valve claim that their opponents will attempt to use this to their advantage, according to Law 360, preventing Valve from getting a fair trial. Meanwhile, the Steam Controller's buttons, made from flexible plastic that melds outward from the battery cover, and according to Valve this makes it legally distinct from the controls described in the patent.Ĭomplicating matters is that the trial is taking place over Zoom due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This is the configuration used on the Xbox Elite controller. According to Valve, the patent refers specifically to elongated, protruding buttons extending from the top to bottom of the controller. Meanwhile, Valve’s lawyers claim Ironburg’s patent does not apply to the Steam Controller’s buttons. They said of Valve, “Goliath does what Goliath wants to do.” They claim SCUF’s CEO informed Valve of the potential infringement in 2014 after seeing the Steam Controller showcased at the CES trade show. In opening arguments Tuesday, Ironburg’s lawyers compared the case to the battle between David and Goliath. RELATED: Pokemon Go Wins Lawsuit Against Cheat Maker Microsoft previously leased this patent for its high-performance Xbox Elite Controllers, according to Law 360. The complaint pertains to the buttons on the underside of the Steam Controller, as Ironburg’s lawyers claim Valve violated a patent for buttons that allow players to use more than just their index finger and thumb to interact with games. ![]() Ironburg Inventions, the intellectual property arm of controller manufacturer SCUF, filed a lawsuit in Washington state. However, Valve may have a bigger problem than an underperforming peripheral, as the company is now fighting a lawsuit alleging it stole one tech company’s design feature and used it on the Steam Controller. As an attempt to bridge the gap between PC and console gaming, it fell flat, and Valve discontinued the Steam Controller in 2019. The Steam Controller was far from the most successful product Valve ever launched.
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