| In a not very shocking move, Creative Labs uses litigation to get what they want. This time, they strong armed id Software using a patent of a technology they did not create. However the surprising part about it was id not take a stand against Creative. John Carmack claims that it is better for the gamer if they backdown and still use the zfail method. The cost is that Doom3 will now have EAX support for creative sound cards. Now that looks good at first. But a few small details, id Software has always taken a vendor independent approach when creating their engines. Also, this patent, was created by someone else, who posted it on Creatives own public dev boards prior to the submitting of the patent. And to top it off, Creative is trying to make it look like they are doing id a favor. My only qualm is not only do I want innovative products that work well but corporations that behave in a responsible and fair manner. And John Carmack: "The patent situation well and truly sucks." Creative Labs is known for its strong armed tactics in suing smaller companies with better technology out of the market. For those looking for a good sound card, PCAVTech Soundcard Benchmarks More news on this subject at beyond3d and Slashdot.
7/28/04 :: Goof | 
