Nintendo sues Nyko alleging knockoff Nunchuk

Wii maker accuses peripheral company of swiping name, design, and color scheme for its wireless controller accessory.

For years, peripheral-maker Nyko has offered products that complement consoles. Though the makers of said consoles have not always been thrilled with said products--for a time, Microsoft blamed Nyko's Intercooler for Xbox 360 overheating--they have been generally tolerant of said products.

Nintendo's Nunchuk.

That might be changing. Bloomberg is reporting that Nintendo filed suit earlier this week against unlicensed peripheral manufacturer Nyko, alleging that the company's Kama Wireless Nunchuck Controller for the system infringes on the official Wii Nunchuk (note the missing second "c"). Nintendo claims that the design of the Kama controller, right down to the color scheme, the packaging, and the product manual, are close enough to the official Nunchuk controller as to confuse customers about the product's origin.

Nintendo is accusing Nyko of trademark and patent violations, asking for damages and any profits that the peripheral maker earned as a result of infringements.

Nyko's Nunchuck.

"While Nintendo supports the creation of innovative games and products used with our game systems, we cannot allow third parties to infringe on our intellectual property rights," a Nintendo representative told GameSpot.

A Nyko representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment as of press time.

319 Comments

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 9:45 pm PT

    the new one looks terrible but i never buy from Nyko anyway. their peripherals suck and never work.

  • Crybabylover

    Posted Sep 2, 2008 8:08 am PT

    Hehe, the Nyko one doesn't have a wrist strap.

  • Chromepro

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 5:11 pm PT

    Nintendo succeeded. since on Nyko's site I found the "Nunchuk" labeled as the Nyko KAMA
    So yeah they changed the name, nothing more

  • fullfatman

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 11:03 am PT

    Maybe Nintendo will actually be able to supply thier demand with the money that they will win.

  • visionedorange

    Posted Jun 22, 2008 8:41 am PT

    the nyko one looks better

  • dannyx315

    Posted Jun 21, 2008 7:44 pm PT

    i dont have a problem with the wire on the nunchuk. i dont like the wireless one cause the adapter is to big and cannot be used with a nintendo

  • GoldenBlackness

    Posted Jun 21, 2008 4:24 pm PT

    I personally never had a problem with Nintendo's Nunchuk having a wire, so I don't really care for it being wireless.

  • AdrianMeg

    Posted Jun 21, 2008 5:14 am PT

    I'm beginning to lose faith in Nintendo.

  • Junior_AIN

    Posted Jun 20, 2008 1:22 pm PT

    I'm gonna go ahead and say that Nyko improved the controller in a very good way, that wire is really annoying.

    And I don't understand this reaction of Nintendo, maybe they're worried about people not buying Wii Play anymore JUST for the controller, after all the game itself is..... :X

  • abeard424

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 11:44 pm PT

    Nintendo is just pissed that Nyko released a wireless ninchuk before them

  • is0lati0n

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 11:28 pm PT

    Nyko's nunchuck looks better than Nintendo's...

  • Dan2002sk8er

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 8:27 pm PT

    Nintendo is jealous. I agree with digitalgawd, i never play my Wii except the occasional SSBB fest with my friends. but even when my friends are over we usually play PS3 or 360. Rock Band, Call of Duty split Screen with 4 players and Army of Two are way better than any of the Wii games.

    Props though for Nyko the Wireless Nunchuk works well, and I usually hate anything Third party unless it's Logitech or Hori.

  • digitalgawd

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 8:15 pm PT

    I dont understand how the nintendo wii is doing so well, (i do have one) everyone that has one likes it and plays it for a day, then it collects dust as we just go back to either the 360 or the ps3, but thats weak sauce on behalf of nintendo, the peripheral is better then their original, thats the only reason they are pissed, they werent smart enough to make it good enough, and now someone has, they cant have that due to their sales going down. Nyko thumbs up, Nintendo 2 THUMBS DOWN

  • Kakua_Omari

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 7:49 pm PT

    Maybe nintys mad because they were working on a wireless nunchuk.

  • etcetcetc

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 6:23 pm PT

    nintendos just jealous cause a wireless nunchuck is a better idea, buncha cry babys

  • Battlehead90

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 6:11 pm PT

    agreed should have been wireless

  • Legendary_Ross

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 9:26 pm PT

    Nyko struck a chord by delivering a product that customers may prefer over Nintendo's. Nintendo should have been proactive and made the Nunchuck wireless in the first place.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 3:39 pm PT

    Nintendo is patent sick, they won't even pay to use normal DVD technology like Sony or Microsoft does, it'd only be fitting they sued Nyko for their accessories with some bullcrap claim

  • GhostyMcboo

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 12:21 pm PT

    ... that's a little much... they could have at least named it differently.

    That would be like "SICKS ACCESS DOUBLE SHOCKER THREE" for playstation

  • thestickman

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 10:20 am PT

    I saw this Nyko wireless nunchuk awhile back and thought it looked pretty similar to the original NIntendo one, aside from the Nyko logo, power button and LED of course... I was wondering how they hadn't gotten sued yet, but it appears Nintendo was just taking their time dropping the bomb XD

  • slimdavy55

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 9:57 am PT

    i wonder why third parties even bother with the nintendo they have been treating them like c##p since the nes days

  • Saitorik

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 8:54 am PT

    serves nyko right 4 gettin sued
    just look @ WAVEBIRD GC controlers the buttons r in different places & different color the wirel. nunchuck has the same color & buttons r in the same place!!!!!!!!!!

  • jknight5422

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 8:37 am PT

    Nintendo probably should sue them. From the look of it, it appears Sorny & Mr. Softy & everyone else is going to copy their original ideas.

  • Vash67

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 6:02 pm PT

    Reading these comments is disheartening. So everyone is okay with Nintendo selling their "wireless" controller in 2 pieces that connected with a wire? While I do tend to support first party accessories, I applaude Nyko. They have been giving gamers the accessories we want, not whatever Nintendo is willing to give us. Wireless sensor bar? Nyko. Wireless nunchuck? Nyko. The Perfect Shot gun? Nyko. And these all are at reasonable prices. If you want to buy the big clunky Zapper for $20 opposed to a true lightgun-looking peripherial like the Perfect Shot for $15, go ahead. If you have no problems with Nintendo's nunchuk that is still using wires in the age of wireless (and selling it separately, despite the fact almost all games use it), go get that. But at the end of the day, I will be supporting Nyko, especially when they get their wii remote out.

  • pimpbizkit01

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 6:01 pm PT

    How much more money does nintendo want DAM.... they are already ripping people off with the wii(yes i do have one)

  • Tribalcheetah

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 3:44 pm PT

    Whereas some some good things have come out of 3rd party companies (such as getting the smaller, then wireless original XBOX controllers back when it first came out), more often than not, the stuff is cheaper for a reason. I'm sure, for the most part, the big companies don't mind that much. What Nyko did here was over the top, obviously.

  • thekey

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 3:07 pm PT

    I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Nyko makes poducts that look good on paper but turn out to be a disaster in practice. The "intercooler" blew dust in my 360 causing 4 redlights(not 3, but the four redlights) on my 360 before it got the 3 red lights. All I'm saying is that nyko makes too many products that look good and enticing until you buy them and there not as good as they should be.

  • Gros_B_

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 1:14 pm PT

    What ever, it's time to move on anyway. The wii is the most disapointing console ever made (I got it). MGS4 just pwns everything created in this world.

  • Ton77

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 12:13 pm PT

    dmn_link the nyko intercooler causes overheat.. it happen to me don't use it you'll regret it.

  • jakedogg14

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 12:04 pm PT

    I never buy third-party peripherals. They usually don't work as well, and they just look crappy.

  • cfamgcn

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 12:03 pm PT

    This Nyko company went too far

  • dmn_link

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 11:56 am PT

    The only good product i that's been actually good for me is the NYKO INTERCOOLER EX for my 360. Before i bought it, i couldn't play my 360 recently, it overheated. That has never happened again since i got it.

  • DIMANICUS

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 11:47 am PT

    Good, I hope Nyko get shut down. I'm sick off these alternative hardware companies producing peripherals that, frankly, look nasty and do not match the console. And furthermore, I would feel safer knowing I have an official controller that is fully supported by the console and it's producer.

  • KingSigy

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 11:41 am PT

    I'd say sue them, because Nyko makes third rate products anyway. Just get rid of this awful company.

  • edhc44

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 11:33 am PT

    "this is the next generation of gaming things should be wireless now..."
    Every generation is next to a previous one, so this is not "the next generation of gaming", this is the current generation... But I do agree that THIS generation things should be wireless...

  • mhder

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 11:27 am PT

    Companies have sued over a button placement.. Looks to me that the nyko product has too many similarities for anyone to ignore.

  • NikBZero posted Jun 16, 2008 11:09 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    NikBZero

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 11:09 am PT (hide)

    Sounds to me like Nintendo are being ass's but whats new there?

  • TheLordMagnus

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 10:54 am PT

    Wow, people, this has nothing to do with the thing being wireless. If Nyko simply made the thing to look different to differentiate it from Nintendo's, there would be no problem. As it stands, they are too similar. Change the color, the shape, the name. Even just the name itself is copyright violation because they made it purposely close to Nintendo's item in order to get people to buy it. You simply cannot do that. And just because you can tell the difference, does not mean all consumers can. There's a lot of people who buy electronic items as gifts or for themselves who are not well educated on the selection items. The only reason people even care about this is because Nintendo is a big company and they are automatically paranoid of big companies. People here act like hippies that we should all love each other and hold hands and sing songs. That is not how the business world operates. Good luck in the real world, you hippies.

  • decoy1978

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 10:49 am PT

    Only reason Big N is sueing is because they are releasing a wireless nunchuk themselves in the not too distant future. When there were 3rd party wireless remote controllers for the GC there weres no lawsuits. But when a company jumped the gun and released their own wireless controller before Big N can, thats when the drama began.

    Honestly this lawsuit takes me back to the old days when Capcom sued Data East on move-set infringement. Capcom alleged that the motion for all their SF style moves are copyrighted. The judge had the good sense of throwing that claim out. And I hope that this lawsuit goes no further than this.

    If Big N would have just released the nunchuk as wireless to begin with instead of having a cable to connect, this wouldn't even be news right now......

  • DarknessKilla

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 10:45 am PT

    GOD PEOPLE ARE STUPID !!!! Of course they are doing this for the money, they are a f**kin companie for god's sake, what do you think they do this for ? For fun ?? They are doing this because the Nyko Nunchuck is basically the same exact product as Nintendo's Nunchuk. It's not because it's better than theirs or because they want t rip Nyko off, it's because Nyko is stealing their idea and making money off of it. PERIOD !

  • TheLordMagnus

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 10:36 am PT

    Defending your intellectual property is not being greedy. Nyko designed the product with the same colors, the same shape, and practically the same name. This could potentially confuse and mislead consumers. That is ILLEGAL.

  • hannify

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 9:23 am PT

    omg - some of you are so stupid.

    Saying Nintendo wasn't first - who the **** cares if Nintendo was first. The fact is they moraless copied Nintendos design completely. When you are buying a third party controller it is usally because it is cheaper since these cheap companies don't need to market it since its cheap enough to be fairly successful on its price alone.

    The most advanced thing about the Wii is its controller - lets be fair although i own all the next gen consoles - the graphics are less than to be desired but the controllers rule.

    Now, if somebody copied off them carbon copy and is piggy backing on somebody elses long development process - why shouldn't they sue them. If designed it slightly different, i am sure its not too hard to get a slightly different design after all it could easily be changed i can even think of a fair decently changed design myself and i'm not even a designer.

    Seriously guys, if you aint got something constructive to say then dont say anything at all

  • Dawg9000

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 9:08 am PT

    I have a feeling it would be called "Wavebird 2" lol

  • wahsu_1

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 8:50 am PT

    Nyko should know better than that.

  • wagexslave

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 8:50 am PT

    Oh, and I think I speak for all of us when I say it's pretty obvious WHY they're doing this. It's something they haven't released yet(a wireless nunchuck), so they want to be the first to release their own version and hype/advertise it and make money off it. A Nintendo brand wireless nunchuck wouldn't be anything new or improved it's already been done by another company for some time. Nintendo is rediculous these days. Their actions, business strategies, and outlook on gaming today often makes me wonder why I was such a huge supporter of them all of those years...

  • wagexslave

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 8:44 am PT

    Wow, just when you think Nintendo couldn't get any more greedy than they already were... they pull this bull **** move? Honestly, this is a load of crap. The "it looks too similar" thing is an aweful excuse, since it's NEVER been a problem in the past. I've had plenty of third party controllers and accessories in the past that looked almost exactly the same, so how is this a problem NOW?

  • emptycow

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 8:37 am PT

    hey Phazevariance the contrl has the word Nyko on it nobodys going to say wow this box has the word nyko on it and its also on the control so i guess this is from nintendo ...............nintnedo is just taking mony ey from any place it can get it

  • emptycow

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 8:34 am PT

    the Nyko control also has the word Nyko on it ..nintnedo is just trying to stop Nyko from selling its wireless Nunchuk so nintneo can start selling one milking its fans out of even more money as if they dont already have all the money in the world there trash there system is over rated trash

  • emptycow posted Jun 16, 2008 8:30 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    emptycow

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 8:30 am PT (hide)

    the problem is Nyko control is better then the nintendo one the Nunchuk nintnedo sells is trash pure trash you have to hold it in your hand to know i hope this is a lossing fight for nintnedo they suck

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