TOKYO & SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ:IMMR), the leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, and CRI Middleware Co., Ltd., leading provider of audio and video solutions for the gaming industry in Japan, today, announced that the two companies have signed an agreement to enable game developers using CRI Middleware platform’s CRIWARE to incorporate Immersion’s TouchSense® technology in their Android mobile games.
The collaboration brings touch, audio and video solutions together on one platform for game developers, and streamlines the process of adding haptics using Immersion’s industry-changing TouchSense Gaming Software Development Kit (SDK). Through this integration, game developers can use CRIWARE to add tactile effects and feedback to augment mobile games with the sense of touch resulting in an increased level of engagement.
“In the last couple of years, we’ve seen a great surge of interest in mobile games with haptics,” said Nobumitsu Shimada, representative director and country manager, Japan, at Immersion. “Mobile games designed with tactile effects have performed well with consumers, and we expect to see an increase in the number of these types of games as haptics becomes more widespread. CRI Middleware will help us enable more mobile game developers to bring new games with haptics to market.”
“At CRI, we are laser-focused on building our mobile development platform with advanced technology,” said Masao Oshimi, president at CRI Middleware. “By incorporating Immersion’s innovative technology as a part of our offering, we will help developers customize and leverage the mobile platform to create console-like experiences with all of the senses – audio, video and touch feedback – for mobile games.”
TouchSense Gaming SDK for mobile game development includes a haptic playback API, a universal library of haptic effects, reference guides, and technical and creative support. Immersion's TouchSense technology enables the use of tactile effects in games in the vast majority of Android mobile devices on the market today, with optimal haptic performance when the games are played on mobile devices running TouchSense technology in the operating system.
To learn more about Immersion's TouchSense Gaming SDK visit: http://www.immersion.com/mobile-gaming/.
About Immersion (www.immersion.com)
Founded in 1993, Immersion (NASDAQ:IMMR) is the leading innovator in haptic technology. The company's touch feedback solutions deliver a more compelling sense of the digital world. Using Immersion's high-fidelity haptic systems, partners can transform user experiences with unique and customizable touch feedback effects; excite the senses in games and videos; restore "mechanical" feel by providing intuitive and unmistakable confirmation; may improve safety by reducing distractions while driving; provide realistic touch feedback when performing robotic medical procedures and training simulations; and expand usability when audio and visual feedback are ineffective. Immersion's technology has been adopted in 3 billion digital devices, and provides haptics in mobile phone, automotive, gaming, medical, and consumer electronics products from world-class companies. With over 2,100 issued or pending patents in the U.S., China and other countries, Immersion helps bring the digital universe to life. Learn more at www.immersion.com.
About CRI Middleware Co. Ltd.
CRI Middleware Co., Ltd. is the number one Japanese audio/video middleware company, providing industry-leading middleware tools and technologies to game developers and publishers. CRI Middleware has shipped successfully in over 3,000 titles from dozens of game publishers around the world. CRI Middleware, Inc., is located in San Francisco, California; CRI Middleware Co., Ltd., is based in Tokyo, Japan.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of Immersion Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
All statements, other than the statements of historical fact, are statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to statements regarding CRI Middleware Co., Ltd., the use of Immersion’s TouchSense technology by CRI Middleware Co., Ltd., the use of Immersion’s TouchSense technology by mobile gaming developers, the use of Immersion’s TouchSense technology in mobile games, and the use of Immersion’s TouchSense technology on mobile devices.
Immersion's actual results might differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with Immersion's business, which include, but are not limited to: unanticipated difficulties and challenges encountered in product development efforts (including with respect to TouchSense Technology) by Immersion and its licensees; unanticipated difficulties and challenges encountered in implementation efforts by Immersion’s licensees; adverse outcomes in any future intellectual property-related litigation and the costs related thereto; the effects of the current macroeconomic climate; delay in or failure to achieve commercial demand for Immersion's products or third party products incorporating Immersion's technologies; and a delay in or failure to achieve the acceptance of touch feedback as a critical user experience. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the control of Immersion.
For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in Immersion's most current Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, both of which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect Immersion's beliefs and predictions as of the date of this release. Immersion disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements as a result of financial, business, or any other developments occurring after the date of this release.
The use of the word “partner” in this press release does not mean a legal partner.
Immersion, the Immersion logo, and TouchSense, are trademarks of Immersion Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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