Emulation Is Sincerest Form of Flattery

Rumors have been swirling around the Virtual Game Station emulator software that lets Sony PlayStation fans bypass their TVs and queue up game CDs on any Macintosh computer equipped with a G3 microprocessor.

The program got a big boost when Apple Computer Inc.’s interim chief executive, Steve Jobs, featured it in his Macworld Expo trade show keynote, running it on a new iMac. The product created quite a buzz, and its maker, San Mateo, Calif.-based Connectix Corp., says it sold 3,000 units off the show floor.

But a potential legal problem looms, according to some Mac-oriented Web sites and newsgroups: Sony knew nothing about the product before its release and is fuming.

“We don’t think we’ve infringed any of their intellectual property, and think the product is good for users and developers of PlayStation games and, by extension, for Sony,” said Roy McDonald, chief executive of Connectix. “But we don’t know if Sony will agree.”

McDonald points out that Sony has a classic razor-and-blades business with the PlayStation: It breaks even or worse on the machines but makes a killing on games. His product should increase the demand for games, making Sony happy, McDonald reasons. At press time, Sony declined to comment.