CES 07: Sony retracts Sixaxis Emmy claims

On Monday, Sony issued a clearly worded press release trumpeting the fact that its controversial new game controller had won an Emmy. "Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that it has been recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for the PlayStation computer entertainment system's Sixaxis wireless controller." Many sites, including GameSpot, reported on the news.

By Tuesday, though, the waters had grown murky. That's because when the Emmy was handed out the previous evening at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, it was given to Sony and Nintendo for "Peripheral Development and Technological Impact of Video Game Controllers," according to the official Emmy Web site, which did not mention a specific device. Some reports from the event claimed that the award was actually for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2's Dual Shock controllers, which helped introduce thumbsticks and force-feedback functionality--not the rumble-less, motion-sensing Sixaxis.

Wednesday morning, the confusion was dispelled when Sony issued a statement retracting its earlier proclamation of a Sixaxis Emmy. "In a press release dated January 8, 2007, SCEA announced we had been recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) with a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for the Sixaxis wireless controller," it read. "Due to miscommunication between the two organizations, this information was incorrectly reported. SCEA won a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for the DualShock controller."