SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Immersion Corporation (Nasdaq:IMMR), a leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, today announced the formation of Haptify, Inc. (“Haptify”), an independent subsidiary created to develop, drive adoption, promote and increase visibility of mobile applications with integrated haptics. The studio will be developing a number of immersive and entertaining haptic-enabled apps and games for the Android OS, in addition to offering publisher services to developers interested in technical and marketing support for haptic-enabled games. The studio’s first game featuring haptic technology, Enzo’s Pinball, is expected to be available on the Android Market in April of 2011.
The sense of touch, the only sense capable of simultaneous input and output, is fundamental to interaction with the world. Haptic technology provides app developers, and manufacturers and designers of smartphones and tablets the opportunity to enliven virtual interfaces, such as touch screens and gyro-based controls, with natural, realistic, and intuitive user experiences enhanced with touch feedback. Immersion’s recently-launched MOTIV™ Development Platform provides the tools for developers to implement haptic effects into mobile applications; Haptify will focus on developing haptic-enabled apps and games for the Android Market and will serve as a distribution and promotion channel for other developers who integrate haptics into applications.
Designed to operate as an autonomous startup, Haptify is led by a core team of entrepreneurial industry veterans. Haptify comes to market with strong technical, product and marketing expertise in the mobile and touch technology markets, led by Immersion’s chief commercial officer, Craig Vachon. “We have a great opportunity with Haptify because we believe we’re just at the beginning of haptified games and applications on mobile devices, despite the fact that haptic technology is widely available in over 200 million smartphones and tablets today,” explains Vachon. “We plan to use our team’s extensive experience to evangelize haptics by creating innovative applications and games, and by working closely with other developers to integrate haptics into their applications and to monetize them through Haptify’s marketing and publishing channels.”
“We see Haptify as an exciting opportunity for a team of experts to harness the MOTIV tools to drive new applications to the market, increase the adoption of haptics by the development community and grow the overall haptic development ecosystem,” explains Dennis Sheehan, vice president of marketing for Immersion.
To learn more about Haptify, visit www.haptify.com
About Immersion (www.immersion.com)
Founded in 1993, Immersion (NASDAQ:IMMR) is the leading innovator in haptics 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, videos and music; restore "mechanical" feel by providing intuitive and unmistakable confirmation; improve safety by overcoming distractions while driving or performing a medical procedure; and expand usability when audio and visual feedback are ineffective. Immersion's TouchSense technology provides haptics in mobile phone, automotive, gaming, medical and consumer electronics products from world-class companies. With over 1,000 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries, Immersion helps bring the digital universe to life.
About Haptify
Haptify, Inc. is a mobile applications design studio and publisher focused on bringing haptics feedback technology to smartphone and tablet applications. Haptics brings the sense of touch to user experiences on electronic devices and is the only human sense capable of simultaneous input and output. By adding haptics to smartphone applications and games, Haptify aims to improve application performance, increase user satisfaction, and supply mobile users with a greater sense of realism, intuition and enjoyment.
The studio, which functions as an autonomous start-up subsidiary of Immersion Corp. (NASDAQ:IMMR), is made up of highly-entrepreneurial executives and mobile development veterans. Haptify’s initial efforts are focused on the integration of haptics technology into Android mobile devices, while it continues to investigate opportunities for the iOS, Windows, and BlackBerry platforms, among others. For more information about Haptify, please visit: www.haptify.com
Immersion, the Immersion logo, MOTIV, TouchSense and Haptify are trademarks of Immersion Corporation in the United States and other countries.
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, the expectation that Enzo’s Pinball will be available on the Android Marketplace in April of 2011, and the statement that we believe we’re just at the beginning of haptified games and applications 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, the effects of the current macroeconomic climate; delay in or failure to achieve commercial demand for haptified games or other Immersion or Haptify products, or third party products incorporating Immersion's (or Haptify’s) technologies; and unanticipated difficulties and challenges encountered in product development efforts involving Haptify’s products by Haptify and/or its or Immersion’s licensees. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the control of Immersion and Haptify.
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-Q and Form 10-K, 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" or "partnership" in this press release does not mean a legal partner or legal partnership.
(IMMR - C)