Sony yesterday failed to prevent Connectix from selling its Mac-based PlayStation emulator, Virtual GameStation (VGS), until questions over the software developer's alleged infringement of Sony intellectual property rights and copyrights have been answered. Last week, Sony Computer Entertainment asked the Federal District Court of San Francisco to order Connectix to cease VGS shipments, release last week to mail order and retail channels as version 1.1. Version 1.0 was sold only by Connectix itself, and only during MacWorld Expo, held the first week of January. However, the Court rejected Sony's demand, suggesting that the latter's case against Connectix is not (as yet) as strong as it might have hoped. Certainly, Connectix has insistently stated its innocence of the charges, and has denied claims that VGS encourages the piracy of PlayStation games software as vigorously. Ironically, while Sony's failure will certainly irritate the company, many Mac games developers won't be too happy about it either, particularly those selling or preparing Mac versions of games currently available in PlayStation format. Still, since VGS will only play PlayStation games written for the US TV standard, NTSC, not the UK's PAL spec., ensuring the emulator is of little use to British Mac owners, perhaps this will encourage game developers to focus once again on the long-neglected UK Mac market. Well, here's hoping... ® See also PlayStation emulator developer to fight Sony lawsuit Sony to sue Connectix over PlayStation emulator N64 emulator vanishes after lawsuit threat