Graphic Cards AMD/ATi and NVIDIA get subpoena in graphics chip probe

[Blade_Runner]

AMD/ATi and NVIDIA get subpoena in graphics chip probe

The Merc reports about a federal antitrust probe -- the best kind of probe -- into the graphics-card industry. Nvidia and ATI -- through recent buyer AMD -- have been served with subpoenas asking for company documents that go back to the late '90s. The Justice Department wants records about "customers, product lines, competition, pricing of products, prices of competitors' products, market studies, and product volumes," according to Nvidia mouthpiece Michael Hara, as quoted in the article.

The feds haven't described the exact nature of the investigation and haven't made any allegations, saying only that it relates to "anti-competitive practices." But the probe is most likely about collusion and price-fixing between graphics card companies. Basically, competing companies agree to set similar price points, keeping them artificially high, while limiting the affect of market forces to lower prices.

Could this mean the beginning of the end of $600 -- or more -- enthusiast graphics cards? Have console prices been (slightly) higher because of artificial GPU costs? As consumers, we can only hope, but it'll take many months before we learn if the companies broke any laws.

Feds tracking AMD/ATI, Nvidia in antitrust probe - Joystiq

 

[Aces170]

LOL read this on /.

But yeah two competotrs having cut throat competition, innovating at an amazing speed, which other cos are just not able to muster. Ok so I am a co. I cant develop a complex gfx chip to compete with the biggies, what do I do is drag them in court for Antitrust issues. Sometimes the American Legal system makes me laugh, but its at least 10^100 times better then our so called legal system here.

 

[memories_dv]

Finally next year i will have a Geforce 9800GTX for 149.99$