You have to remember that A3D 2.0 was a hardware solution, and a huge embarassment to Creative (and their software solutions). A3D 2.0 calculated sound reflections in real time based on distance, angle, and reflectivity of the surface, technology Creative's engineers can't grasp even to this day. And to make matters worse for Creative, Aureal had even done enough research on the human ear that they were able to simulate sounds from different HEIGHTS using speakers on a single plane, even if Creative tried the only solution they could come up with for height differences is to have speakers above and below the listener.
They bought the technology simply to prevent Guillemot from using it.
<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>