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Razer designs peripherals specifically for StarCraft II

Razer designs peripherals specifically for StarCraft II

Razer has long been known for making quality PC peripherals that are designed specifically with the gamer in mind. Now, the company has teamed up with Blizzard to produce a line of peripherals co-branded and specifically designed with StarCraft II in mind. We got a preview of some engineering samples during E3 this year.

The line includes the Marauder keyboard, the Spectre mouse, and the Banshee headset. All three peripherals feature lighting systems that are capable of displaying any color in the entire spectrum, and Razer provides a preset choice of basic colors to alleviate the inevitable user mixings of color to look like mud (or worse). The lighting can be set to change colors in relation to the user’s APM, or Actions Per Minute. In RTS gaming, higher APM generally leads to better gameplay. Elite RTS players can peak at 300 APM, whereas the average user is lucky to ever hit 100. The lighting’s threshold can be changed to reach “fastest” status wherever the user prefers, so you too can look like a 300 APM master just by changing the settings.

Razer’s offerings aren’t all for show. Significant engineering went into the design of all three peripherals to make them catered to StarCraft players specifically. Usage studies show that RTS players in general and StarCraft players specifically prefer a keyboard with good tactile feedback and long key travel, so Razer designed the Marauder exactly opposite of most current keyboard trends. StarCraft gamers also tend to use headsets with good noise isolation and they don’t often use microphones, so Razer designed the Banshee with a removable microphone and a sizeable over-the-ear construction. Finally, studies show that RTS gamers tend to use the mouse with fingertip pressure only, so Razer’s Spectre mouse is light and ergonomic. Razer also endowed the mouse with features that have the potential to increase their users’ APM: high DPI sensitivity and an extra strong return spring that allows the mouse to be clicked faster. Since each click is an ‘action’ this mouse can remove the bottleneck of an elite player’s mouse clicking slower than the player’s ability.

While I can’t comment on the build quality of the finished units, the engineering samples we tested felt ergonomic and generally solid in construction. Razer’s commitment to provide peripherals tailored to the preferences of serious RTS gamers turned my original skeptic thought that it was simply a branding exercise into a belief that Razer just may be onto something that will strike a chord in the StarCraft community.

The three peripherals range in price from $79.99 to $119.99, and will be available worldwide for a Q3 2010 release.

Comments

  1. Frylock
    Frylock I am a consumer whore...le sigh
  2. djmeph
    djmeph I was not a big fan of the Razer Lycosa. I still have it, and it still works, but it has been problematic for me since a couple weeks after I bought it. Looking this over, I can already tell the keyboard appears to have been designed a lot better. As long as they stay away from faulty touch-sensitive devices they should rock it out.

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