I wasn't sure what to expect of MadCatz at this year's CES; with not much new technology aside from first-party motion controlling to work with, we had seen a few leaders in the console gaming market with a less-than-flattering display of new products. For that reason, perhaps, was I so impressed with the offerings MC had to show.
Pro mode is a huge feature of the recently released Rock Band 3. For those hardcore or enthusiasts types who somehow manage to conquer the highest difficulty, or perhaps want to actually learn how to play an instrument, MadCatz has a solution. Their new product, the midi-pro adapter, has moved out of the prototype stage it was in earlier this summer and is now finished and ready to ship. This can be used on any midi instrument and convert it into the game. A few of the employees from MadCatz sat down and played a song for us on an actual Fender Squire guitar and standard keyboard, tuned into the game using the adapter. Since regular instruments obviously don't included operational buttons such as the directional pad or Overdrive button, the adapter creates this interface. This can be sat on the keyboard or attached to a guitar, and is available at the end of the month for $39.99.
Next up was a bit of a Nintendo display, including some 3DS accessories, such as a travel kit, that will be available at launch. MadCatz has actually kept mature gamers in mind when designing these accessories, keeping playful colors and symbols out of the equation. Another cool product is the new line of Wii-remotes, with a new design that features a more diamond shaping on the buttons, with an elastic rubber finish for grip. These are called the Reactor and the Reactor Plus, the latter obviously including the MotionPlus built-in. A miniature version, the Micro of each, are a smaller version of each the remote and the nunchuck (Reflex), good for all sizes of hands depending on preference.
Tritton was recently acquired by MadCatz, and they are continuing the spirit in headsets as well as a previously worked on USB to video project. This includes a universal docking station that includes an Ethernet, VGA output, audio input/output, and four USB ports from one single USB on your laptop. This allows travelling users especially to ditch their restrictive small screen to a larger TV that may be in hotel rooms for instance. This supports both PC and Mac.
External video card solutions were also shown, plug and play devices that allow you to add extra monitors to any set-up, which is especially useful in situations again such as laptops where adding another video card isn't much of an option. These support up to six displays on one console. There is a 150 and 250 model, the difference being a VGA and DVI output respectively.
One of the more innovative products took place in a mood lighting situation, in which a gamer was playing Black Ops paired with Ambi-ex technology. If you're not familiar, Ambi-ex is an ambient light technology that shifts depending on what is being displayed. Launching under the professional gaming line Cyborg are a set of lights to create the lighting atmosphere. These lights can display up to 16 million lights, taking the dominate color scheme on the screen and matches those colors for the environment. Special demo's of games such as Everquest 2 with Ambi-ex scripting is included, which is a much more dynamic display. A keyboard using the Ambi-ex lighting in underlighting technology was also shown in prototype form, capable of displaying the same 16 million colors, each key independent of the others.
The final product dips way into the enthusiast realm. Saitek is a simulation brand, best exemplified by the large display Procedure Training Cockpit, costing a small $5,000. This is a great milestone of MadCatz, which is a product actually used by flight schools to train pilots. Each piece of the cockpit is available seperately for around $500, and available under the Saitek name.
Next up was a bit of a Nintendo display, including some 3DS accessories, such as a travel kit, that will be available at launch. MadCatz has actually kept mature gamers in mind when designing these accessories, keeping playful colors and symbols out of the equation. Another cool product is the new line of Wii-remotes, with a new design that features a more diamond shaping on the buttons, with an elastic rubber finish for grip. These are called the Reactor and the Reactor Plus, the latter obviously including the MotionPlus built-in. A miniature version, the Micro of each, are a smaller version of each the remote and the nunchuck (Reflex), good for all sizes of hands depending on preference.
Tritton was recently acquired by MadCatz, and they are continuing the spirit in headsets as well as a previously worked on USB to video project. This includes a universal docking station that includes an Ethernet, VGA output, audio input/output, and four USB ports from one single USB on your laptop. This allows travelling users especially to ditch their restrictive small screen to a larger TV that may be in hotel rooms for instance. This supports both PC and Mac.
External video card solutions were also shown, plug and play devices that allow you to add extra monitors to any set-up, which is especially useful in situations again such as laptops where adding another video card isn't much of an option. These support up to six displays on one console. There is a 150 and 250 model, the difference being a VGA and DVI output respectively.
One of the more innovative products took place in a mood lighting situation, in which a gamer was playing Black Ops paired with Ambi-ex technology. If you're not familiar, Ambi-ex is an ambient light technology that shifts depending on what is being displayed. Launching under the professional gaming line Cyborg are a set of lights to create the lighting atmosphere. These lights can display up to 16 million lights, taking the dominate color scheme on the screen and matches those colors for the environment. Special demo's of games such as Everquest 2 with Ambi-ex scripting is included, which is a much more dynamic display. A keyboard using the Ambi-ex lighting in underlighting technology was also shown in prototype form, capable of displaying the same 16 million colors, each key independent of the others.
The final product dips way into the enthusiast realm. Saitek is a simulation brand, best exemplified by the large display Procedure Training Cockpit, costing a small $5,000. This is a great milestone of MadCatz, which is a product actually used by flight schools to train pilots. Each piece of the cockpit is available seperately for around $500, and available under the Saitek name.
