ROCCAT intros new line of gaming peripherals

ROCCAT may not be quite as well known as some gaming-centric peripheral makers, but it looks like its doing its best to make its mark with a new line of peripherals, including a gaming mouse and keyboard. Dubbed the ROCCAT Kone, the mouse looks to sport all the features an excessively-demanding gamer would expect, including no less than ten buttons, four removable weights, and a customizable light system with "thousands of colors." While you apparently won't get quite as many color options with the ROCCAT Valo keyboard (pictured after the break), you will still at least get illuminated keys (including 41 macro keys), along with 2MB of memory for storing up to five profiles, and even an integrated noise-canceling microphone. Look for it and the mouse to set you back €100 and €70 (or $147 and $103), respectively, when they hit Europe in February, with a matching mousepad also available for €20 (or about $30).

[Via Randomly Accessed, thanks Steve]

[kevjohn @ Dec 10th 2007 11:52AM]

That looks tasty, but how is it going to help me write Word documents faster?

[Jii @ Dec 11th 2007 4:04AM]

Which part of the "GAMING peripherals" did you not understand?

[Bigsby @ Dec 10th 2007 12:17PM]

I like the mouse, but I don't know about that button in front of the scroll wheel, it just seems silly and I don't think anyone will be able to reach it.

The keyboard looks pretty nice, I just wish I had a bigger picture, maybe more of them. I'd like to know what the lcd can do, and what those rounded buttons at the top are for.

oh, there's a link to the site. Sexy. Expensive though.

[steve @ Dec 10th 2007 1:42PM]

The layout is similar to the mx500 series from logitech. It actually works quite well, for me at least.

[Technex @ Dec 10th 2007 12:49PM]

Think I'll stick with my Logitech G5 thanks...

[Pretol @ Dec 10th 2007 12:59PM]

Looks like a g5 logitech copycat. This "gaming mice" category is becoming the growing grounds for the exact same mouse being made by many new "revolutionary" designers. All gaming mice gets categorized as such:
1. Office palm mice made pretty (logi-g5,g7)
2. Full palm mice made spaceship (logi-g9, MS-sidewind, saitek-cyborg)
3. Small, light flat mice (razer)
4. Chubby and short (Fatal1ty, 'oldschool' wingman)
5. Totally weird mice (r2,evoluent)

[steve @ Dec 10th 2007 6:04PM]

what more do you want from a mouse? I have had my mx518 for 2-3 years now, and want to replace it, but I haven't found any mouse thats worth the price compared to what I already have. Problem is, theres nothing else they can add to a mouse that is worth the price of a new one. All they can do is add marginal improvements for the day when my mouse does break, so thats what they do. No point tryign to improve what is already perfect.

[Pretol @ Dec 10th 2007 7:53PM]

I want new and revolutionary... I remember when boomslang came out, it was like nothing else... I'm just commenting that mice is not interesting anymore... DPI war was over since 1600 dpi (razer decided that it's not until they reached 4000)... holding techniques have been exhausted, and it's boring...

[makishima @ Dec 10th 2007 1:12PM]

Is it just me or nowhere in this article or on their website does it mention the DPI the mouse can track? Guess thats not important for a gaming mouse huh ROCCAT? Looks great but I'll wait to see some reviews before I shell out $100+ for it.

[Omecha @ Dec 14th 2007 2:03PM]

Well that is because this magnificent 'dpi' is a marketing gimmick. Yes, the sole thing most gaming mice are marketed on is a gimmick. Holy dubious marketing scheme Batman!

If you've done any research on the subject, you'd know that dpi isn't what counts. Just check under ROCCAT's section 'stop the fairytales' on the site. http://www.roccat.org/index.php?ROCCAT=Fairy+Tales. The other manufacturer who has also taken no bullshit line in making gaming accessories is steel series (http://www.steelseries.com/).

Overall it's nice to see someone not trying to piss into the consumer's eye for once. I wish that consumers themselves would also see that 3200986647689 'dpi' won't really make a mouse. So to answer your question: No. dpi isn't an important fact in a gaming mouse.

[Joachim Bengtsson @ Dec 10th 2007 2:00PM]

Haha, Roccat. They were at Dreamhack [world's biggest LAN party] this year advertising themselves. I find it funny how a single person can completely destroy a brand for ten thousand gamers in one evening. ( http://youtube.com/watch?v=QPTj5qRce4g to hear the whole D hall boo them off the stage)

[stellar @ Dec 10th 2007 2:31PM]

nice logo...

Thunder... Thunder... Thunder... Thunder Cats! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Doc @ Dec 10th 2007 7:28PM]

i was just gonna say that looked like the thunder cats logo. lol the mouse does look good but like said before i will stick with my g5.

[Adam @ Dec 10th 2007 3:50PM]

A mouse with 10 buttons huh....mine goes to 11

[Sp00ks @ Dec 10th 2007 4:00PM]

lol...but why not just make 10 "clickier"?

nice reference though

[Fuzzball @ Dec 10th 2007 5:15PM]

I'm really digging the mouse, just not the price tag. Maybe when it comes down in price after the launch. I was liking keyboard too, but the backslash key (\) is in the wrong spot for me and that is a complete deal breaker. I doubt I would have liked the feel of it the keys either; I haven't been able to find anything that matches or tops the feel of an old IBM Model M keyboard.

[derred @ Dec 10th 2007 5:21PM]

Did any of us notice the Esc key and F keys are way up from the "common" place? I thot it would be important for some of us here, at least to me.

Anyway, it looks cool but I'll pass. Too pricey for new-comer.

[Holger @ Dec 11th 2007 3:47AM]

I've actually tried this mouse at a convention in Copenhaghen, Denmark. It seem quite nice and smooth (though there was a problem with the scroller, which the guy at the stall said was because it had been dropped on the ground or something, but it had removed the "clicking" of the scroller and if you spun it hard enough it got stuck/sticky). It was very very smooth when used together with their mousepad. One thing that I thought was lame was the color LCD things, but I couldn't try that as the driers weren't completely done yet or something.

The keyboard also seemed nice. Though nothing out of the ordinary (compared to similar keybords, but a cheaper alternative to a keyboard with backlighting).

[puttintame @ Dec 26th 2007 12:06AM]

of course, engadget forgets to mention the best and most revolutionary feature of the kone, the dcu, a distance sensor so the cursor doesnt move when the mouse is lifted for repositioning, experienced gamers are familiar with this problem. I find it hard to believe every mouse doesnt have one, but roccat is the first and only company to put one on a mouse.

[winzzz @ Jun 24th 2008 3:08PM]

a really good gaming gadget