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Razer says software, not hardware, is holding back mobile gaming
In between launching a range of outlandish pink products and affordable accessories so far this year, Razer made the surprising move of abandoning its online game store and mobile team. The latter, in particular, is an awkward move after two generations of Razer Phones, while the likes of ASUS, Xiaomi, Nubia and Vivo are capitalizing on the rapidly growing mobile gaming market. Never one to admit defeat, CEO Min-Liang Tan said this was just part of his company's evolving mobile gaming strategy, with its focus shifted to software as the industry transitions to 5G.
Razer plans controller, arcade stick, other accessories for Xbox One
Razer, a company best known for its high-end PC peripherals, has announced plans for a line of Xbox One accessories, furthering a partnership with Microsoft that spawned the above-pictured controller as well as other devices for the Xbox 360. "Razer is dedicated to improving the overall experience from the games themselves to the player, be it console or PC," stated Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan. "By working with a company as prestigious as Microsoft on a system as sought-after as the Xbox One, we'll be able to accomplish just that. This is an exciting time for the hundreds of millions of gamers all over the world, and we're thrilled to be a part of it." Though this announcement lacks any solid details on the upcoming Xbox One products from Razer, the company does mention plans for a controller, an arcade stick and "more." According to Razer, further information will appear "in the coming weeks."
Meet Christine, Razer's modular gaming PC
Tucked away in a shrouded corner of Razer's booth at CES 2014 lies Project Christine, a stackable, customizable PC that looks unlike any gaming machine you've ever seen. The idea behind Project Christine is simple: Remove the hassle and expense of constantly upgrading a computer by making each of its crucial parts modular and self-contained. Instead of opening a tower and slotting more memory or a new graphics card into your computer, Project Christine allows users to simply snap a new module containing any desired upgrades on to their current configuration. As a result, Project Christine should have a far longer lifespan than conventional computers, as modules containing your desired upgrades can simply be swapped in as necessary. Helpfully, Razer's design negates most of the configuration issues you'd encounter when building your own traditional PC. Project Christine isn't just physically modular, it also divides the motherboard into components which are spread across the system's various modules. Instead of having to match your new components to the specifications of your old motherboard, each new module includes all of the technology it needs to function, save the power it will draw from the rest of the system. Each Project Christine module features a mineral oil cooling system which should come in handy, as Razer promises configurations of the device featuring up to four graphics cards aligned in a quad-SLI array as well as factory-overclocked components. Every module also comes equipped with noise cancelling insulation, preventing your fancy new gaming machine from driving you mad with incessant noise. While Razer will be the sole manufacturer of Project Christine modules, the company is still debating which business model to adopt for this new take on the PC. "We're really looking at other models," Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan told Engadget. "Perhaps to say a subscription model of sorts, that we could interchange modules when they come in. Users don't have to worry about a huge bump every time there's new architecture out there." Though Project Christine is still in the early stages of development, Tan hopes support for the idea will be strong enough to convince Razer to begin manufacturing modules at some point during 2014.
Razer doesn't make PS3 peripherals because its CEO doesn't play it
Those looking to buy gaming accessories from third-party manufacturer Razer have three platforms they can shop for: PC, Mac and Xbox 360. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan recently took to Twitter to explain why the company doesn't make accessories for PS3, saying that "one of the big reasons why we don't make Playstation accessories is because I don't really spend time with mine." When asked if the company would consider producing accessories for PlayStation 4, Tan said Razer will "definitely be looking at PS4 but no promises there," and that the company has "high hopes" for the system, given what it saw at E3.
Razer's gaming tablet drops by the FCC, leaves handles at home
Looking for a gaming tablet you can really grab? Don't look at the latest FCC filings then -- Federal regulators appear to have snagged some exclusive hands-on time with Razer's upcoming Project Fiona, and its trademark handlebars are nowhere in sight. The nunchuck-esque controllers we saw at CES didn't make it in the FCC's label location outline (seen above), but an attached accessory list makes note of a Razer-branded controller, powered by a 2800mAh battery, hinting that this prototype's gamepads might well be independent or detachable. The same document lists a 5600mAh battery for the tablet itself, as well as a model number: RZ09-0093. The Federal documents show a heavily redesigned device, falling in line with Razer's recent community campaign: CEO Min-Liang Tan has been asking fans to help design Project Fiona on his Facebook page. Over the past several weeks, the community has weighed in on accessories, price, CPU / GPU configurations and more. This FCC prototype may not be the final design, but if nothing else, it's proof that the device is evolving. Check out the Government's inside scoop for yourself at the source link below.
Razer's Project Fiona gaming tablet may see the light of day if enough of you want it
Gaming peripheral manufacturer Razer isn't backing down on its "Project Fiona" gaming tablet, despite keeping it locked away for the past nine months. The company is, however, assessing interest in the concept -- first revealed at CES 2012 -- by asking fans to "Like" its Facebook page. If the page exceeds 10,000 likes/shares within a week, CEO Min-Liang Tan says, "we'll work on making the concept a reality and launch the product." He also says Razer's whittled down concepts for the device, though he's open to "suggestions for specs, form factor, pricing, features," and even "etc." It doesn't sound like it'll make its previously planned "second half of 2012" launch window, but Razer says nothing's changed on that front just yet. As it stands, the device sports a 10.1-inch multitouch high def screen, an Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, an unknown (but allegedly beefy) GPU, and two nunchuck-esque controllers mounted to either side of the screen. It's also said to run Windows 8 -- make no mistake, this is a PC in the form of a tablet. But you still have the power to change it! Do us a favor and don't request rear touch capabilities. Update: That didn't take long -- Razer's week long campaign ended in just over a day, reaching its 10,000 like goal. What's next? Concepts, says Min-Liang Tan. The company's CEO will be sharing possible designs on his Facebook page starting next week, and will let popular opinion mold the firm's first gaming tablet. It looks like building products from community feedback is Razer's new modus operandi.
Razer CEO wants annual Blade laptop refreshes, isn't worried about price complaints
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan is charismatic, clearly very smart and passionate -- not a bad combination considering he's the face and voice of a major international hardware manufacturer. Razer's latest, the second-generation Blade gaming laptop, launches this week for the whopping price of $2,500, and we spoke with Min-Liang about just that. "This," he said, referencing the second-generation Blade's slim power brick, "costs seven times this," he added, pointing to a competitor's power supply. "Do we have to do this? Probably not." And that's emblematic of Razer's whole approach to the Razer Blade, as a line of gaming computers. Expensive? Yes, very. But significantly nicer and more detailed that its less expensive competition? Also yes. Also very. As our own Sean Buckley put it in our review of their latest gaming laptop, "the Blade is a gorgeous machine." It's true -- at just 0.88 inches tall and 6.6 pounds, the new Blade is remarkably thin and light for a 17-inch laptop with enough juice under the hood to sate even the most spec-obsessed of PC gamers. But are enough gamers out there willing to trade a lower price tag for a better-looking machine? Razer and its CEO certainly think so, and they've got numbers from the first, more expensive Blade to prove it. "The original Blade was at $2,799. Back then, it was pricey, but we've been surprised at the amount of demand for that. We thought we were gonna sell out in 30 days -- we had 30 days' stock. But we sold out in 30 minutes for the first batch," he said. And, as far as pre-order numbers go for the second version, Min-Liang's confident they mean good things for the future of the Blade. "We're getting hammered with the pre-orders for the new Razer Blade. Right now, we'll be able to ship most of the orders by September 30, fingers crossed. But we're trying to bring in as many units as possible," he excitedly explained. Min-Liang isn't too worried about offending first-gen buyers, either -- the first Razer Blade launched in early 2012 for just shy of $2,800. Less than 10 months later, the second-gen Blade is launching for $300 less with a significantly upgraded graphics card. Sure, first-gen adopters get a $500 discount on the new Blade, but the sting of early adoption is especially rough in such an instance.
Second-generation Razer Blade laptop sharpens its edge with GTX 660M, unannounced Core i7 CPU
The 17-inch behemoths that call themselves gaming notebooks are traditionally quite large, trading extreme performance for substantial bulk. These machines routinely flirt with double digit weigh-ins, and flaunt meaty 1.5-plus inch bezels. They represent a unwieldy reality in portable power that most gamers have learned to expect. Not Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, however -- he's still chasing the dream: thin, powerful and sleek. Tan caught up with us this week to brief us on the next generation Razer Blade, a rig that still boldly claims to be the "world's first true gaming laptop." Razer's first laptop hit shelves earlier this year, packing a 2.8GHz Core i7-2650M CPU and a GeForce GT 555M GPU into a svelte 0.8-inch aluminum shell. Tan explained that the rig's attractive hull hadn't changed much, but its internals sure have. "The Blade was our first laptop, and we've taken feedback really seriously since then," the CEO told us. "We've been listening to gamers and made a chart of all the pros to keep, and all the cons to address. Every single one of them." That chart eventually mapped out the refreshed rig's internals, which include an unannounced Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M graphics, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM, a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and 64GB of fast-booting solid state storage. All this comes in the same aluminum shell as the first Blade, of course, sporting a 17.3-inch high definition display and the firm's exclusive multitouch LCD Switchblade interface. Tan says the new build addresses some of our own complaints too, noting that the sticky hinge that plagued our review unit has been tweaked to bend to a lighter touch. The machine's internal speakers have been upgraded as well, and are said to be 250% louder with no distortion. The new Blade's sharpened specs will come with a price cut, ringing in at a penny under $2,500 -- and gamers who picked up its predecessor (which will be getting its own price cut, to $2,299), we were told, can snag one for $500 less. Pre-orders are slated to start on September 2nd, and should ship within 30 days. The new laptop is being unveiled for the first time at PAX Prime this weekend. Not in Seattle for Labor Day? Check out the official press release after the break. %Gallery-163950%
