General: Razer: Interview with Robert Krakoff

Stradden

Staff Writer Carolyn Koh recently had the opportunity to ask a few questions of Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, the co-founder and President of Razer, about their line of gaming mice.

Not all mice are created equal, nor are keyboards. For the majority of us gamers (especially us MMOG gamers), we direct a lot of attention to the selection of our CPUs and video cards, but our peripherals are an afterthought. We are still using the cheap headset, a wireless mouse, the old key-board that came with the last, last computer build.

As gamers look for better peripherals to enhance their gaming performance, manufacturers are beginning to take notice and only in the past few years have mainstream manufacturers begun to cater to the gamer.

Here at MMORPG.com, we've started a section on hardware reviews from the MMO gamers' perspective. I took this one step further and sought out one of the top PC gaming peripheral manufacturers, Razer. Razer leapt into the forefront of the "must have" gaming peripheral when the Razer Boomslang launched in 1999, and became the favorite mouse of professional gamers such as Jonathon "Fatal1ty" Wendell. Then, in 2004, their Diamondback (claimed to be the world's first 1600 dpi optical gaming mouse) won the accolade of being named Gamespot's Gaming Hardware of the Year (Personally, I use that mouse in the spiff red version).

Read the interview here.

Ugottawantit

I love my razer Diamondback, it has served me well for about 2 years now. It just works, it's also my favorite perephial. I was also $10.00 cheaper at Amazon.com than on Razer's sight

redelf07

I agree. I have a lot of faith in Razer. I've had my copperhead for 2 years now, and after the 1st year the laser died due to a firmware problem... they sent me a brand new one in all new packaging 3 days later, no charge for anything. Awesome company.

sgtboz

I love my Diamondback.  It was well worth what I paid for it a few years back.  One of the best features about it is the sensitivity level I can set it to.  It keeps my wife and daughter off my gaming rig since they can't control the mouse enough to click web links

I've had my Barracuda headphones for 3 months.  They're very comfortable.  The sound is great in BF2 and BF2142 with them. 

I'll be looking at that Macro keyboard, next time I get a peripheral itch.

CarolynKoh

Originally posted by Ugottawantit  also $10.00 cheaper at Amazon.com than on Razer's sight

Well, yeah.  It's a good business model.  You have to support your re-sellers, so unless it's a "special deal" companies will sell at MSRP on the company store. 



That's how I figure if a new model is coming out soon.  The Company Store discounts it.

Agent_X7

Originally posted by sgtboz


I love my Diamondback.  It was well worth what I paid for it a few years back.  One of the best features about it is the sensitivity level I can set it to.  It keeps my wife and daughter off my gaming rig since they can't control the mouse enough to click web links
 

Haha, nice! I don't know why, but that really made me chuckle.

kraiden

The irony.

I just got my Copperhead 2 days ago and am blown away at how great it works. I have used a standard 2 dollar type mouse for my past 15 years of computer useage, i dont even have a standard optic mouse. So to jump into the 21st century using such a high DPI mouse is amazing.

"Mrs Kraiden" likes it too because she thinks that it is "pretty" and even allowed me to buy a blue illuminated keyboard to match my new blue mouse! Now that I see I can get "gamer" headsets (that also glow blue) I will have to stop by the store and pick this up too!



Great article, and I always like when we get more information about the things that help us game as well as the games we play!
 
 
-Hasani-

montin

I've been using a diamondback for 3 years now and I've never go back to using a normal mouse. I found it a bit strange for a few days as it's a fairly long mouse compaired to normal cheap ones. Plus it can move real fast. Once you have got used to it, then it's simple great to use. I would suggest not over looking the mouse map you have it on. No point in having a great mouse and use it on a nasty poor quality map. I know there are several different types of good mouse maps about but I use a Qpad which works just fine. So, if your using and old normal mouse still then get yourself a decent one. It doesn't have to be a Razer, but they are good.

Shogie

Razer has some very nice products. I never could get a good feel from the copperhead mouse though, as I am too tuned to my G5 and it's weighted design on an Icemat mouse surface.



The Tarantula on the other hand is on my desk and I couldn't imagine gaming without it now.



I like the look of their headset and may try it out at some point.

Razorback

"by gamers for gamers"

I think Im gonna puke if I hear this again.

hactar

I reaaaally hope razer makes a mouse for us lefties!

KsEdge

Maybe I'm one of the unlucky ones, but I've destroyed two Diamondbacks in under a year. So much for "gamer grade performance"...



I'm not that blatantly violent with my equipment either, I dont push buttons until the interal components feel the impact or slam my mouse around like it's a baseball bat, but each time I've had a Razer I've had mouse buttons start to die on me within 5 months of purchase.



Currently using a Logitech G5 and loving it, had it over for a year and 3 months and not a single sign of it dying on me, and it's a hell of a lot more comfortable to hold than either of my Razers were.



So I don't know what to say really, either I've just been unfortunate enough to get two bad Razers from two separate companies, or Razer mice aren't as robust as they think and those aside from me in this thread are the rare minority who didn't have their mice die on them.



That said, the sensor in the Razer mice (The same tech as used in my G5) is fantastic and the response time and the accuracy of the Razer mice is exceptional, so if I am just a minority who happens to have suffered with a bad couple of mice, then I get that and I totally recommend Razer products. If not, then take this interview and article with a pinch of salt.

KyanMehwulfe

I'm surprised he didn't push the Deathadder more. ESReports rated it technically (physical performance wise) the best mouse on the market, just above the previous MX158 king.

Bigfoot

I didn't really like the feel of the other mice, but the Death Adder is AMAZINGLY comfortable.

Destroyeron

Originally posted by KsEdge

Currently using a Logitech G5 and loving it, had it over for a year and 3 months and not a single sign of it dying on me, and it's a hell of a lot more comfortable to hold than either of my Razers were.

You only used one model of the mouse, and if you found it uncomfortable the first time, why would you buy it again?



I love my Copperhead btw.