Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Range In Pictures

@jargy1: your right on a few points there. I'm not sure about the throat communicator thingy, never used one. People already sound awful on mics (not sure about xbox but on pc) It has nothing to do with the mic (i'm still using the first mic I bought to play cs1.5 and it sounds better than most peoples) It has everything to do with the settings people use how close you are to the mic, and how much background noise. A big problem I find is when people use mics but no headphones, you hear all the gun shots and music in the background, etc. The codec that the voice is being sent over makes a world of difference, people on ventrillo or teamspeak sound wayyyyyyyyyyy better than on hl or hl2's system (steam voice chat is fine though despite some bugs)

A mouse isn't just a mouse though. I use a old mx500 mouse which is fine for me. I like the lower dpi for fps's. Some people are really picky about high dpi. It's all preference, but it's nice when your mouse has the option to switch the dpi on the fly.

Do I feel badass when I play a game with a bunch of cool accessories? Hell yeah! Do I need them? no.

sereal

@deanbmmv: The throat thing looks like it has a standard head-set plug, Yorkshire. I think it works on a PC.

And concerning the controllers, I'd say they are pretty similar in shape, though not in color. Of course they retain their layouts, but otherwise the 360-controller is not much different from the PS3-one.

@brianewing: I usually play CoD with my headset around my neck anyway, 'cause I never talk in it. I just talk to my roommate in the room over and keep it plugged in so we don't hear people bitching and have to manually mute them all.

It's not that bad, but ear buds never fit in my ears anyway, so I doubt it'd be comfortable for me. Plus I have two mics with two controllers. Don't need an extra.

@Komrade Kayce: Having played both games, I can say that 4 is marginally better than World at War, but the games both suffer from ugly, blocky world design, bad animations, constantly respawning enemies, uninteresting (albeit realistic) weapon design, and totally non-engrossing storytelling.

I guess I just find it hard to differentiate between entries in the series because I really find the Call of Duty games boring as hell, but I just can't stand Activision's almost perverted over-marketing of every IP they own. You can't spit 5 feet into the air without hitting an ad for an Activision game near the holidays.

@Fallible.: It the money is hard earned,then why is it undeserved?.That doesn't seem fair to me.

@Archaotic: You know that means the game is created by different people altogether right? Different people have creative control over the game entirely. Every Call of Duty that has come out from Infinity Ward was amazing... if you don't like that then that's fine and dandy. Don't bitch about when you aren't part of the populous that does enjoy it.

Also, even if there is a a slight chance of making money, people will do it. That is why these products are here.

@thesircuddles: #4 is the badass ps3 headset /sarcasm

actually to me it just looks like a high-tec lighter that you only see in 180's scifi movies lol.

@Archaotic: Commercial tie-ins as in specialized hardware for those that want something different? Having the extra buttons on the bottom, which used to require custom modding, is a huge deal for some people. (Honestly, the black camo on the 360 controller would definitely be a buy for me if it were wireless.)

Also, let's not forget Halo 3's ENTIRE NEW CONSOLE and SPECIAL EDITION MOUNTAIN DEW SODA were completely feasible! Along with Resident Evil 5's different colored system. Pssh.

You don't like new (and admittedly good looking and practical) controllers and yet you didn't complain about all the different Street Fighter IV control pads and fight sticks and what have you a few months ago.

Just 'cause you don't like the products at hand doesn't mean you should shit on the hard work of the individuals that created this stuff. It's not required for the purchase or enjoyment of the game. That's why it's extra. Don't buy it. Plain and simple.

@deanbmmv:

My brother would kill to have a PS3 style xbox controller.. I have no idea why.. I think he just needs to admit he's beaten..

The PS3 controller uses a usb-dongle.
This isn't the year 2000 Mad Catz, you idiots.

Also, it doesn't seem like Fahey is a big fan of voice chat.
Or are you?

@Archaotic:

Wrong.

silverhold

4 years and we still get wired controllers on 360?

ChunkyPeanutButter

@Archaotic: It deserves all this marketing and whatnot. CoD 4 was just pure awesome, and this seems to be living up to CoD4. (Story was one of the best i've seen in any FPS games).

Oh and it definitely isn't a yearly installment game seeing Treyarch did WaW and IW did CoD4, so it could be bi-anually :P

I'll tell you one thing, the digital camo doesn't look too bad when you view them in the thumbnails...

@thesircuddles: Don't worry about the brain.
#4 is a bluetooth headset. It's what you use on a PS3

@thesircuddles: #4 = bluetooth headset + usb charger.

@Archaotic:

The quality of Infinity Ward developed COD's compared to Treyarch ones begs to differ. And I thought WaW was pretty good.

But you go play CoD3 and tell me 'Call of Duty is Call of Duty'. *barf*

You can't just lump them all in together. Thats not fair to the people who started and do the series best. You might as well be saying 'Football games are football games' and associate the 2k series (arguably the best pigskin recreations ever) with madden.

@thesircuddles:

I think it means that it cuts out on background noise as well.. I.E. Parents of 12 year old kids having a go at the for yelling gay fag! as loud as possible...

@jargy1: or for people like me who love watching Michael bay films, and playing cod games with the sound blasting.So this seems to only activate when you speak kinda like an on-off switch lol.But the pc stuff I have no clue since I'm not much of a pc gamer.I only really play guild wars,Combat Arms, and now DDO.But who know maybe that keyboard/mouse combo gives you a +4 in badassery.

@jargy1:

i am hard of hearing and i find that the Throat Communicator could be ideal for me,not for talking but hearing i mean

i do have trouble hearing with the Xbox Live headset,although its a decent headset

metallicorphan

@Archaotic: You say it doesn't need this many tie-ins, but the reality is that the teenage Call of Duty fans (a large portion) will be all over this stuff. No, it doesn't need it, but it sure as hell makes sense.

And hey, at least they're semi interesting peripherals. Never seen a throat communicator before, and it ties in perfectly. Most of them have added functionality (like back buttons for melee, which is aweeesome), so in terms of 'needless' peripherals, these rate pretty high in quality and design in my opinion. It's not like they just took a picture of Price and put it on a 360 controller *cough Halo 3 cough*.

Anyways I'll probably pick up the 360 controller myself, if you don't like them then don't get them, but to complain of their existence is... well, silly.

Since I've been duct taping the broken off mic from my Microsoft headset to the outside of my Sennheisers for the better part of two years, I think I'm 100% sold on the throat communicator.

egypt3

@Fallible.: the ps3 controler seems very uncomfortable and the sticks look a bit farther apart than sony's which is nice.

I like the 3 60 controller thou

yes, absolute trash on the pc end lol

I like the headset and all but still covering only one ear. They should make one that had a speaker going to each ear. I don't care so much for the "toy" to "real device" image they are going for as much as I care for sound quality and other noises intemperance.

I will stick with my Turtle Beach Headset.

ArJay

@Komrade Kayce: Call of Duty is Call of Duty. The developer doesn't matter.

That is a gaudy keyboard if I"ve ever seen one.

Saith17

Couple of points here.

1) What's the point of the throat communicator thing? Are there any situations where gamers find themselves NEEDING to talk as quiet as possible so that their squad can make it out? Because that's the logical use of these things. I can just picture a bunch of fools getting this thing and then sounding even more garbled than usual because they wear it wrong or start shouting. It's going to be a huge headache.

2) Do people feel more badass playing a game with this stuff? Cause it seems to me you could use standard equipment (for the most part a mouse is a mouse, some specialty mice are worthwhile, but not necessary ever) and save some money and buy more games down the line. I guess I'm just a fool.

jargy1

I really like the 360 controller, subtle and sleak. No god awful art or stupid crap. Buttons on the back is also nice.

I just may grab one of those. The rest is meh, and I don't even know what #4 is... throat communicator sounds lame, but it actually might be a lot more comfortable and practical than the current headset. Mine doesn't seem to fit my head right. Too much brain, probably.

@excel_excel: I'd guess issues with it not being approved by MS or Sony.

They probably have pretty strict rules on the general formfactor.

Otherwise you'd think you'd see a lot of crazy controllers out there. People doing the PS3 batarang controller, for instance.

Heck, maybe there's an idea for a new company for you... cross platform 3rd party controllers with with really unique forms. Probably be stuck selling them on ebay, though.

That PS3 controller looks uncomfortable (and big) as hell.

That said, I'm taking a firm standpoint that anyone buying the COMBAT/ SNIPER mouse or the COMBAT/ ELITE keyboard, purely because they're branded MW2, are complete dopes - undeserving of their hard earned moneys.

@DAS: dont think its bluetooth, i think its RF

@Jim: Me too!

@deanbmmv: There's probably some copyright issues with that. But having an Xbox360-style controller for Killzone 2 would be awesome.

@MajinMexican: Yeah, Mad Catz don't have a great track record in that department.

Concave thumbsticks on the PS3 MW controller would make me buy it.

Those have to be some of theugliest devices I've ever seen. I'll stick to Logitech for keyboard and mouse and Plantronics/Sennheiser for my audio needs. I know all of those offer top of the line performance.

@Archaotic: Its the proper sequel of one of the most critically acclaimed and best selling FPS's of all time. COD4 was quality. Theres a reason people are looking forward to this way more than WAW. I mean there not forcing you to get any of this, you don't need any of it to enjoy or play the game better.

@Archaotic: There is a reason this game is so marketed. It is the sequel to the best game in the series.

Plus this game will more than likely have the largest launch in history, yes even eclipsing Halo-level of numbers. Why? Cause it is on 3 platforms all at the same time. So 360 owners, PS3 owners, and PC owners can all gather at midnight to buy it at launch.

That's why it is being so marketed.

@deanbmmv: Thats a brilliant idea. Wonder why it hasn't been done before...maybe something copyrighted or some rules for third party hardware?

@Archaotic:

You can't say that. There hasn't been an Infinity Ward CoD in 2 years. Its not their fault that Activision is turning it into Madden.

I'd buy the throat thing if it was on PC.
The rest is mostly "meh". The keyboard looks oaky i guess, pretty standard macro gaming keyboard though.
Also has anyone ever thought of making a controller for the 2 consoles in the same layout as the other one? Seems a prime opportunity for 3rd party hardware.

The hard ear piece for the throat mic will be a problem for me. My ears get irritated and sore when I use those things.

AncientUnknown1

@jcb231: The best use for it is to re-map the Sprint and Melee(Knife) buttons. On the PS3 & 360 Sprint is L3 and Melee is R3.

Considering how those are also the sticks used for moving and aiming, it is actually quite annoying, and honestly, is the worse part of the CoD control scheme on consoles.

@(Zombie) Komrade Kayce:

Hell I am buying it cause every other headset i try to use fucks up in weeks, i figure i have to give them all an equal shot.

What....what is that PS3 controller supposed to be? Ugh. God awful.

Get those throat communicators on PS3 and you've got yourself a deal!

If that throat communicator doesn't have an attenuator, it's going to be horrible. Imagine how loud " noob" and " faggot" are going to be yelled compared to the standard headset

thedanielrecord

That keyboard is epic!

the ps3 controller looks like shit! U need a blue tooth adapter!? and no rumble!? WTH is this? Some chinese knock off or has madcatz gone down the drain?

DAS

So the buttons on the back of the controller allow you to remap your controller configuration on the fly?

I'm not sure I understand the usefulness of that. Is that a feature people have been clamoring for? What do you use that for?

jcb231

I want the throat communicator for my PS3 =/

This game seems way too over-marketed, in my honest opinion. Throat communicators? Custom keyboards? It's a yearly installment of the Madden of the FPS genre. It doesn't need this many commercial tie-ins.

Next year they're just gonna make a Call of Duty MOVIE and be done with it.

I'll be buying that headset, looks awesome.

Nubs.

Sound quality still isnt clear enough for me to use my newly learned swear words on the internet!

Give me a microchip I can install onto my voicebox or no sale!

I am skeptical about the quality of these throat mics. I have used a couple different kinds of these before for paintball, and they never really seem to work very well. I think people are going to be better off with a standard headset.

saxifridge

Wish I could see the back of that PS3 controller, even though 99% of my games are purchased on 360.

craigbezzle

Having a piece of plastic pressed up against my throat doesn't sound comfortable.

I like that throat communicator-ma-jobber. I've been looking for something that would be as comfortable as the Halo 2 Plantronics headset that I still use to this day.

Best... Headset... Ever.

The stuff looks really cool, but I wonder how it feels and works. That's a bit more important then looks.

@Jimmy Tran:

Comment = Win

I'm digging that faceplate...But not at that price.

Deep throating never sounded so good.

Jimmy Tran

@Th12eat:
Teabagging would mean that your balls would be in said victims mouth, not your penis.

Get your insults right, or don't use them at all, otherwise you just sound like an idiot.

Adam Spano

@funcmode: Incorrect evaluation of the entire brand, actually. The SFIV TE sticks were high quality. The SE and the pads are garbage out of the box.

these are like sex toys for boys, except these suck and you can't get off on them.

chang187

@Derek Highet: Cool, so they do exist. However, at that price point I'd definitely just grab the actual DS3 instead :P

@Pretty Sneaky Sis: CoD4 runs just fine. That's the problem. It runs REALLY well, so the overly keyframed animations feel fake and jerky. It's kinda like playing an animation that only has 30 frames in it at 60 frames per second. I mean, it's not the worst animation ever, but it feels strangely robotic to me. I don't know if it makes sense.

The actual world design, in both games, had a problem of being very flat. Very square. There was very little rounded geometry, everything was composed of straight, flat lines.

I didn't play WaW nearly enough to notice any weapon balance changes, my complaints were always just based on how boring traditional WW2 weaponry is. As I've said, I can fully acknowledge 4 is a clearly better game, but it still doesn't elevate it into "good game" status for me.

@Pretty Sneaky Sis: I quit in the 90's with the N64 Madcatz controllers. Those broke after a week.

@Benjammn: Rest assured, no matter the platform, the dickhead callers are and always will be the majority. The rest either don't use a headset at all or quickly come up with a bunch of friends to game with.

@funcmode:

That's what I hear -- still, I'm a bit wary. Trauma from Gameboy Pocket days where their accessories would burn out more often than Chris Brown hits Rhianna.

@WhiteMage: Agree, if i find out that someone on my team has one, i'm just going to mute them. I don'y need to hear neck beard rub against a mic all game.

@Komrade Kayce: Well, firstly, you should stop smoking.

kinda hard to hear game sounds when wearing the type of earpiece that is on the throat mic. :(

Eduardo Alvarez

@metallicorphan: I'm not really hard of hearing and I still have trouble with the normal headset. Not only that, but I find it very uncomfortable.

It's not a bad price for the throat communicator, so I would consider picking one up just to try it out.

Tarchan

@Ur-Lord-Crypy: the problem is it doenst use the same vibration tech real ones use... its just a mic attached to your neck... idk how clear it will be

stoneflysoldier

@Ur-Lord-Crypy: The throat communicator sounds great and less mouth breathing would be nice. However, how sensitive is this mic? Are we now going to hear every gulp and swallow of their slurpees instead? Not sure if that's a good trade off or not.

BeverageNinja

why show the usb cable with the Bluetooth headset? the way they arranged them the usb cable dominates the picture.

@Solday: They're Saitek mouses. Saitek is a subsidary of MC.

@Ur-Lord-Crypy: But isn't it quite a big oversight that it only has 1 earbud?
No one I know would play an FPS with mono sound. It would cripple you.

@Archaotic: Well, they supposedly fixed the respawning enemies and added cooperative multiplayer... so there's always that.

@Archaotic: I think you opened a can of worms here -- I take issue with this one. The weapon balancing has absolutely been a step in the wrong direction in WAW, and while neither game was spectacular on the graphical environment part, WAW again digressed from its predecessor. I think different creative control from different developers had a lot to do with WAW's shortcomings on those fronts.

With regard to the idea that the weapons are boring: Halo weapons aren't boring, but we definitely wouldn't praise the game on the basis of it's totally awesome selection of weapons, when there are absolute power weapons that dominate everything. CoD style matches, demand some level of balance.

Bad animations: I feel like CoD games run and look really smoothly -- how do you mean?

And as far as storytelling goes ... Well I'll agree to disagree. I thought the storytelling was film-like and exciting in CoD4. Especially All Ghillied Up

I'm kind of unsure about the location of the extra buttons on the rear of the controller (360 version). I'm probably one of a minority who holds the controller with my index fingers on the shoulder buttons and my middle fingers on the triggers. Having only my ring and little fingers to both totally support the controller and press those buttons.. I'm skeptical.

@jcb231: I think what it means is, the circular buttons on the back can be associated with any desired buttonpress. To map those, you use the square ones at the top.
It's like the old PSX/GC unofficial controllers I have - you hold the assign button down, tap the desired button and whenever you press it it's now rapid fire. Same thing but instead, the back button emulates the button pressed in the assign process.
A good idea that until now has felt slightly redundant IMO. But I guess L3/R3 aren't great to use for most things (Using it to crouch on the occasions when I've played 360 is pretty damned annoying, come to think of it)

@Th12eat: Changing the weights definitely helps to make the mouse feel more comfortable on a person by person basis.

For instance, I have the Logitech G5, the weights I have in it are the heaviest - 8x4.5g. Without the weights, the mouse feels too light and slippery for me but with the weights, it feels alot sturdier and steadier to me. I know some people who prefer having half the weight I use in the mouse, or no weights at all.

Either way, I don't think it's going over board at all. What I do think is going overboard however is the ever increasing dpi range. 3200dpi is more than you'll ever need and I'd call that the limit of what should be in a mouse. The G5 goes up to 2000dpi and the only time that ever gets used is flying gunships or jets in the Battlefield series, for anything else, it's just too fast....at least at 1680x1050, but I imagine it isn't much slower on a biger screen.

-MasterDex-

@Ur-Lord-Crypy: I move away from the mic to breathe in.

@Archaotic: Well, theres your problem right there. You're not a fan of the genre, or its components, hence why you see so little value in the peripheries surrounding the game. I mean, the same could be said for Final Fantasy, it's almost a yearly thing, all included with DS games, PSP games, rehashes ect. but there was an entire event surrounding the franchise last week, wasn't there? Blizzcom featured three games, one of them that's like 5 years old. To me, that seems a little needless but I acknowledge why it's there and why it matters for other people.

:p

I know you think these FPS are killing your game industry but sometimes, a throat communicator is just fucking cool. Smile a little!

...I might be in the minority here, but...I think it would be cool if someone burned something onto the side of the fucking moon. If I had the means, I would do it in a heart beat.

*sigh* *....goes and writes my name with piss in the snow.*

@Pretty Sneaky Sis: They definitely have a bad history/reputation. However if the recent SF4 sticks are anything to go by the quality of their products is much better these days than it used to be.

I think I want that throat communicator.

@Ur-Lord-Crypy: Honestly I have no problem with the breathing into the mic, my main problem is the other things people seem to do... never playing GTA IV Race Mode again.

dodger

@egypt3: Try using velcro, it's a lot easier and less messy.

BebopBlue

@[www.bestbuy.com]

Derek Highet

@Guy LeDouche: Money - probably, and by money, I mean production costs, not the retail price.

@[www.play.com]
And whaddaya know (If 2.5mm *is* the standard for XBox).
Probably available in the States too.

@jargy1: Oh yeah, about the talking quiet with the throat mic, it's kinda nice for parents not to hear kids shouting things at people on the mic, or vice versa. My mom used to get pretty confused when I would scrim cs and people would be shouting crap at my pc.

sereal

@Koda89: That's the main reason I'm interested in the 360 controller- I hate trying to knife a guy 50 feet away from me. The sprint button isn't as big of an issue, but melee has to move off the aiming stick.

Am i seeing things or are those sticks recessed? That may be a deal breaker, I'd have to try it out to be sure though.

Also, I really hope these work with WAW and the first MW- it'd be a shame if they didn't.

@Ur-Lord-Crypy:

What if you're one of those chronic smokers with a throat hole?

I would never buy a madcatz mouse. I'll stick with razer and logitech for that. As for the other stuff it all looks pretty horrid.

@Guy LeDouche: True but the response time is so small that it won't make all that much of a difference online, especially considering most people have the same response lag.

-MasterDex-

@AncientUnknown1: I don't get why people play a multiplayer game with out headphones? hearing is 50% of a fps. My score drops massively when i'm playing with speakers. Usually you can pinpoint the exact direction and distance of a player just by their gunshots and footsteps.

sereal

@jargy1: The only reason I could see for wanting to use the throat mic would be for someone like me who usally plays late at night when the Mrs. and son have gone to bed. I can't exactlly talk at a normal level without her coming out the bed room bitching that Im too load. (My voice is smialar in depth as James Earl Jones but not as deep maybe a notch or two higher on the bass

Befitzero

@KaneBaker: I play cod4 on the ps3 and the controller definatly needs time getting use to for an fps. the 360 controller more or less falls in your hands and feels more natural. I just feel that with the ps3, i get a bit more accuracy and precision with the sticks because of the wider range of movement the ps3 stick have and the spring is a bit tighter.

i cant tell if its...o wait, there is no battery port... ok -5 for the 360 controller, lol

Im still in a tough decision on whether to get the ps3 or xbox version as well. My 360 is being used as a bookend (litteraly) at the moment but cod4 on the 360 was a bit smoother then the ps3.

@thesircuddles: You're talking to someone who has almost zero interest in competitive multiplayer and is judging these games almost entirely on their story campaigns. Neither game had a particularly good campaign. 4 is better in just about every way, but it's still not THAT much better because it's still an endless stream of corridor firefights with frustrating respawning enemies.

On the multiplayer front, World at War had those fucking dogs, which automatically renders its multiplayer instantly idiotic. Whoever greenlit that idea should have his nuts chewed on by a dog for a while.

As for the un-heart, sorry if I said anything that offended ya, I'm just not an FPS guy and it bugs me to see Activision essentially killing off every IP they own just to make sure they can burn the logo for this game onto the side of the fucking moon, then turn around and do it all again next Christmas.

@Ur-Lord-Crypy: But you will hear alot more "glug".

-MasterDex-

No amount of information and pictures can hide that they're, uh, made by Madcatz.

AKA cheap-ass plastic and controllers that explode a-la master shake when dropped onto a sofa.

@Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.:

Well, it was either wired or that.

It sucks that we can't use BT tech yea.

@Archaotic: MW coming out before WaW and still being even marginally better (despite WaW essentially being a WW2 mod of MW) is a testimony to how much better the Infinity Ward developed CoD games really are.

Activision do over-market practically all of their IP's, this is true. However, can you blame them given how good MW2 promises to be? If you don't like it that's fine, but it's a pretty common opinion that MW was one of the best FPS games for quite some time. Who would be stupid enough to not promote its sequel?

@Ur-Lord-Crypy: I'd say half of what I hear on PSN late at night are bong rips, followed by a ridiculous amount of coughing. Does this help with that too?

lioninacoma

@JustJake: yeah i agree about the 360 controller... my ms one died again.

@[www.gamecyte.com]

@Archaotic: I'm sorry, Modern Warfare is 'marginally better' than World at War?

My first un-heart on Kotaku.

Anyone else have a tough time trusting anything Madcatz?

@Sir-Lucius has no pictchar!: Meh, their keyboards are not that high quality. Hot keys are nice though. I like my clicky model m best. I don't know about Plantronics/Sennheiser I always found their build quality was crap. I prefer to use a stand up mic or a cheap headset that I wear around my neck and use my good headphones instead.

Never got the point in lighting up keyboards. I don't look down at my keyboard ever. The home keys have a little grove for a reason.

sereal

@Struct09: Yeah, MadCatz has admitted that it's prohibitively expensive to implement Bluetooth in PS3 controllers.

[www.gamecyte.com]

@ChunkyPeanutButter: I think I remember reading that they kept it wired to allow for quicker response times for the controls.

@thedanielrecord: alriiiiight gigigoo.Im going to buy it and act like a 12 year old like I always do when I play alone with random people.I love being muted lol.

@ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness:
It's not, I'll tell you that now. It's smaller that the normal headphone jack. Now having an adapter to go from Xbox-to-PC for the headset would be awesome and feasible.

@ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness: if it's regular 360 jack it'll be 2.5mm instead of 3.5mm. oh it'd be a short cable too.
By form factor i mainly mean swapping the analog sticks around.
I'd love to have a DS3 layout pad to use on my mates 360.

The 360 controler looks boss. Too bad they only show a wired version. Would definately get it if it was wireless.

The keyboard looks like something from Tron.

JustJake

@Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.: I don't think that's MadCatz's fault, more due to Sony and licensing. Have there been any non-Sony controllers that don't have a dongle?

Funny at how noone here seems to see how great the throat communicator is.
YOU CANT HEAR PEOPLE BREATHING INTO THE MIC!!!!!!

Come on, how many times a night on live do you hear some kid or fat ass blowing his nose juic into the mic or huffing and puffing.

You cant hear breth through your throat

Ur-Lord-Crypy

I already have that keyboard essentially, but the digital camo looks terrible on it.

notquitedeadyet

@jomama22: I don't think i am willing to give up the wireless on my standard xbox controller. The PS3 one looks appealing though because i'm not a fan of the standard ps3 controller for FPS games. Can't decide yet which system i will grab the game for.

You've got that wrong, Fahey. You will be able to call other Xbox Live users dickheads with much clarity as they will be able to hear you better because of your throat mic. Silly goose.

@jargy1: 1) So I can hear my D**k in your mouth when I T-bag you in MW23) Imo, you've not played with gamer gear if you can honestly say that a mouse is a mouse. There are differences, some small, some big. If you get a higher DPI lazer mouse as opposed to an old school ball and chain mouse, youll get two different outcomes. I mean skill is not something you can buy, so don't think getting this gear will automatically pump you full of win; but, I have had my game improved by upgrading my keyboard, mouse, and screen from a 17" laptop w/ travel sized optical mouse to a light-weight Razer keyboard, Logitech MX Revolution mouse and a Gateway 24" screen.

EDIT: Ergonomics is more for comfort, and, as a side note, I think changing weights on your mouse is going past the point of worth it (talking about chrome and other mouse-weight brands).

If any of the 360 gear was made officially by Microsoft, I'd buy it. Any and all of my Madcatz gear has broken within 3 months of ownership.

As for the PC items, I'd rather Razer or Logitech to make it. I'll have to pass...

@Tarchan: Agreed, the wired mics make others sound muffled to me...the wireless headset people sound GREAT, but I get reports of me sounding muffled and it likes to disconnect and reconnect randomly at times.

@ArJay: *sigh* It's a mic replacement headset....not a turtle beach style headset.

It's for people that would normally use a mic w/ game audio through speakers/tv

It's only $30 MSRP..cheapest turtles are like $70/$80 for the wired versions.

@phor11: You don't use the mic to listen to the game mate, you have speakers for that. The headset is only to hear voice chat.
If you put 2 earbuds in that it would mute all the sound getting to you, and that would cripple you.

@Kapwan: Ya man, if you havnt checked it out, check out the official Sony Bluetooth set. Its really nice and handy. Everything is automatic including recognization by the PS3, feedback, background noise, and echo canceler. Well worth it if you ask me.

@Omnimon: Fair enough, I read plenty of reviews of all the products when they first came out so I knew already of the washer problem with the SE sticks. Although I didn't think it was as widespread as you say, and I kind of have my doubt's regarding 50%+ having issues. I doubt all the owners out there that have no problems are going to come to SRK just to report that their stick is fine - whereas it's far more likely for people to report on faults etc, blowing things out of proportion some what.

While I do frequent SRK I don't check the TechTalk section all that much so I had no idea that the pad's had such a limited lifespan if what you're saying is true. Though again, I'd be tempted to believe it's not as bad as you think. I'm sure tens of thousands of fightpads have been sold, are there tens of thousands of reports on SRK of them dieing? If not then there's hardly any proof that "all of the pads are breaking over time".

I think I can heartily agree with you, Fahey. I am really not looking forward to hearing 'OH MAI GAAAAAAAAD YOU GUYS!!!' from an American tween in a startling military-precision clarity.

@ChunkyPeanutButter: It also has a ton of LED's in it....running off battery would probably be immpossible without causing power draws that slow button response. It's easier for them to just run it off USB and prevent getting bashed by users for having a 30 minute battery controller.

@notquitedeadyet: Just personal choice...my Saitek Eclipse II had issues and I replaced it couple days ago...if I had the $$ I'd buy this one as a replacement. I'm a digital camo (ACU Marpat/Multi-Cam) fan so I like it. It's gawdy for say a corporate office..but for a gaming rig keyboard it's fitting.

@Pretty Sneaky Sis: The last time I tried something made by Madcatz was like ten years ago and I hated the dammed thing (worked for like 1 month ) , maybe quality has improved?

If only microsoft would make the D-pad configuration like the one on this controller.

Cut-out 4-way = Win

Near flat directional button = Fail

slim934

@shredmanifesto: I probably just have shitty headset then. I wouldn't get the throat mike until I've tried it or viewed a live demo, but I like the concept.

@funcmode: I don't have a controller in front of me but I'm pretty sure that's how I do it as well.

@stoneflysoldier: It will be plenty clear, in Fire/Rescue we place walkie mics up to throat while wearing a Nomex (mildly thick chemical treated cotton) as an alternative to speaking through your mask if your dept. doesn't have the new mic equiped face pieces.

You hear people like you would be standing next to them without a facemask.

@noelix: Agreed! I loved the design and the addition of autofire toggles on the back - very smooth.

But wired? Come on, Mad Catz! :/

@funcmode: Well, you can go over to the forums (TechTalk) at SRK and see that your perception is pretty far off from reality in regards to the pads. Pretty much all of the pads are breaking over time.

Also, the SE is a horrible product out of the box, with an over 50% rate of having a washer on the stick out of position, and it eventually results in a grinding down (destruction) of the PCB. If you were unfortunate enough to buy one of those sticks, you have two choices: send it in for warranty repair (3-6 weeks to get it back), or void the warranty by opening it yourself.

The second option is actually where the value of this stick is at... since you just open it, save the PCBs and the wire harness, and replace the buttons and the stick with high-quality parts. It'll run you about the same as a TE to do all of that, but when stock on the TE was low, it was the best option. Now I'm stuck modding a bunch of SEs because I like them and I've got my friends stuck on the size compared to the fatter TE. :p

@Kapwan: Something on my throat would bother the heck out of me, and really how much more clear do you need the audio to be for in game chat? The PS3 BT headset works more than good enough for me, clarity wise and the fact that you can barely tell its on your ear.

A non-wireless Xbox 360 gamepad? Fail. Nice design though. What's the price on the wireless headset?

noelix

I actually am looking forward to the throat mic. I always play around speakers/music and have a fan on.

The fan tends to blow on the mic and while I've never asked anyone I always stay muted to save them the annoyance or sit ackward so my head is out of the fan path.

@Amsterdaam:

-Niric

@Archaotic: well shit...if it's not a "good game" to you, we might as well close up shop and stop supporting it.

THEMISSING

@[www.gamecyte.com]

@Befitzero:

I'm actually in that exact situation.

Also, I seem to have problems with the MS wired headset and wireless headset picking up my voice. I had to go with the old Plantronics Halo 2 headset, since its mic picks up my voice much better.

@thesircuddles: lol exactly. he knows nothing about the games yet trashes the entire series.

THEMISSING

no one else noticed that in the third picture the little "zoomed in" circles are pointing at the round buttons but they show the square buttons above them? smooth.

rondertaker

@Archaotic: every time i read a post of yours I think you might be the most uneducated/knee jerk poster on here. you don't like multiplayer games so you have no idea what you are talking about in regards to COD. stop talking out of your ass and stick to the games you actually know something about.

THEMISSING

@NeoChaos: Bluetooth is expensive in general. I don't blame people for cutting costs that way.

sereal

@Kapwan: If it were to be for PS3 it would have to be bluetooth anyways. Unless you'd rather have a long usb cord running all the way to your system.

Bluetooth works absolutely fine with me. I'd rather have the ear dongle thing anyways.

rougheo

@Omnimon: I was actually talking about the TE sticks, since they're the only ones I have first-hand experience with. Sorry I should have been more precise.

While I'd heard about the SE version having a few problems I thought the general consensus was that overall it was a pretty decent product, and I haven't really heard anything specifically bad about the pads.

At least I'm pretty sure my original point still stands in that their newer products are far superior to the old tripe they used to release not all that long ago.

@jargy1: 1) The expected demographical set of "Gamers" who will pick up CODMW2 and this headset need to talk (and scream) quiet so that their parents don't ground th-- take their 360 away.
2) Yes.

Joachim Deutsch

@phor11: thats what I didn't get. It's like that with headsets in general. Just output voice from the the tv and I can plug my headphones in that way and still use a mic. One thing though is with a earbud, you can atleast put headphones ontop. I did that before and it works.

sereal

This looks even better in the video IGN posted a few weeks back.
[gear.ign.com]

I wish they would make the throat mike for PS3. When I use a bluetooth it feels like people cant hear me sometimes.

@Omnimon: whole point of madcatz stuff has always been to save me money when i'm buying controllers for other people to use.

sereal

@thesircuddles: It's also what you use when making phone calls handsfree.

Too little brain, probably

rougheo

That's just the Saitek Cyborg rebranded. Lame. ( -_-)

@Eduardo Alvarez: Its only in one ear though by the looks of it, so it should be fine.

@NerissaElectryon: Pretty sure all third party controllers are forced to be wired by Microsoft, since they don't allow wireless (though the wireless guitars are an exception).

the ps3 controller has no rumble= FAIL
360 controller is wired = FAIL
these Madcatz peripherals suck
and as for the throat communicator
if you think u wont hear ppl breathing into the mic think again
this one still uses a hanging mic and is nothing like the real thing

Bottomline
MADCATZ=FAIL
stick to your regular stuff

NerissaElectryon

Aside from that throat communicator thing which looks just awesome, I think they're all ugly as shit. Color me disappointed.

The mouse looks uncomfortable as hell and those digital camos design are kind of ugly.

I expected more, but then again.. this is madcatz we're talking about, so I probably should've known better.

Throat mic? God, people will waste their money on anything..

Deathbearer

If that ps3 controller has decent triggers that don't give you rage like the official dualshock 3 triggers... I could be tempted...

gifurocks

@shredmanifesto: yeah the official ps3 headset is pretty nice. seamless integration when pairing. Even if the throat thing were to come to ps3, it'd have to be bluetooth anyways.

rougheo

@Laronvas: I know, I was just pointing out that they should make accessible devices like this but with two speakers instead of just one, you know. I wasn't aiming to compare apples to oranges but I guess I ended up doing just that. :\

ArJay

omfg, a 360 controller with an actual normal dpad? THAT MIGH ACTUALLY NOT BE FUCKED UP? omfg, just because of that i'm actually going to get this one, even if the controller is kinda ugly. Finally i can play those sidescrollers and arcade games without feeling i play handicapped \o/

Kovski

The mic would work great with my headphones(not a speakers guy). I used to do something similar with my 360 headset.

@Archaotic: Agreed. The game doesn't need all the marketing, name alone will see it sell out. Mad Catz picked up on this and are looking to totally milk it for all its worth.

Agreed on the Activision thing as well, but in this day and age, anyone who doesn't is an idiot.

Also, FPS games I do think are over-saturating the market these last few years. With exceptions of the few good ones out there (Modern Warfare, Left 4 Dead, TimeSplitters, Team Fortress, Halo, Killzone and Fallout if that can be considered), most of them are all very plain and often get ignored for the heavy hitters. If we could weed the rubbish ones out and into non-existence (TimeShift, Resistance and Haze immediately jump to mind) the number of next-gen titles available would take a serious hit.

@funcmode: Yeah, it's the problem with numbers, without someone citing them and agreeing to them, you can be called out on them.

Which is why... I actually used a very low percentage compared to what I believe to be the actual problem. I don't expect MarkMan to comment, but he is aware of both of these issues, and of how widespread they are.

I'll put it to you this way, I've bought 4 SE sticks for modding purposes, and each of them had the washer issue out of the box. Even at a 50% rate of failure, the odds of those 4 incidents happening in a row is 1/16. I doubt that I was this unlucky, and that the rate of 'washer incidents' is significantly higher than 50%.

Another reason you don't see many people complaining about the SE and its issues is that in the majority of cases it was bought for modding purposes anyway. I never complained about it, I was modding each and every one of those sticks anyway.

I have no first-hand experience with the pad. Just the interwebs talk.

My recommendation is to be very weary of these products, especially of the voice chat mechanism. MadCatz didn't prove anything to me with their SFIV line of products other than that a known quality parts producer produces quality parts (Sanwa).

Do they acknowledge who is behind the parts involved in the production of these items? If not, I would guess their usual low quality, cheap, inexpensive suppliers.

@kakashi3488 bye dad I will always miss you:
I agree completely; I read "undeserving of their hard earned money" and I was like wait a minute, isn't that a contradiction?

fanboyps3

@SuperTongue: Have you bought a Mad Catz product in the past year or so? It's only since they've "reinvented" their brand that their products have been worth a shit. Take it from someone who owns the SF4 Fight Stick. Their quality is crazy good now from my experience (and that's coming from a person who used to despise MadCatz/Pelican/etc. 3rd party products).

Kanji08

So . . . Is the dpad changed to not suck or did they just reshape it with no real difference to it's performance? 'Cuz if it's actually decent, I'd be tempted to pick it up for reasons other than MW2.

Kanji08

@NerissaElectryon: Well to be fair, the majority of competitive players (those who actually play games for a living) use wired controllers. So...maybe they were trying to go for the whole hardcore crowd with these things? But then again, competitive gamers don't use madcatz....

xbox controller better be cheaper than the oem wired microsoft one otherwise massive fail

radster

@Xucuroz: They do allow wireless, but they want a license fee for it. I agree with the first poster, useless of substandard stuff especially on the console side. Maybe that communicator could be nice, but something tells me it won't quite live up to its promises.

@sereal: Logitech keyboards aren't the best, but the hot keys are nice and I like the feel of the G15. Plus I got it for free. Their mice are top notch though.

Sennheiser is one of the most well respected brands in the audio world, both professionally and on a hobby level. They are far, far from crap, even on many of their "low end" models. They're up there with Grado, AKG, and Audio-Technica.

Plantronics, while not the best, offer decent sets for the price. They aren't the best headphones around, but the mic's tend to be clear and don't require you to turn the mic too loud to be heard. The 377's are surprisingly clear for games and movies, although they are pretty bass heavy for music. Perfect for Megasoid, not so much for Kaki King.

Is the first headset thing. A device to show how nervous you are when playing MC2? It reads how much your sweating, then translates it into a meter to show the other team how nervous you are.

Of course you could just be playing in a really hot room. but even then the joke would still be on you.

@Deathbearer: i got a pretty shitty mic right now so im kinda wondering if i can cut that ear bud off and use it in my computer...

Vintage

@TheOmnitron: That level of excitement seems pretty justifiable. That's a awesome-looking keyboard.

clank-o-tron

@Gundem: except they are not using blutooth either. no one has yet. its 2.4ghz wireless. you can tell by the usb adapter

Generalthe

@chang187: One would think that sucking would be part of the experience ;)

FlyveHest

The more I think about the more I wish MS would have taken the exact 360 form factor, slapped the dark camo paint job on it, and given me the two extra buttons without having to deal with Madcatz at all.

Sort of like how they did special controllers for Halo 3. I guess it's a different process if the studio isn't outright owned by MS, though. Too bad.

@jobble: epic fail hahahaha

casmith07

@TheOmnitron: Sorry. Got really excited there for a minute.

I WANT KEYBOARD I WANT KEYBOARD I NEEEEEED THE KEYBOARD!!!!

@NeVeRMoRe666: "competitive gamers don't use madcatz...."
except for the hundreds of competitive street fighter players who use the mad catz sticks.

jaeohen

@Xucuroz: uhhh...logitech? madcats just didn't wanna pay M$. 360's wireless is patented while PS3's is simply bluetooth.

@radster: 49.99

ridiculous.

@jobble: They're pointing at the switches that select what each button does, it makes sense to me.

@Benjammn: now then I have a question, and this is importat,

Why would you do such a thing?

I like how in the picture of the 360 controller the blow up's of the extra back buttons are actually pointing to the wrong ones. Can't even get their ads right.

jobble

@OGHowie: not to mention the standard xbox mic was made for kids I think because after a while it feel tight and I have to take the dam thing off.

Befitzero

@jobble: uh... you do know its intentional right, its because those back buttons correspond with the switches above.

considering i still use the older ps3 controllers and my analogs are all messed up...i just might consider checkin this one out. i'll give madcatz 1 last chance

@funcmode: i've tried using my 360 controller like that, as it seems more functional, and quicker than changing index finger from one to the other but i just can't seem to use my middle fingers as delcately as the index ones...i gues it just takes practice is all

I can't wait to turn the contrast and brightness on my TV down to zero and play COD MW2 with my night vision goggles on.

@Ajh:

Go Razer instead

@PurplePenguin04:

Maybe that is the intent, but I agree with jobble... it just looks like a screw up.

@Kanji08: Yeah, I bought The XBOX 360 Precision Bass guitar and the '2.5 million strum cycles' strum bar broke after two days. I also got a set of Rock Band Madcatz cymbals and the posts keep slipping down when I play because of bad design.

Aside from their SFIV stick (an anomaly to be sure) I'll stay well away from any Mad Catz tat. This new line does not convince otherwise.

@NerissaElectryon: The 360 controller fails because it's MadCatz. If you're a competitive gamer like me, you want an official MSFT wired controller.

IMarcus

@Deathbearer: I'll tell you one thing, never buy skullcandy 360 headsets, I don't know why but the 2.5mm plug is only for voice only, you have to plug the 3.5mm into an adapter that plugs into your red and white cords from the xbox and then you can either plug those into the TV or just ignore them. So unless you play really close to your TV, these things suck.

I really like the look of the keyboard...but I think..even as awesome as it looks. My next one will be a Deck...

Ajh

@jaeohen: Right...right. Forgot.

does this give me more camo?

@NerissaElectryon: The 360 wired controller is because MS refuses to let anyone manufacture third party wireless controllers.
I use a wired 360 controller because the increase in latency becomes unbearable to me after a battery has more than a couple hours of play on it. That being said, I will probably check one out at a store when they launch and may pick one up if they ever become cheap at online retailers depending on how they feel as my 360 sticks are becoming loose. I also think I'm one of the very few people that prefers to have no rumble at all in shooters..

Dude, that's not how you use a headset! D'oh!

No thanks.

when Mad Catz bought GameShark; i re-bought it (for PS2 because they stopped supporting the original interact one i bought). The box said i could DL the codes on USB stick and use them. Well i couldnt, they packaged an old version in a new box. I emailed them about 4 times and never got a response.

Mad Catz MGS4 bluetooth headset. $70 and worse than a $20 jabra. waste of money i just bought a jawbone 2 and its like moving from a tricycle to a 911 GT3.

Mad Catz SF4 offical joystick. Official arcade grade, only the QC is horrible & there are problems everywhere. So no, not official arcade grade.

No more Mad Catz for me.

string_theory

@Ajh: The Cyborg is crap, don't be fooled by the paint job.

@Lord Raggleus Fraggleus: I have a G11 atm, it's giant but pretty awesome imo.

I'd buy a black bluetooth/PS3 version of that headset in a heartbeat.

illiniphase4

@DrunkAus: It's a Cyborg, I have one. It's excellent man, even though advanced keymapping is kind of a pain in the ass.

@persus-9: Ahh yea. I gotta admit tho, theres something about that digital camo that I like haha.

@DrunkAus: Almost right, that looks just like a Saitek Cyborg with an ubran camo paint job. The Eclipse II is a bit more restrained than that.

persus-9

@DrunkAus: Saitek Cyborg, I'm typing on one right now.

That keyboard looks like a Saitek Eclipse II (I think thats what it's called).

@Wolfgeist: I'm NOT. Thus the comment that my next keyboard willl be a Deck.

[www.deckkeyboards.com]

Ajh

@Resident Diesel: No. Deck is higher quality than Razer.

Ajh

@excel_excel: I wasn't all that happy that they used third party controllers. The PS3 is missing out on vibration (and motion sensing, I think, but I'm not sure how they're incorporating that). I'm realy irritated at the fact that the 360 isn't the right shape and it's wired.

On the other hand, I will be interested to see just how useful the combat buttons are. I like the knife button versus stick-click.

@GrYnder: Nice one.

Love that throat-headset and I'm honestly thinking of getting one of the 360 controllers, wired or not, 'cause the D-Pad looks like it doesn't suck.

But... It's Madcats. So if the D-Pad doesn't suck, surely something else will.

@Skyllus: That's the thing though, in competition, it will make a difference or say on PC between a wireless or wired mouse, it would make a difference but online on the 360, it doesn't make such a difference because most people have wireless and have that lag. I'm not saying it doesn't improve your game though, I'd prefer wired to wireless any day but if you can't take advantage of the game with wireless, having a wired controller won't be a miracle for you.

-MasterDex-

@-MasterDex-: As a competitive gamer, I can tell you it makes a pretty huge difference in response time.

But the biggest thing for us is that most LAN competitions don't let you use Wireless (due to hundreds of xbox's in same place).

Skyllus

Throat mics aren't nearly as cool as they sound, especially when they're low grade. I suspect these won't be all that great, considering a decent throat mic usually costs around $100.

My woodsball paintball team has tried using throat mics and almost everyone has ended up going back to regular mics. The only two throat mics left on the team are both Fire Fox mics, which cost $97. All the cheaper ones are utter crap.

The advantage of throat mics is certainly not been clarity in my experience, but rather canceling of combat noise and the ability to talk in a low voice so as not to give away your position. These aren't really issues with computer gaming.

Even my Fire Fox mic has to be perfectly situated and adjusted to give good clarity. Some of the guys on the team can't get the throat mics to fit their throat correctly. I can only keep mine in place using a neck guard.

So in other words, these'll be for "cool factor" only, unless I'm quite mistaken.

alanmusician

does anyone know if the 360 throat communicator work for other actual walkie talkies?

the xbox controller looks wicked! but the ps3 controller looks like a ds2 that fell into a paint bucket...

estpaul

@KGBeast: it is usb and it is awesome. Its a Cyborg keyboard and I love it to death.

Hope That keyboard is USB, it looks awesome

KGBeast

the throat communicator = seven different kinds of awesome.

HeadspaceCools

@The-Real-Napsta: Except for the whole "wire" thing.

i like the 360 controller but I'm disliking the rapid fire switch on the back. I know that its a possible cheaper alternative to modded controllers but I would rather they not exist at all.

@estpaul: To me, the PS3 controller looks pretty awesome, and the 360 controller just 'fell into a paint bucket.' It all depends on your taste, and how used to seeing the controllers you are... But they both look pretty awesome.

Seriously, who complains about wired controllers? They are superior to their wireless counterparts in almost every single way.