Tuesday, December 26, 2000

• I hope Santa was good to all.  He presented me with a great electric guitar.  I must have been good all year long!
  
  

• I have posted the review of the Gravis Eliminator Gamepad Pro.  I was luck enough to get my hands on a few of these to try them out for multiple controller gaming.  read the full review
  
  

• I am receiving many post-holiday request for drivers, troubleshooting help, etc.  Be sure to visit the FAQ for some basic help and also check out the links page for direct links to manufactures for downloads and product specific advice.
  
  

• The message board for The Control Center was lost!  It was being hosted by Gamers.com and was deleted.  The archived board is still active but does not have many of the recent threads.  I am looking for advice on reliable, easy to use board software or services.  Please e-mail me with your advice.

Tuesday, December 19, 2000

• On December 6, 2000 Miacomet announced they were acquiring ACT LABS.  Many people had questions about what this means for each company.  Rather than speculating I went right to the source- The President of Miacomet, Keith Adams was kind enough to answer a few questions about the two companies futures and more importantly the product lines.  read the interview
  
  

• The message board has been down due to some host issues.  I have been told the board will be back up and running soon.  I apologize for the blank screen. 
  
  

• The Best of 2000 will be posted on December 31st.  I am going through the last years reviews, revisiting some controllers kept in storage and looking to finish a few extra surprises before another year passes by.  As usual I received many last minute review samples that I have not completed full reviews on but they may still be included in the final list. 

Saturday, December 16, 2000

• The review of the InterAct GoPad FX has been posted.  This little gamepad offers rumble effects, mouse function and a USB connection.  It claims to be the first USB-compatible gamepad although any USB pad can be used on a laptop (silly marketing group!).  read the full review
  
  

• Saitek has passed along some interesting press releases.  Their Cyborg 2000 Gold is outselling the competition (MS Sidewinder Precision 2 and Logitech WingMan Extreme 3D) at a decent rate even though Saitek does not own as much retail shelf space.  Each of the controllers have near the same price ($40 US).
  
  Their other announcement is equally interesting and I'll quote it directly-
  Saitek Industries actually measured performance of the GM2 Action Pad/Mouse by testing a group of online players.  According to the results, the Saitek GM2 can improve first person shooter frag rates up to 50%.   In player language, more frags mean more kills and that means more fun.  In order to test its new Saitek Industries selected expert-level Unreal Tournament gamers with top scores posted on www.ngWorldStats.com.  The research group replaced the keyboard and mouse with the GM2 for a two-week period; resulting scores were compared with the players' frag rates of the previous two weeks.  The research showed a dramatic 50 percent frag rate increase; in addition, efficiency (measured as a percent of kills vs. deaths and suicides) increased by an average of 13 percent.  An increase in efficiency means a player spends more time "alive" and wins more. Many of these expert players probably improved simply because of the better ergonomics of the GM2 Action Pad/Mouse.  Saitek expects that intermediate or novice players might show even more dramatic frag and efficiency improvement due to the fact that they do not have the same reflexive "muscle memory" to unlearn.
  
  

• BirdMan's Lair, the only remaining SpaceOrb 360 support site has posted a service pack for the Orb software.  The pack bundles together 56 different game setups into one handy package.
  

Saturday, December 9. 2000

• The review of the fUnc sUrface¹⁰³⁰ Mouse Pad has been posted.  If you think a mouse pad can't make a difference you should give the review a read.  read the full review
  
  

• I have begun putting together the "Best of 2000" list.  The cut-off point is not until the end of the year but it is rapidly approaching.  You can still view last years winners here.
  
  

• Next weekend I should complete testing on the Sidewinder gear and have reviews posted.  I am also putting the finishing touches on the InterAct GoPad review.
  
  

• An ACT Labs rep. has posted a message on the Message Board.  They are looking for feedback on a PlayStation 2 arcade stick.  Please stop by and give him your ideas.
  
  

• I have setup and interview with Keith Adams, President of Maicomet to discuss the acquisition of ACT Labs.  I hope to have the interview completed and posted before the holidays.

Wednesday, December 6, 2000

Miacomet acquires ACT LABS to create gaming hardware powerhouse

Springfield, MA. December 6, 2000 - Miacomet Inc. announced today that it has signed a letter of agreement to acquire 100% of Vancouver based ACT LABS Ltd., a technology development house and provider of leading PC and console gaming hardware. ACT LABS Ltd. will become a wholly owned
subsidiary of Miacomet Inc.

As a result of this acquisition, Miacomet has acquired the leading PC and console hardware development house responsible for the award-winning Force RS force-feedback racing system and the RS Shifter, an independent stick shifter accessory. ACT LABS is known for its extensive industry contacts as well as its ability to attract game support for unique and innovative
devices.

Miacomet's spatial sensory patents cover a range of hardware gaming technologies for use with golf, pool, snowboarding, fishing, and baseball simulations. ACT LABS will contribute its in-house development expertise to generate multi-platform products based on Miacomet's proprietary
technologies.

"ACT LABS' experienced engineering and development team will bring our technologies to market quickly," states Keith Adams, President of Miacomet.  " In addition, they have the resources to evangelize software developers to support our ground-breaking products."

" The coming together of Miacomet and ACT LABS represents a significant change in the future of gaming controllers and what consumers can expect from their video game experience, " says Alex Pui, President of ACT LABS and now Chief Operating Officer of Miacomet. " With the support of an
unnamed strategic partner, Miacomet will be releasing a number of products supporting next generation gaming platforms in the summer of 2001."

The acquisition, which will be accounted for as a purchase, is subject to certain closing conditions including satisfactory completion of due diligence by each party, approval of each party's Board of Directors, approval of each party's shareholders, and execution of the Definitive Agreement. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2001.

Tuesday, December 5, 2000

• This is one of those rare mid-week review postings.  The long awaited Saitek Cyborg Gold review has been posted.  The stick has many advanced features, is highly adjustable and has a great price.  Is it any good?  read the full review
  
  

• While I was away at work today the Microsoft elves pulled up in their sleigh, driven by St. Gates and dropped of a large package containing:
  - 2 Sidewinder Gamer Voice units (for full network and internet testing)
  - Sidewinder Strategic Commander
  - and a Force Feedback 2 Joystick
  
  I will do my best to get these, all of the other outstanding reviews and promised articles out before the end of the month.
  
  

• I have also received the fUnc Industries Surface 1030 mouse pad.  This washable, double sided mouse pad is specially designed for as the optimal mouse surface.  Expect a full review soon.

Sunday, December 3, 2000

• I have completed the review of the Saitek P1500 Rumble Pad that should be available shortly.  The pad has the unique axis locking feature on the analog joystick and derives its power from the USB port.  This pad will be included in the "rumble pad rumble" next weekend.  read the full review
  
  

• There is not much going on in the news department.  I am diligently working on the latest review items and features including:
  - InterAct GoPad
  - Saitek Cyborg 2000 Gold
  - Rumble Pad Rumble
  - Best of 2000