Peripherals manufacturer Razer has unveiled a preliminary design for a controller built for a single game: the long-awaited MechWarrior Online massively-multiplayer on-line giant-robot-fighting game.
Dubbed the Artemis, for the huntress daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, the controller combines a flight stick, keypad and large colour display into a behemoth of a customised gaming controller created specifically with the needs of MechWarriors in mind.
It's not the first time a gigantic, custom controller has been created to help gamers controller building-sized heavily-armed mechs: Steel Battalion, released for the original Xbox console in 2002, came equipped with a dual-stick, 40-button, triple-pedalled controller which was exclusive to the game and its multiplayer sequel Steel Battalion: Line of Contact. The game's latest incarnation, sadly, ditches the device in favour of tying in to Microsoft's depth-sensing wave-your-arms-around Kinect system.
Back to the Artemis: from the left-hand side of the controller it features a 12-key keypad with mechanical switches for tactile feedback, an analogue throttle slider with button, an integrated LCD screen which displays the in-game map - and, if Razer's got any sense, will be touch-sensitive - and a force-feedback flight stick with adjustable grip and more buttons, triggers and hats than you can throw a Kodiak at.
Sadly, Razer is being slightly coy about when the device will hit the market and how much it will cost. It readily admits that the current Artemis is a non-functioning prototype, but claims that it has every intention to bring the design to production and - hopefully - release the controller in time for the launch of the game.
More information, and a sign up form to be alerted as and when the device is launched, is available on the official website.
Dubbed the Artemis, for the huntress daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, the controller combines a flight stick, keypad and large colour display into a behemoth of a customised gaming controller created specifically with the needs of MechWarriors in mind.
It's not the first time a gigantic, custom controller has been created to help gamers controller building-sized heavily-armed mechs: Steel Battalion, released for the original Xbox console in 2002, came equipped with a dual-stick, 40-button, triple-pedalled controller which was exclusive to the game and its multiplayer sequel Steel Battalion: Line of Contact. The game's latest incarnation, sadly, ditches the device in favour of tying in to Microsoft's depth-sensing wave-your-arms-around Kinect system.
Back to the Artemis: from the left-hand side of the controller it features a 12-key keypad with mechanical switches for tactile feedback, an analogue throttle slider with button, an integrated LCD screen which displays the in-game map - and, if Razer's got any sense, will be touch-sensitive - and a force-feedback flight stick with adjustable grip and more buttons, triggers and hats than you can throw a Kodiak at.
Sadly, Razer is being slightly coy about when the device will hit the market and how much it will cost. It readily admits that the current Artemis is a non-functioning prototype, but claims that it has every intention to bring the design to production and - hopefully - release the controller in time for the launch of the game.
More information, and a sign up form to be alerted as and when the device is launched, is available on the official website.
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