Microsoft on Top of Its Game With Launch of Exciting New Gaming Peripherals
Company boosts gaming offerings with top-of-the-line gaming mice and wireless controller
AUCKLAND, New Zealand Aug. 23, 2006 At the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Microsoft unveiled several new
products to enhance its gaming line — the Microsoft® IntelliMouse® Explorer 3.0, Xbox 360™ Wireless Controller for
Windows® and Habu™ mouse in alliance with Razer USA Ltd. Guided by consumer feedback, these new products address
specific gamer demands and demonstrate Microsoft Hardware’s increased focus on the PC gaming market.
Back by popular demand, the original IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 offers gamers award-winning industrial design, unmatched
optical tracking performance and superior comfort. The Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows delivers a
next-generation gaming experience on the PC and Xbox 360. Also announced today, Habu provides adjustable side buttons
and up to 2000 DPI laser tracking in a comfortable design.
Extreme Makeover: Mouse Edition
Microsoft’s IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0, built on the original IntelliMouse Explorer design, delivers maximum precision
and superior control for gameplay on the PC. Its ergonomic design and wide footprint provide outstanding comfort and
stability, and extraordinary tracking accuracy delivers superior reliability and performance, making this mouse ideal
for gaming. With its new look and feel, IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 still has all the great features that gamers have been
demanding and now includes improved mouse feet for smoother gliding.
“We are reintroducing IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 in response to the demand from PC gamers worldwide,” said Bill Jukes,
product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware US. “People were literally carrying around their IntelliMouse Explorer
3.0s in protective glass cases, and rightly so — there isn’t a mouse on the market that can beat this design for
comfortable play and precision for low-sensitivity first-person shooter games.”
Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 offers these advanced features for the ultimate gaming experience:
• 9,000 frames per second provides unmatched frame-rate performance for superior tracking accuracy.
• Precision Booster enables gamers to switch between default and precision mode for enhanced control.
• Gaming Toggle lets gamers easily switch between favourite weapons or program frequently used action sequences — all
with the touch of a button.
• Scroll wheel with detents results in amazingly accurate in-game weapons changing and scrolling.
Cross-Platform Control
The new controller, a wireless version of the successful Xbox 360 Controller for Windows, delivers a consistent
next-generation gaming experience across the PC and Xbox 360. Designed by the Xbox 360 gaming team, the controller
features the following:
• 2.4 GHz wireless technology with up to a 30-foot range
• Adjustable vibration feedback for longer battery life
• Precise thumb sticks
• Two pressure-point triggers
• Eight-way direction pad for enhanced PC gaming
• Integrated headset jack for PC headsets
The new Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows is a superior wireless gaming controller that works with Windows
XP-based PCs and the Xbox 360 system to deliver a consistent entertainment experience across Microsoft’s gaming
platforms.
Razer Alliance
Also announced today by Microsoft is its exciting new alliance with Razer, resulting in a co-developed gaming mouse,
Habu. The new gaming mouse brings together cutting-edge innovation and comfort from Microsoft Hardware and best-in-class
gaming accessory technology from Razer.
Pricing and Availability
The products announced today will be widely available for the following estimated retail prices*:
• IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0: NZ RRP $69 (available November 2006)
• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows: NZ RRP $89 (available December 2006)
• Habu: NZ RRP$129 (available November 2006)
About Microsoft Hardware
For more than two decades, the Hardware Group has employed innovative engineering, cutting-edge industrial design and
extensive usability testing to create products of exceptional quality and durability that enhance the software
experience and strengthen the connection between consumers and their PC. Microsoft Hardware leads the industry in
ergonomic engineering, industrial design, and hardware/software compatibility, offering consumers an easier, more
convenient and more enjoyable computing experience. Microsoft’s IntelliMouse Explorer, which was launched in 1999,
earned a place on PCWorld.com’s December 2005 list of “The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years” as the first
mainstream optical mouse that “brought gunk-free pointing devices” to a broad consumer base.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people
and businesses realize their full potential.
ENDS