Razer CEO Defends Company Stance on PS3 Controllers
There's no Microsoft-Razer conspiracy going on.
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan took to Twitter two days ago and explained why his company doesn't produce PlayStation accessories. As it stands now, Razer only offers products for both the PC platform and Microsoft's Xbox 360. To a PlayStation 3 gamer, it looks as if Razer has some sort of exclusivity deal with Microsoft.
However Razer's CEO admitted that one of the big reasons why his company doesn't make PlayStation accessories is because he simply doesn't spend time with the PlayStation 3. He's had the console for a long time, he said, but it's just collecting dust. Naturally that opened the door to some unnecessary flaming.
"I think I spent 2 days straight on it for Infamous - but haven't felt the need to go back since," he said after one Twitter user said Last of Us would change is mind.
One Twitter user called him selfish, and he followed up stating that he designs products that he actually wants as a gamer rather than sell devices to gamers for money, a stance he basically described to us during E3 2013. The new Razer Blade is a perfect example of that business model: he didn't just bake a laptop and throw it at consumers, but instead waited until both the technology and the time was right.
Still, he's obviously a big fan of the Xbox 360: Razer offers a number of controllers for Microsoft's box. To a consumer, the lack of PlayStation 3 support simply because Razer's CEO doesn't play on the console – because he hasn't spent quality hands-on time with Sony's console to design peripherals for Razer fans -- could be a little insulting.
"Fair enough," he said, "but there's got to be games I want to play on the PS3. I really like Infamous so hopefully I'll like Last of Us."
One Twitter user responding to his original comment took a racial stance (really people?) while another, using the #dumb hashtag, accused him of using fanboyism to lead the company and not make more money -- there's a big market for PlayStation 3 accessories. Another said that from a business standpoint, Razer should provide peripherals to all customers. After all, the slogan is "by gamers for gamers", right? PlayStation 3 owners are gamers too.
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"It's not fanboyism," he said. "I loved some of the games on the PS3, but I just didn't play it as much. I'm looking forward to the PS4 tho. You're assuming it's just a business for us :) If it were, we'd be a much larger company than who we are today. But yes - we'll definitely be looking at PS4 but no promises there."
What Min-Liang Tan does with his company is his business, and it obviously works. The decision to not produce PlayStation 3 controllers means he's not willing to throw a product at consumers without his own personal involvement. It's a good thing that a company CEO is so involved with the products he designs, manufactures and sells.
At this point, there's no use in hoping that Razer will produce a PlayStation 3 controller, but to look ahead and see how Min-Liang Tan takes to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, PC gamers are bathing in Razer greatness, as always.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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eklipz330 meh. i don't own a single razer product. however i did download their surround sound program, and it works quite wellReply -
stevejnb Hrm.... Is it their obligation to release products for every single platform? Do they have things for the Wii as well and, if not, do people expect Wii specific peripherals?Reply
Ultimately, if it's a market that has demand and they're not capitalizing on it, they lose out on they money they would make from that market, and leave it wide open for someone else to swoop in. I think it's a bit silly to not release products for the PS3 as well but, really, not my concern. I think it's silly that MS took years to get an Office suite out for Apple and we are still waiting for an Android one and, go figure, significant Office clone programs have taken foothold on those platforms for their tardiness. You snooze, you lose. -
stevejnb Reply11118691 said:Why do people care?
Millenial mindset of entitlement - "I demand all things I desire be provided for me by the commercial/industrial world, and before I even realize I want it. If a product could exist and I decide I want it, it is their obligation to make it to appease my consumer appetites."
Seriously, in a world where people flip out if their phone goes even a few months without the next incremental update, are you shocked people have claimed fanboyism, bias, behind the scene deals, and even racism for reasons that the travesty of one video game console not getting certain third party controllers took place? People are entitled brats, end of story. -
codo The PS3 is a giant pile of garbage and Uncharted was the only worthwhile exclusive for itReply -
ninjustin Well the other nice thing about the Razer Controllers is that they also work on the PC really well.Reply -
knowom I'm sure he has signed a exclusivity contract with Microsoft for the foreseeable future and that's likely the real reason behind it.Reply
It's his company and his choice though so who cares he can build and sell the products he wishes to the game demography he wishes more room for other peripheral makers to fill that void. -
atavax I would of countered the comment that he only builds products he wants by asking why they don't have better quality control then. Obviously no one wants products cheaply made that break.Reply -
DRosencraft Look, he can choose whatever it is he doesn't want to make for whatever. He has no obligation to put the time and effort into making anything for the PS3 or anything other than PC or Xbox. But he does sound a little tone-deaf to suggest that it's ridiculous to even question if there is a reason other than his own personal choice that one of the longest standing companies in the gaming business could not garner enough attention for a single controller over these many years. Again, if he doesn't want to that's fine, and I can accept his reasoning - if I ran a company like his I wouldn't want to make something for the sake of making it. But I guess that when you make the effort to make a controller for the Xbox, it stirs questions about your lack of exposure to other platforms.Reply