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Tech Tales - The Life & Death of Mad Catz (Patreon)

Published:
2017-05-10 01:45:01
Edited:
2017-05-12 15:24:17
Imported:
2021-03

Content

Had quite a few requests for this one, and hey, why not since it's a pretty recent ending to this story! It was surprisingly tough to put together any accurate early history at all on Mad Catz, but I pulled together some interesting tidbits I think. Hope you enjoy :)

Files

The Life & Death of Mad Catz [LGR Tech Tales]

This episode covers the story of Mad Catz, the company behind everyone's least-favorite controllers and surprisingly good arcade sticks. Join me in LGR Tech Tales, looking at stories of technological inspiration, failure, and everything in-between! ● Consider supporting LGR on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LazyGameReviews ● Social links: https://twitter.com/lazygamereviews https://www.facebook.com/LazyGameReviews ● Music used in order of appearance: "Nautical 2" by Loscil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpjlqXaC6ys "Anekbah Theme" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmdgZkWgfUE Werewolfdance, Streetlight Conundrum 1, After The Storm 3 http://www.epidemicsound.com "Twin Shine" https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music ● Main sources for info: https://books.google.com/books?id=jYodBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA95&dq=mad+catz&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixz-Sa1uDTAhXKQCYKHfnXBXYQ6AEIKzAB http://www.retrogamingconsoles.com/consoles/nintendo-entertainment-system/nes-accessories-3rd-party/ http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/69/690/69024/items/163013/annreport03.pdf http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/techreviews/games/2001-07-30-spotlight.htm http://hexus.net/gaming/news/hardware/84473-continued-survival-mad-catz-depends-rock-band-4-success/ http://www.zdnet.com/article/electric-shock-game-controller-has-great-potential/ http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28780/Mad_Catz_Acquires_Gaming_Headset_Company_Tritton.php http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/265502/Mad_Catz_lays_off_63_of_staff_in_restructuring_plan.php http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/274144/Mad_Catz_reports_11M_loss_following_bad_Rock_Band_4_deal.php http://fortune.com/2015/11/05/esports-boosts-mad-catz/ https://web-beta.archive.org/web/19980502180214fw_/http://madcatz.com:80/press_frame.html http://segaretro.org/Mad_Catz http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=69024&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1533559 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/8202/mad-catz-acquires-gameshark-brand-from-interact http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110228005714/en/Mad-Catz-Acquires-Assets-Max-Simulation-Corporation https://www.engadget.com/2008/06/19/mad-catz-apt-to-release-rock-band-instruments-next-week/ https://web.archive.org/web/20121107032809/ https://www.gamespot.com//news/mad-catz-buys-saitek-6182902/ http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/169903-Mad-Catz-Delisted-from-New-York-Stock-Exchange https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mad-catz-dreamcast-peripherals-unveiled/1100-2566095/ http://ir.madcatz.com/mobile.view?c=69024&v=202&d=3&id=aHR0cDovL2FwaS50ZW5rd2l6YXJkLmNvbS9maWxpbmcueG1sP2lwYWdlPTEwOTc3MzU0JkRTRVE9MSZTRVE9NCZTUURFU0M9U0VDVElPTl9QQUdFJmV4cD0mc3Vic2lkPTU3 http://ir.madcatz.com/mobile.view?c=69024&v=202&d=3&id=aHR0cDovL2FwaS50ZW5rd2l6YXJkLmNvbS9maWxpbmcueG1sP2lwYWdlPTU3NTQxNDYmRFNFUT0xJlNFUT00JlNRREVTQz1TRUNUSU9OX1BBR0UmZXhwPSZzdWJzaWQ9NTc%3D http://ir.madcatz.com/mobile.view?c=69024&v=202&d=3&id=aHR0cDovL2FwaS50ZW5rd2l6YXJkLmNvbS9maWxpbmcueG1sP2lwYWdlPTE5ODM0NDEmRFNFUT0wJlNFUT0wJlNRREVTQz1TRUNUSU9OX0VOVElSRSZzdWJzaWQ9NTc%3D https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20020415110348/http://www.corporate-ir.net:80/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=MCZ&script=2100 http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/07/02/mad-catz-reports-debt-warning-and-additional-credit-to-ship-rock-band.aspx https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/06/mad-catz-rock-band-accessories-revealed/ https://www.polygon.com/2017/3/31/15137812/mad-catz-shut-down-bankruptcy http://gizmodo.com/5161299/mad-catz-street-fighter-iv-fightsticks-review https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mad-catz-warns-of-substantial-doubts-about-surviva/1100-6428626/ https://web-beta.archive.org/web/19980502173546/http://madcatz.com:80/home_frame.html https://www.engadget.com/2013/06/14/mad-catzs-android-console-now-just-mojo-pulls-games-straight/ http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/31/technology/playing-games-gets-serious-and-painful.html http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2003/01/20/daily38.html https://www.fgiww.com/stories/mad-catz-interactive/ http://www.reuters.com/article/us-taketwo-sale-unit-idUSWNAS366220070907

Comments

Justin Dotson

It was kind of amazing how bad Rockband 4 bombed. I was amazed that whole industry survived for as long as it did considering how much shelf space the instruments took up. I remember using their cheap knock off playstation memory cards and then it would wipe itself and I'd lose everything.

Anonymous

I actually really like my Mad Catz's Cubicon gamecube controller, maybe even more than the stock Gamecube controller. It's funny hearing so many people complain about their quality because I've actually had nothing but good luck with them.

avfusion

Wearing my LGR socks. I'm ready for this. :>

Anonymous

Not even giants last forever. Then again - do we really need many external peripharals anymore?

Troy Wilkins

I remember getting many, many hours of enjoyment out of Gran Turismo 1 and 2, controlled with the Mad Catz steering wheel and pedals. Ahh, those were the days... *drifts off into nostalgic haze*

Anonymous

So that's what happened to Tritton! Also, kind of weird that Logitech has Saitek now. I remember buying a Saitek stick from Walmart back when I was playing Combat Flight Simulator (the Pacific one) on my old Pentium 2 Compaq. Had to take it back and exchange it for a Logitech Wingman which I still have because it came with a game port to USB adapter. Little did I know I wouldn't be able to use the stick for another year or so because the laptop didn't provide enough USB power or something. Isn't learning fun.

Anonymous

I must admit I hadn't heard about MadCatz before the Fight Stick. I guess it wasn't a big brand in Europe?

Anonymous

With Ch 7 liquidation maybe there'll be some new peripherals on eBay for cheap! Wonder if I need anything.

Anonymous
>>5107571

I wouldn't mind having one of those Street Fighter fight pads. Just thinking it would be nice for 2D platformers and other old games on PS3.

avfusion

At 4:33, you use the word "electrocutes" in reference to shocking children. I think you just mean shock. Electrocution implies death via shock. I know I'm being that person, but I promise I say it because I care :D (EDIT: I see now some sources say it says injury too. I think that's new but yeah ignore this. It used to mean death via accidental shock.)

Lindsay Michelle

I enjoyed your use of Google Earth here. I also liked the use of "engineers" like they were a single person with a profound quote, haha. And speaking of people, I noticed this Tech Tales is much less individual-focused than a lot of the other past Tech Tales, but rather, more product and finance-driven in narrative.

Kris Asick

I use a RAT5 mouse... Guess next time I need a new mouse it's gonna be something else. :/

LazyGameReviews
>>5107715

It was used more so as hyperbole than anything else, for humorous effect poking fun at such an absurd product idea ;)

LazyGameReviews
>>5107900

Thanks! And the focus on product is pretty much by necessity in this case since there are very few key individuals named in the company's history.

LazyGameReviews
>>5107973

There's a chance the product line is/was purchased by another company and will be continued, but I haven't heard what happened to all the Mad Catz assets yet!

LazyGameReviews
>>5107570

They were in many countries in Europe! <a href="http://www.madcatz.com/distributors/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.madcatz.com/distributors/</a>

LazyGameReviews
>>5107566

Yeah when I saw the Logitech/Saitek news I was quite intrigued. Didn't realize at the time that it was because Mad Catz was doing so badly.

LazyGameReviews
>>5107031

They make a lot of sense in niche situations, but generic controller alternatives? Nah, not really needed I'd say.

LazyGameReviews
>>5107026

They certainly made some solid controllers here and there! I do like that the Cubicon is a bit bigger than the normal one, it fit my hands better.

Anonymous

I'll kinda miss them, only for the nostalgia from it, great video as always!

Anonymous

I remember hearing about the deal with Harmonix and thinking how weird that was. Needless to say my guitar still works well. :)

Anonymous

Wow! A couple of their website links are already broken. Particularly the store and support links from the homepage. I remember the Game Boy accessories, the big buttons, screen magnifier. Mad Catz was big in my Game Boy days.

Anonymous

Never had any experiences with them, but now I'd like to try some of the (better) controllers out. At least as a nice little farewell to one of the biggest names in cheap controller manufacturers .

Anonymous

I've owned many different brands of PC/console gaming peripherals (Microsoft, Logitech, Kensington, Sony, Nintendo, Belkin, Gravis, InterAct, etc.) but never anything from Mad Catz - their offerings never caught my eye. Can't say I'll miss them at all : /

Anonymous

Whats the song at the end? can't get enough of that little jingle haha. do dodo dododododo beep and repeat haha.

Anonymous

Sorry Mad Catz but once I bought your Dreamcast controller you were dead to me. The quality on those controllers was just so bad it made you not want to play the game. You get what you pay for though.

BastetFurry

YGWYPF, but i used worse. For me they were OK. At least i liked them for their name, that was a win. :D

Anonymous

Damn it, I contacted their support just a month or two ago about my GameBoy Camera to Win95 Serial cable not working and they said they would let me know if any replacements showed up in stock!

Anonymous
>>5111905

This is just like Pebble, every damn time I buy something the company goes bankrupt! I'm out! I'm never buying anything again.

Anonymous

Love Tech Tales man. This was interesting to listen to and I never knew Mad Katz was that prolific

Anonymous

That's a great night view of Hong Kong.

Anonymous

Thanks for more scrumptious content for consumption, it was amazing and nostalgic.

LazyGameReviews
>>5109237

I certainly never owned anything of their intentionally, haha. I had some High Frequency pads for the Genesis since they were given to me, but that was about it.

LazyGameReviews
>>5109033

I'm surprised the rest of the website appears so intact, but I assume that'll be the case until the current hosting plan expires. Surreal to see a dead website walking, so to speak.

Anonymous

I'm definitely not going to miss the new stuff, but I did like the RAT Mouse, and all those cheap PS2 controllers that broke after just a few months. not that they were good, but they were just fun.

Anonymous

Yay! My favourite LGR series is back!!

Anonymous

Didn't notice they went under wow. Love my RAT Mouse only thing about it I don't like is that I can't use it in linux as it just refuses to click. Most of the stuff of theirs I had was crap but the things I did have that were good I will cherish until they die.

Mac84

I also didn't realize they were gone. Wow, the end of an era I guess. I always liked their memory cards as they had larger-than available sizes from the console makers. Not to mention their neat PC / Console memory card adapters like the Data Deck for the PS1.

Terry Lee

You must put a lot of time into these... I admire you for all that heavy research and summarizing it for us!

Anonymous

Tech tales is one of my favorite things you do. thank you!

Anonymous

great video ! :D

Anonymous

How many different ways can I say "Good job as always with TT"?...

Anonymous

This story went from "top tier zomfg kewl company" to bankruptcy in an instant.

floverSaeu09

Interesting...I have never heard much about Mad Catz except for a loose Gameboy Advance game cart that came in a Mad Catz cart holder shaped like the original GBA system ahah

Anonymous

I been watching clients thrifting videos I'm so inspired to go and thrift, once I'm debt free soon I'll thrift and also pledge to LGR, love this channel though and I still can't get over Bethesda making racing games. Can't wait to find a ps1 and ps2 a nes if I can ahhhhh all your fault Clint. Also would love an old 486 etc or something round there for o g windows lol

Anonymous

Phillips RGB LED smart lighting saw it's origins with Mad Catz gaming lights. They partnered for the idea, and at one point they were branded Saitek Cyborg gaming lights as well as Mad Catz. This development would later become the Phillips HUE smart lighting system. I've actually equipped my entire house with them, and they're wonderful. Shame I never got to play with those gaming lights. The on screen replication technology later became Phillips Ambilight, as fitted to their televisions. The all in one light wash units I have behind my home theater speakers are direct descendants of those gaming lights; lacking only the on screen replication (thanks Sony, HDMI, and HDCP).

Anonymous

To be honest, I actually preferred the Mad Catz GameCube controller over the Nintendo one. I had a gray version of the one shown in the video. It worked and I felt like it was far more comfortable than Nintendo's.