Mad Catz Global Limited (formerly Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.) is an American Chinese-based company that provides interactive entertainment products marketed under Mad Catz, GameShark (gaming products) and TRITTON (audio products). Mad Catz distributes video game products for third-party partners. The company is incorporated in China and Taiwan with headquarters in

Kowloon Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

History

1989–2000

Mad Catz was founded in 1989. It focused on accessories such as control pads, memory cards, connection cables, headphones and other

human interface device A human interface device or HID is a type of computer device usually used by humans that takes input from humans and gives output to humans. The term "HID" most commonly refers to the USB-HID specification. The term was coined by Mike Van Fl ...

s for the PC and various video game consoles. Mad Catz also published console game titles, such as ''

Real World Golf ''Real World Golf'' is a video game developed by In2Games. It was published by Valcon Games in Europe in 2005 and by Mad Catz in the U.S. in 2006. Reception The game received "mixed or average" reviews according to the review aggregator websit ...

'' 1 and 2, ''

MC Groovz Dance Craze ''MC Groovz Dance Craze'' is a rhythm game for the Nintendo GameCube developed and published by Mad Catz. The game is a ''Dance Dance Revolution'' Clone (video games), clone and was bundled with Mad Catz' Beat Pad accessory. The game was originall ...

'' and '' Pump It Up''. Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. was incorporated under the

Canada Business Corporations Act The ''Canada Business Corporations Act'' (CBCA; french: Loi canadienne sur les sociétés par actions) is an act of the Parliament of Canada regulating Canadian business corporations. Corporations in Canada may be incorporated federally, under t ...

on August 25, 1993. The company was acquired in 2000 by the Toronto-based GTR Group, Inc. for a purchase cost of US$33.3 million, along with Games Trader (which collected and sold previously played and republished games) and ZapYou.com (which focused on e-commerce solutions).

2000–2009

In 2000, Mad Catz released the MC2 Racing Wheel for the

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

, which was awarded the Golden Award by '' Incite Video Gaming Magazine'', and the Mario Andretti Racing Wheel, which

GameSpy GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...

judged as the best peripheral of the 2000 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The company produced 12 licensed controllers for the launch of the Sega

Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...

and also released Internet-related accessories such as the Panther DC and keyboard adapter. In September 2001, GTR Group decided to capitalize on the strength of the Mad Catz brand and changed its corporate name to Mad Catz Interactive, Inc., closing its GamesTrader and ZapYou.com business units. The year 2001 saw the release of Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's

GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...

and

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

. Mad Catz offered products for these launches, such as the Control Pad Pro for GameCube, the Lynx Control Pad and the BeatPad (dancepad) controller for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

, the Game Boy FlipLight, and memory cards for the

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...

. In January 2003, Mad Catz acquired the

GameShark GameShark is the brand name of a line of video game cheat cartridges and other products for a variety of console video game systems and Windows-based computers. Currently, the brand name is owned by Mad Catz, which marketed GameShark products for ...

brand, described as "the industry leader in video game enhancement software, nablingplayers to take full advantage of the secret codes, short cuts, hints and cheats incorporated by video game publishers into their game offerings," and associated intellectual properties from InterAct for US$5 million. In September 2007, Mad Catz acquired UK-based company Joytech for US$3.7 million. In November 2007, Mad Catz further diversified into the videogame accessory market by acquiring European-based manufacturer

Saitek Saitek is a designer and manufacturer of consumer electronics founded in 1979 by Swiss technologist Eric Winkler. They are best known for their PC gaming controllers, mice, keyboards, and their numerous analogue flight controllers such as joystic ...

for US$30 million. In 2008,

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...

commissioned Mad Catz to produce a limited number of ArcadeSticks and six-button controllers, branded as “FightSticks” and “FightPads,” to coincide with the launch of their ''

Street Fighter IV is a 2008 fighting game published by Capcom, who also co-developed the game with Dimps. It was the first original main entry in the series since '' Street Fighter III'' in 1997, a hiatus of eleven years. The coin-operated arcade game version wa ...

'' fighting game. Due to the unanticipated demand for these products, production on these controllers was ramped up from their originally limited numbers. The FightStick remains a mainstay of the Mad Catz product line. In 2008, the FightStick's popularity spurred Mad Catz' involvement in the pro-gaming community, and Mad Catz has a strong presence at shows such as EVO,

PAX Pax or PAX may refer to: Peace * Peace (Latin: ''pax'') ** Pax (goddess), the Roman goddess of peace ** Pax, a truce term * Pax (liturgy), a salutation in Catholic and Lutheran religious services * Pax (liturgical object), an object formerly ki ...

, and

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...

. In 2009, Mad Catz released licensed controllers for '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'' and '' Call of Duty: Black Ops.''

2010–2017

In 2010, Mad Catz released officially licensed controllers for ''

Rock Band 3 ''Rock Band 3'' is a 2010 music video game developed by Harmonix. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, in late October 2010. Mad Catz took over both roles and re-released the title on N ...

'', including a keyboard controller, a microphone controller, drum kits, and two guitar controllers (both the familiar five-button and the Fender Mustang “Pro” 102-button guitar). That same year, Mad Catz acquired TRITTON Technologies, a San Diego-based gaming audio headset firm, in May 2010 for US$1 million at closing. In June 2010, Mad Catz announced an agreement with

Major League Gaming Major League Gaming Corp. (MLG) is a professional esports organization. MLG is headquartered in New York City, New York and was founded in 2002 by Sundance DiGiovanni and Mike Sepso. MLG has held official video game tournaments throughout the ...

(MLG) to produce the MLG Pro Circuit Controller for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Mad Catz sponsored MLG Pro Circuit Competitions. In 2011, Mad Catz’ Cyborg-branded R.A.T.⁷ Gaming Mouse was named “Best PC Accessory of 2010” by

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

. The company returned to software distribution by publishing ''

Jonah Lomu Jonah Tali Lomu (12 May 1975 – 18 November 2015) was a New Zealand professional rugby union player. Lomu is considered to have been the first true global superstar of rugby, and consequently had a huge impact on the game. He is widely regarde ...

Rugby Challenge'', ''Damage Inc. Pacific Squadron WWII'' (a World War II flight simulation game with a custom joystick), and ''

.'' Mad Catz acquired certain assets of V Max Simulation Corporation, which designs, constructs, integrates and operates flight simulation equipment and develops flight simulation software. Mad Catz has continued its focus on peripherals and accessories, such as the range of R.A.T. gaming mice and TRITTON-branded gaming headsets. In January 2013, Mad Catz announced its "GameSmart" initiative, a range of products using the

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

Smart stack featuring game and hardware independence, simplified setup, longer battery life and universal compatibility. Announced products include the R.A.T.^M Wireless Mobile Gaming Mouse, the F.R.E.Q.^M Mobile Stereo Headset, M.O.U.S.⁹ Wireless Mouse, and the C.T.R.L.^R Mobile Gamepad. The "GameSmart" initiative is intended to introduce an industry standardization to the mobile world. In June 2013, Mad Catz announced the M.O.J.O. Android Micro Console, described as "a supercharged smart phone with no screen that plugs into your flat screen TV to bring the living room experience to mobile gaming." M.O.J.O. is designed to interact seamlessly with Mad Catz's GameSmart controllers, mice, keyboards, headsets, and the rest of its gaming peripherals. In 2013, Mad Catz produced the ''

Killer Instinct ''Killer Instinct'' is a series of fighting video games originally created by Rare and published by Midway, Nintendo, and Microsoft Studios. The original ''Killer Instinct'' was released for arcades in 1994; the game was then released for t ...

'' Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2, the first fighting game controller available for the

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

, the then-latest

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

gaming console, that started shipping in late November 2013. Mad Catz helped spur interest in the burgeoning field of

esports Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...

by sponsoring the inaugural ESL One at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

in October 2014, as well as sponsoring the

Pro Tour featuring ''

.'' In April 2015, Mad Catz announced that it would co-publish ''

Rock Band 4 ''Rock Band 4'' is a 2015 music video game developed and published by Harmonix. ''Rock Band 4'' allows players to simulate the playing of music across many different decades and genres using instrument controllers that mimic playing lead and bas ...

'' along with

Harmonix Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., doing business as Harmonix, is an American video game developer company based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company was established in May 1995 by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy. Harmonix is perhaps best known as bei ...

, in addition to making the controllers for the game. Under the terms of the agreement, Mad Catz was responsible for worldwide retail sales, promotion, and distribution for the ''Rock Band 4'' game and its hardware bundles. Harmonix handled ''Rock Band 4'' digital sales and content. ''Rock Band 4'' was launched on October 6, 2015. In August 2015, Mad Catz announced that it will work with

Cloud Imperium Games file:Cloud Imperium Games logo.svg, Logo Cloud Imperium Games ''Star Citizen'' is an in-development multiplayer, space trading and combat simulation game. The game is being developed and published by Cloud Imperium Games for Microsoft Windows. An ...

to create licensed simulation products for its space simulation game ''

Star Citizen Logo Cloud Imperium Games ''Star Citizen'' is an in-development multiplayer, space trading and combat simulation game. The game is being developed and published by Cloud Imperium Games for Microsoft Windows. An extended retry of unrealized plans ...

''. These products, produced under Mad Catz's

brand, were first unveiled at

Gamescom Gamescom (stylized as gamescom) is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Since 2018, it has been organised by ''game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche'' (English: Associa ...

2015. On February 9, 2016, Mad Catz announced that it would lay off 37 percent of its workforce and stated that "''Rock Band'' sell-through was lower than originally forecast resulting in higher inventory balances as well as lower margins due to increased promotional activity with retailers." This followed the resignations of company president and CEO Darren Richardson, senior VP of business affairs Whitney Peterson, and company chairman Thomas Brown the day prior. On September 15, 2016, Logitech acquired Saitek, Mad Catz' simulation brand specializing in computer joysticks for $13 million. In March 2017, the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...

reported to the company that it was in the stages of delisting the company from the Exchange due to "abnormally low" stock value, which Mad Catz did not plan to appeal.

Bankruptcy

Mad Catz ceased operations on March 30, 2017, and filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of U.S. Bankruptcy code to initiate an orderly liquidation of its assets.

Return

On 4 January 2018, Mad Catz Global Limited (a new company headquartered in Kowloon, Hong Kong), with new ownership of previous Mad Catz trademarks, announced the return of the Mad Catz brand and the launch of a new line of products at CES 2018. Mad Catz Global Limited has continued the brand's development of gaming peripherals such as mice, keyboards, headphones, and controllers.

References

External links

{{Commons category
Official Mad Catz website

Official TRITTON website

Official SAITEK website

Official Mad Catz website in Germany
Defunct video game companies of the United States Video game companies based in California Computer peripheral companies Manufacturing companies based in San Diego Video game companies established in 1989 Video game companies disestablished in 2017 1989 establishments in California 2017 disestablishments in California Companies that have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 Companies formerly listed on NYSE American Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange Companies traded over-the-counter in the United States Defunct companies based in California