Next time you’re out a-shopping for wireless headphones and you spot some Xbox 360-branded ones, they’ll most likely be made by Mad Catz’s Tritton brand. On sale late-2011, Microsoft will help design them apparently.
MAD CATZ AND MICROSOFT CORPORATION ENTER INTO
EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT TO PRODUCE LICENSED, CO-BRANDED WIRELESS HEADPHONES FOR XBOX 360®
San Diego – February 2, 2011 – Mad Catz® Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (AMEX/TSX: MCZ), a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Microsoft® Corporation (“Microsoft”) to produce a range of licensed, co-branded audio headphones under Mad Catz’s Tritton brand and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 brand. Under the agreement, Mad Catz has the worldwide rights to manufacture, market and sell licensed, co-branded wired stereo headphones and exclusive rights to produce licensed, co-branded wireless stereo and Dolby 5.1 headphones for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system.
Through this agreement, Mad Catz and Microsoft will work closely together to jointly design and brand wired and wireless headphones, resulting in a range of headphones that will bear the Tritton and Xbox logos on both the packaging and the headphones. This will also mark the first time that wireless, licensed and co-branded headphones will be available for Xbox 360.
Commenting on the agreement, Darren Richardson, Mad Catz’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are delighted to be working so closely with Microsoft to design and brand a range of high performance headphones. The headphone category is the fastest growing category in the video game space – and this agreement assists Mad Catz’s Tritton brand in furthering its leadership to provide high-quality, innovative headphones that allow gamers and audio enthusiasts alike to enjoy a superior gaming and listening experience.”
Zulfi Alam Microsoft Senior Director, Xbox 360 Accessories, added, “We are pleased to be working in close collaboration with Mad Catz to design and brand products that we believe will deliver a high quality audio experience to Xbox 360 fans. Whether playing games or
enjoying music, movies or sports available on the Xbox 360, we are confident that gamers everywhere will react enthusiastically to this new range of wired and wireless headphones.”
Mad Catz expects that the range of licensed, co-branded headphones will be available for the 2011 holiday shopping season.