Editor’s Note: This article was originally published with the statement that the Light Strike keyboards have a response time of 0.02 milliseconds. The mistake is on us. The actual response time is 0.2 milliseconds. We apologize for any confusion and have corrected the statement.
PC gamers have a bewildering number of choices when it comes to high performance gaming gear. I recently had an opportunity to talk with Brett Deister of Bloody Gaming about their products and how they can help gamers. Enjoy our conversation and look for our upcoming review of a Bloody Gaming keyboard.
TIC: Please tell us a little bit about your company’s history and mission statement.
Bloody Gaming traces its roots to the legendary A4TECH line of PC peripherals established in 1987. With over 30 years of experience, Bloody Gaming marks the culmination of decades of research and development focused on bringing gamers a premium line of products developed for those seeking the ultimate gaming gear. Featuring some of the most advanced and innovative technology in the space, including the new Light Strike (LK) equipped keyboards, Bloody Gaming peripherals promise to provide gamers with the competitive edge they seek. After 10+ years of R&D, exclusively in the PC gaming sector, gaming is a passion for us; it’s who we are… it’s in our blood.
Our Mission Statement: Our Vision is to create the Ultimate Gaming Gear.
TIC: What is your role at Bloody Gaming?
I am the Marketing Manager.
TIC:Let’s say I am new to PC gaming and am building a new rig. I go on Amazon and see cheap keyboards for $20 and I see your Light Strike mechanical keyboards for $100 or more. What is the value argument for a gamer to spend the extra money on that keyboard?
Our keyboards use an optical mechanical key switch called, “Light Strike.” The LK switch is one of the fastest key switches on the market. Instead of having to hit the key switch and wait for it to hit the contact at the bottom, we have an infrared laser. Our key switches only need to make sure the laser hits the other end point. That means you get a 0.2 millisecond response time for ours. Our key switches eliminate the digital noise that other keyboards run into. There is no latency except for the player. Our key switch also does not run into the double-bounce that Cherry MX can have once the keyboard gets used more and [gets] older. That’s because of the laser. It’s a constant signal. Most of our keyboards are water resistant and they come in different key switches. Our key switches can last up to 100 million key strokes. We make sure our keyboards are built to last. We know that at a higher price people expect it to last longer. We understand that most people do not like the clicky sound.
TIC: I have a couple of broken, old keyboards stashed in the closet. You can imagine that if I spent $20 or $30 on a keyboard that broke on me then I would be hesitant to spend a lot more on a mechanical keyboard. What can you tell me about the lifespan of your keyboards?
I mentioned it above, but, our keyboards can last up to 100 million key strokes. We built our keyboards for durability.
TIC: Some of your keyboards have customizable RGB lighting effects. Could I use these to say, light my attack keys in red while my healing keys are in blue or green to make it easier to see which is which?
Yes, our keyboard is customizable and you can change any button’s color. We also have a robust macro system that can let players map out what key does what.
TIC: I think there is definitely an argument to be made for high-quality devices in multiplayer gaming. Opponents who have high-end keyboards and mice will have some sort of edge against an equally skilled player who is only using standard inputs. What I want to know is – how do high-quality controllers help people who mainly play single player games?
Every player is different. We do eliminate the latency in tech, but that does not mean there is not human latency. Even in single player games, gamers want to beat a tough boss or get through a level. With our tech, we can help with the latency on the tech side. Games have challenges in single player and multiplayer games. They vary, but there’s an element in beating something. We want our tech to be that competitive advantage.
TIC: Microsoft says keyboard and mouse support will come to their Xbox One console. When that happens will you release drivers to use your products on that system?
We will see what the market does. Right now we are focused on the PC market. If Microsoft or Sony open up their market to keyboards and mice, we will look at that and see if we can get certified for those ecosystems.
TIC: Your company also makes gaming headsets and mouse controllers, right? What do your mouse controllers do for me that I can’t get from my cheap old Logitech mouse I use with my laptop now?
It uses the same LK technology as our keyboards. It has all of the advantages of eliminating digital noise as our keyboards. Most of our mice have metal feet, which means those feet will last longer than the standard rubber feet. They last up to 50 million clicks. We do have a robust macros system for our mice too. You can take a screenshot, highlight text with a box or any other shape. There is an arrow graphic too. You can also write on your screen through our software. I know Microsoft Edge can do that in the browser, but you can do that on anything through our software. Our mice can be used for gaming and office business. There a bunch of other business function people can use to program in their mice. We do have gaming headsets. They use our proprietary diaphragm that is a carbon fiber mycelium. That means our diaphragms are still light but feel rigid. This gives the user fewer headaches and it gives the highs and mids a crisp sound. The lows/basses are given an extra kick too. The ear cups use a soft leather and they are lightweight. This means you can wear them and game longer.
TIC: What should non-PC gamers know about your products?
I imagine there are lots of gamers out there who simply don’t know they want or need high-performance gear. That our program can be used for gaming and for business. We want our peripherals to be used in all aspects of the gamers’ or non-PC gamers’ [lives]. You can customize your keyboard and mouse for work or play.
TIC: It seems to me that the rise of eSports and game streaming has helped boost the market for high-performance gaming gear. Do you get a lot of orders from these players?
The PC market was strong before the rise of Esports. Digital Distribution and the rise of building custom PCs helped sustain the market. Esports and streaming made it popular and lucrative. We love Esports and streamers. I know when I was playing games in the 90s it was not that cool to game. I loved it, but knew it was classified as a hobby. Now gaming is an accepted hobby and job. There are professionals in streaming and Esports. What they both did was [create] great demand for high-performance gaming gear. This made manufacturers make key switches faster and more reliable. The mice had to be more precise and [have] faster response time as well. It pushed the industry to make better products.
TIC: I appreciate you taking the time to have a conversation with me. How can gamers find you and your products?
They can find us on our website and on Amazon.
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