SteelSeries Acquires Ideazon

SteelSeries has acquired Ideazon, Inc., the company best known for its Zboard series of keyboards, as well as gamepads, Zboard overlays for specific games and gamer-focused audio products. The company, which makes headsets, keyboards, mice, software and gaming surfaces, feels that Ideazon’s products are a nice fit with its products.

SteelSeries supports more than 200 professional gaming teams globally and has involved many more pro and competitive gamers during its product development process. Ideazon has also inspired a community of gamers in terms of both sponsorships and event support.

“This acquisition will further establish SteelSeries as a leading global gaming peripherals manufacturer,” said Jacob Wolff-Petersen, Founder of SteelSeries. “No other organization works as closely with gamers and industry partners, or has a more comprehensive line of products to support every type of gamer. The synergies between Ideazon and SteelSeries are evident in the design, relationships and industry influence that both companies bring to the table to create this new gaming powerhouse.”

The new combined organization will be headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark with offices in North America and Asia.  More PC news here.

PMS Clan Frags For Alienware

Now that women make up 40 percent of the gaming public I have put myself on notice: write more stories about women and gaming, or get choked by an electric cord. Since I’m not a sadomasochist, I’ll go with option A. The PMS Clan, a pro gaming super gamer group made up entirely of women, will be representing gaming PC maker Alienware at several upcoming events.

Alienware will sponsor the clan, who will in turn use the Alienware Area-51 m9750 at several events including the Dell Extreme Gaming Tour, Quakecon, BlizzCon and Penny Arcade Expo. Those with enough guts can try and take these ladies on, but I wouldn’t recommend it.. This marks the company’s first-ever sponsorship of a competitive gaming team.

World of Warcraft Joins MLG PC Circuit

Professional gaming league, Major League Gaming, today announced the launch of the MLG PC Circuit. The kick-off event will be held alongside MLG’s Pro Circuit event in San Diego June 13-15 and will feature Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, over $20,000 in prizes and competitions played entirely on HP Blackbird 002 gaming PC’s. This is the first MLG PC Circuit event to feature Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft.

The MLG PC Circuit will continue throughout the 2008 MLG season with additional stops in Orlando and Dallas, and other PC titles may be added in the future, according to MLG. Registration for the MLG PC Circuit San Diego event begins on May 15.

ESPN to Cover Major League Gaming

Competitive videogaming got a big boost this week as it was announced that ESPN has signed a new content deal with Major League Gaming (MLG) to add videogame competitions to its sports lineup. As a part of the deal, ESPN will serve as a primary news outlet for info about the MLG, including digital coverage of MLG’s 2008 Pro Circuit Competitions, streamed matches, pro player interviews and regularly updated scores and stats. Additionally, MLG will host ESPN co-branded online videogame tournaments.

ESPN is committed to serving our fans, and we recognize the growing popularity of pro video gaming, said John Kosner, senior vice president and general manager, ESPN digital media. Adding MLG content to our already comprehensive offering will help us continue to deliver the best news, information and entertainment to our growing gaming audience.

Pro video gaming offers sports fans everything they love about sports — great teams, break-out personalities and stars, and exciting competition, said Matthew Bromberg, President and CEO of Major League Gaming. MLG’s digital properties now reach over four million fans a month, and millions more follow the League on TV, mobile devices, and X-Box Live. We’re excited to build upon that audience with ESPN.