Skip to main content

"Get Your Freek On"

A new line of XBox accessories improves play and may help aleviate repetitive stress at the same time.

9/18/07 FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

KontrolFreek, LLC debuts its newest product called SpeedFreek. SpeedFreek is a snap-on toggle that fits over the analog joystick of the XBox 360 game controller. It offers not only more speed and control for faster turns in games like Forza 2 and Project Gotham, but may also help aleviate repetitive stress.

Gamers spend large numbers of hours glued to their game consoles. Whether playing racing games or first person shooters like Halo 3, users are constantly inputting repetitive finger and wrist motions. The concept behind KontrolFreek products is to provide a more ergonomic input surface on the controller. The result is that gamers can reduce the amount of force necessary to make these constant inputs. The direct benefits are smoother, more acurate play and less fatigue at the end of the gaming session.

"There are some nights where I spend 4+ hours racing. Before SpeedFreek, my thumb would get sore and fatigued. This is not only painful but also causes you to fall behind the competition. With SpeedFreek, I can relax my thumb and gain more control of my analog stick at the same time," says Donnie Walker, a CAD design expert and the product's inventor. Walker, an early adopter to online gaming, has spent hundreds of hours racing his friends around the world. Over the past few years, Walker leveraged his design skills at PUSH Product Design, an industrial design firm that focuses on medical, transportation and consumer products, to develop a series of prototypes that were carefully tested to reach the final design.

"After using it for the better part of the afternoon, I'm convinced. While it's no replacement for a good racing wheel, it's a remarkable improvement over an unaltered thumbstick. I'm able to roll my thumb across the control and use the raised walls to manipulate the control much more precisely. It just feels natural. I'm always struck by how some of the most meaningful innovation is often the most low-tech improvements on an old idea," says Dan Greenawalt, Game Director at Microsoft.

http://forzamotorsport.net/news/pitpassreports/pitpass25.html

"When we first heard about KontrolFreek we were all skeptical - but after receiving the samples we were forced to eat our words. A tiny bit of plastic makes a good deal of difference, the extra control is really noticeable," say the developers at Bizarre Creations, makers of PGR4/Project Gotham.

Why you should buy it - more precise control, more comfort and faster race times

How much it costs - $9.95

Where you can buy it - www.kontrolfreek.com or at GameCrazy gaming stores (check here http://www.kontrolfreek.com/shop.html for participating stores or call your local store)

For more information on this press release, please contact Donnie Walker at 256-335-0110 or support@kontrolfreek.com

Read this next

GamesIndustry.biz avatar
GamesIndustry International is the world's leading games industry website, incorporating GamesIndustry.biz and IndustryGamers.com.