Mad Catz, know for its famous gaming hardware like R.A.T mouses filed for bankruptcy. The company was looking for alternative options, but opted for this final solution. This have not been going well ... Mad Catz Files For Bankruptcy
IMHO Mad Catz devices are (were) too expensive. They are certainly different and add new features like HDMI input for a wireless headset (Tritton Katana) but at an unjustified high price tag: http://www.trittonaudio.com/prod/katana.php RIP
My R.A.T was my favourite mouse to date lol Felt just perfect in my hand, have had a normal soap shaped mouse again for a few months and still not liking it anywhere near as much
The Mad Catz peripherals I had in the past felt cheap (gamepads). After 11-12 years, my mx 518 finally died last week (I think). It works but it keeps cycling the windows plugged in and then unplugged sounds. I'm going to open it and clean it and hope for a miracle. That was the best mouse I've ever had. Too bad they quit making it. I'm using a 602 right now.
Not too surprised after the blunder they did with the Original Rockband 4 instruments which caused Harmonix the dev behind Rockband 4 to switch manufactures.
You won't believe it, I have 2 sealed packages of MX518 in my cupboard. Am using my 2nd MX518 at this moment. One "died" after ~ 9 years.
The Chinese are taking the mouse market by storm. Lots of decent cheap gaming mice on Amazon/ebay many of which (imo) are as good as big brand names.
I don't think that's what the problem was. I know that I loved my RAT 7, and used it for years until it got broke when I was moving. When I went to get a new one I saw that pretty much all the reviews were saying that they had went with a different (cheaper) sensor that was prone to failure. Sifting through the reviews for their other products basically showed the same thing; they used the cheapest stuff whenever possible and put a huge mark-up on their products.
My OG Deathadder still kicking strong. Never liked Mad Cats stuff. Had a Tritton headset at one time that was the most uncomfortable set of cans I ever put on my head.
All their peripherals were (relative to competition) very expensive and piss-poorly made, or at least according to everyone I've ever met and my own experiences. Mad Catz were one of the few in niche markets (like fighting game peripherals) so they could charge an arm and a leg... Yet instead of delivering memorable products they became notorious for poor quality and dubious design decisions. Even if someone wanted any of their niche products, in my experience, they were impossible to get ahold after the very initial launch or even pre-orders. This is product after prodcut, I know there was more demand than they gave supply for, as I said, niche markets; there often wasn't another option. It's pretty bad losing a company in any small niche market, but I don't even know if they'll be missed. At the prices they were charging it's cheaper to import Hori products from Japan if they're not available here, and unlike Mad Catz there is a chance there will actually be stock.
I was looking at trying one of the R.A.T. MMO oriented mice recently, now I'm glad that I didn't choose that one. :/
I belong to those who wouldn't have bought any Mad Catz products due to aesthetic reasons. Those mice look like they skinned another manufacturer's poor mouse, leaving behind a living corpse of bare muscle and bone. I wish I had done that. When my 518 died, I tried to look everywhere for a new replacement, but of course in vain. I had to settle for Steelseries Rival 300, which was the closest I could get to the good old Mx518. It's weird Logitech offered nothing similar at all. Maybe Mx518 didn't sell too well despite being so excellent?
The G400 is exactly the same as the MX518 (well, it is a newer MX518.). It's easier to find than the MX. I'd try and find 2 or 3 of them if I were you I went from MX518 to G400 myself many years ago, and it was really pretty much exactly the same mouse just with different name and different color. Otherwise, 100% identical, except with a better sensor. The newer G400s is also almost identical. I never used one though, but it should be the same too. You can still find both the G400 as well as the G400s new on sites like Amazon.
Still have my Madcatz cyborg gaming lights but since DX12 not many games support AMBX anymore now I mainly use them for watching movies or listening to music, still i'd buy another set if they broke, they're something I don't notice but would miss if they where gone.