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== History ==
== History ==


Razer began as a subsidiary of kärna LLC in 1998, created to develop and market a high-end computer gaming mouse, the Boomslang, targeted to computer gamers. Kärna ceased operations in 2000 due to financial issues. The current iteration of Razer was founded in 2005 by Min-Liang Tan, a Singaporean [[National University of Singapore|NUS]] graduate and the brain behind the company,<ref name="auto"/> and Robert Krakoff after they procured the rights to the Razer brand.<ref name="About Razer">{{cite web |url=https://www.razer.com/about-razer/ |title=About Razer: History |accessdate=2017-05-02 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418162621/https://www.razerzone.com/about-razer/ |archivedate=2017-04-18 }}</ref>
coolRazer began as a subsidiary of kärna LLC in 1998, created to develop and market a high-end computer gaming mouse, the Boomslang, targeted to computer gamers. Kärna ceased operations in 2000 due to financial issues. The current iteration of Razer was founded in 2005 by Min-Liang Tan, a Singaporean [[National University of Singapore|NUS]] graduate and the brain behind the company,<ref name="auto"/> and Robert Krakoff after they procured the rights to the Razer brand.<ref name="About Razer">{{cite web |url=https://www.razer.com/about-razer/ |title=About Razer: History |accessdate=2017-05-02 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418162621/https://www.razerzone.com/about-razer/ |archivedate=2017-04-18 }}</ref>


At [[Consumer Electronics Show]] 2011, Razer unveiled the [[Razer Switchblade]], a handheld gaming device prototype.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnet.com/ces/peoples-voice/ |title=CES People's Voice Award |publisher=[[CNET]] |date=January 8, 2011 |accessdate=2011-01-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119194548/http://www.cnet.com/ces/peoples-voice/ |archivedate=January 19, 2011}}</ref>
At [[Consumer Electronics Show]] 2011, Razer unveiled the [[Razer Switchblade]], a handheld gaming device prototype.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnet.com/ces/peoples-voice/ |title=CES People's Voice Award |publisher=[[CNET]] |date=January 8, 2011 |accessdate=2011-01-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119194548/http://www.cnet.com/ces/peoples-voice/ |archivedate=January 19, 2011}}</ref>

Revision as of 15:46, 3 March 2020

"RZR" redirects here. For the airport with the FAA location identifier RZR, see Cleveland Regional Jetport.
Razer Inc.
Company typePublic
SEHK: 1337
Industrycomputer hardware
video game industry Edit this on Wikidata
Founded1998; 26 years ago (1998) in San Diego, US
Founders
Headquarters
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Number of employees
1,451[2] (2019)
Subsidiaries
Websiterazer.com

Razer Inc. (stylized as R Λ Z Ξ R) is a global gaming hardware manufacturing company, as well as an esports and financial services provider established in 2005 in San Diego, California by Min-Liang Tan and Robert Krakoff, after securing a large investment from Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing and Temasek Holdings.[3] The company has its headquarters in Irvine and has been listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since November 2017.

According to Razer's IPO Prospectus, Razer has "built the largest global gamer ecosystem of hardware and software and services".[4]

Razer is considered one of the pioneers of esports as well as one of the biggest brands in esports today.[5] Its founder, Min-Liang Tan has been credited as the brain behind Razer, directing and overseeing the design and development of all of its products.[6]

History

coolRazer began as a subsidiary of kärna LLC in 1998, created to develop and market a high-end computer gaming mouse, the Boomslang, targeted to computer gamers. Kärna ceased operations in 2000 due to financial issues. The current iteration of Razer was founded in 2005 by Min-Liang Tan, a Singaporean NUS graduate and the brain behind the company,[6] and Robert Krakoff after they procured the rights to the Razer brand.[7]

At Consumer Electronics Show 2011, Razer unveiled the Razer Switchblade, a handheld gaming device prototype.[8]

At CES 2013, Razer unveiled its Razer Edge gaming tablet computer, which was previously known as Project Fiona. The tablet uses the Windows 8 operating system and is designed with gaming in mind.[9]

In May 2013, Razer unveiled the 14-inch Razer Blade and 17-inch Razer Blade Pro gaming laptops with fourth-generation Intel Haswell processors. The Razer Blade 14-inch portable gaming laptop was dubbed the "world's thinnest gaming laptop" which weighed just 4.1 lbs., while the 17-inch screen Razer Blade Pro featured the built-in 'Switchblade' LCD display.[10]

At CES 2014, Razer unveiled Project Christine, a modular gaming PC. Each of the branches on the PC is a discrete component—a CPU, a GPU, a hard drive, memory—that simply plug into the central backbone. Once slotted in, Project Christine automatically syncs the newly added modules through PCI-Express (the same serial bus that discrete graphics cards and other components currently use).

In July 2015, Razer announced it was purchasing the software division of video-game company Ouya.[11]

At Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016, Razer has been selected for People's Choice Winner for Razer Blade Stealth Ultrabook. The company won the year before for the Razer Forge TV, and this year, it took home the prize for the Razer Blade Stealth Ultrabook, a super-slim gaming laptop.[12]

In October 2016, Razer purchased THX from Creative Technology according to THX CEO Ty Ahmad-Taylor.[13]

At CES 2017, Razer revealed Project Valerie,[14] a triple display laptop, and Project Ariana,[15] a projector that is designed to project onto a room with automatic room scanning.

In January 2017, Razer bought manufacturer Nextbit, the startup behind the Robin smartphone.[16]

In July 2017, Razer filed to go public through an IPO in Hong Kong.[17] In October of the same year, it was confirmed that Razer plans to offer 1,063,600,000 shares at a range of $0.38-$0.51.[18] On November 14, Razer was officially listed on Hong Kong stock exchange under the stock code 1337, a reference to leet speak commonly used by gamers.[19] Razer's IPO closed 18% up on the first day of trading and was the 2nd most successful IPO of 2017 in Hong Kong.[20]

In November 2017, Razer unveiled the Razer Phone, its first smartphone.[21] They announced the Razer Phone 2 in October 2018.[22]

In April 2018, Razer announced that it was planning to fully acquire e-payments platform MOL for about $61 million.[23]

In July 2018, Razer made its debut in Malaysia by launching an e-wallet service called Razer Pay.[24]

In February 2019, Razer announced it was closing its Razer Game Store as part of the company's realignment plans.[25]

Products

Main article: List of Razer products
Examples for products by Razer:
DeathAdder Elite gaming mouse
Ornata Chroma gaming keyboard
Destructor 2 gaming mousepad

Razer's products are generally targeted at gamers, and include gaming laptops, gaming tablets, and PC peripherals such as mice, audio devices, keyboards, mouse mats, and game pads. Razer has also released a VOIP software called Razer Comms. The Razer DeathAdder gaming mouse is the company's most popular product by sales numbers. Most Razer products are named after predatory or venomous animals, ranging from snakes (mice), insects (mouse mats), arachnids (keyboards) over marine creatures (audio) to felines (console peripherals), with the Razer Blade laptops and Razer Edge instead named after bladed objects.

Gaming equipment

  • The base Razer Blade Stealth model has a 2,560 by 1,440 pixel resolution touchscreen display, a Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory and 128GB of M.2 solid-state storage. This is upgradeable to 3840 by 2160 with 512GB of M.2 solid-state storage.[26] The Blade Stealth was announced alongside the Razer Core.[27] On June 14, 2017 Razer announced an updated version of the Blade Stealth, with a 13.3-inch QHD+ (3200x1800) screen. It also made the 7th generation Core i7 and 16gb of RAM standard on every 13.3-inch Blade Stealth.[28]
  • On December 4, 2018, Razer released another version of the Razer Blade Stealth with a fresh design. The new model is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8565U quad-core processor clocked at 1.8 GHz (Turbo Boost to 4.6 GHz) and a full HD display that can be configured up to a 4K touch display. Nvidia's MX150 discrete graphics chip is also available on this laptop which allows consumers to play light games such as Fortnite and League of Legends at high resolutions.[29]

Wearables

  • The Razer Nabu is a smart band developed by Razer with features such as mobile app notifications, fitness tracking, and more which was first released in December, 2014.[30][31] In 2015, Razer released a new version of the Razer Nabu called the Razer Nabu X.
  • At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Razer released the Nabu Watch, a dual-screen smartwatch: it integrates an always-on illuminated backlit display, that takes care of standard features such as date and time, and a second OLED screen, which is activated by raising your wrist and is where you can explore its smart features.[32] It requires Android 4.3 (or higher) device with Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth 4.0 or higher) capability[33]

Software

  • Razer Synapse is software downloaded from Razer to configure the RGB lighting and change the settings of Razer peripherals. It is necessary to take full advantage of Razer peripherals, as options such as keyboard macros and mouse DPI settings cannot be configured without the software. An account must be created with Razer to use the software.[34]
  • Razer SoftMiner is a program that aims to use the time when a computer is turned on. It runs using the GammaNow compute engine to solve blockchain algorithms and rewards users with Razer Silver.[35]

Other

  • Razer is part of the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) ecosystem with the OSVR Hacker Dev Kit, a virtual reality device and open-source software that enables programming for any variety of VR technology.[36]
  • The first gaming controller Razer released was the Razer Onza. It was released in late 2010, followed by the Razer Sabertooth which was released in 2013. In 2015, the Razer Wildcat gaming controller was announced, available for pre-order and was in stores by October 2015.
  • The Razer Core was announced at CES 2016 alongside the Razer Blade Stealth. It was intended as a way to extend the functionality of the Blade Stealth by adding 4 additional USB 3 Type-A ports, as well as a gigabit ethernet port, and the ability to connect a discrete graphics card to the blade. This was done using a Thunderbolt 3/USB-C 3.1 charging cable connecting the Core to the Blade Stealth. The 2016 Razer Blade also has support for the Razer Core.
  • Razer has partnerships with NZXT and Lenovo to add Razer branding to NZXT computer cases, and Lenovo Pre-built desktops.
  • Razer bought the THX sound brand on October 17, 2016.
  • Razer bought the company Ouya on July 27, 2015.
  • Razer bought the smartphone start-up Nextbit, and later also designed their own phone, the Razer Phone
  • Razer Partners with Ignition Design Labs to Bring Gaming Grade WiFi Networking to the Home
  • Razer Gold and Silver is a virtual payment gateway for PC and mobile games like PUBG Mobile, Black Desert Online, Bigo Live, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.[37]

Based on information on Engadget, Razer's products have always been aimed towards gamers.[38] The mice line of products is used by over 16% of professional gamers.[39]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (January 9, 2020). "Razer closing SF office". GamesIndustry.biz.
  2. ^ "Razer Inc.: Private Company Information". www.bloomberg.com. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "Razer CEO to Become a Billionaire With Li Ka-shing Backing". Bloomberg.com. 31 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Razer has filed for IPO". Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  5. ^ "Why esports is still about Razer". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  6. ^ a b "About Razer". www.razer.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-18.
  7. ^ "About Razer: History". Archived from the original on 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
  8. ^ "CES People's Voice Award". CNET. January 8, 2011. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
  9. ^ McWhertor, Michael. "Razer Edge gaming tablet is Windows 8 laptop, console and 'Steam Box' in one". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
  10. ^ Portnoy, Sean. "Razer launches 14-inch Blade, 17-inch Blade Pro gaming notebooks with Intel Haswell processors". ZDNet. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  11. ^ Razer Purchases Ouya's Software Business Archived 2016-01-12 at the Wayback Machine - Geek Inspector, 27 July 2015
  12. ^ Lee, Nicole (8 January 2016). "Presenting the Best of CES 2016 winners!". Engadget. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.
  13. ^ A New Beginning for THX: Why I Sold My Company in My First Year Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine - Medium, 17 October 2016
  14. ^ Razer. "Razer Project Valerie - Triple Display Laptop". razer.com. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  15. ^ Razer. "Razer Ariana - Video Projection System". razer.com. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  16. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (2017-01-31). "Razer acquires Nextbit, the startup behind the Robin smartphone". TechCrunch.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  17. ^ "Gaming firm Razer seeks to raise over $600M in Hong Kong IPO". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Gaming accessories firm Razer to raise up to $550M in Hong Kong IPO". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  19. ^ Chan, Melissa. "Razer Is Officially A Public Company, And You Can Now Buy More Than Just A Mouse". Vulcan Post. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Razer rises in debut after raising 530 million in Hong Kong IPO". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  21. ^ "Razer Phone Reviews and Specs". Time. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  22. ^ "RAZER PHONE 2 – FLAGSHIP // GAMING – Razer Press". Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  23. ^ "Razer to buy out e-payments platform MOL for S$81m". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  24. ^ "Razer Pay launches in Malaysia". The Straits Times. 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  25. ^ "Razer Game Store (gamestore.razer.com) will cease operations". Razer Game Store. 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  26. ^ "Razer Stealth Blade and Nabu - CES 2016". GameCrate. 7 January 2016. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.
  27. ^ Smith, Ryan. "Razer Core Thunderbolt 3 eGFX Chassis: $499/$399, AMD & NVIDIA, Shipping In April". Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  28. ^ Fingas, Jon. "Razer's Blade Stealth packs a larger display into a familiar frame". Engadget. Oath Inc. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  29. ^ "Razer Blade Stealth updated with a refreshed design, 4K screen, and Windows Hello". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-12-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ "IGN Asia". IGN Asia. Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
  31. ^ "Razer Nabu X Smartband". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17.
  32. ^ Sawh, Michael (6 January 2016). "Razer Nabu Watch is a dual screen smartwatch with year-long battery life". Wareable. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016.
  33. ^ "Razer Nabut Watch Master Online Guide" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-06-30.
  34. ^ "synopsis".
  35. ^ "Razer's Gamma-powered SoftMiner will use PC idle time for blockchain mining". VentureBeat. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  36. ^ "OSVR". Razer. Archived from the original on 2016-10-25.
  37. ^ "New Razer Gold and Razer Silver launch". HEXUS.net.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ^ "Engadget | Technology News, Advice and Features". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
  39. ^ "Most Used Monitors by Professional Gamers". ProSettings.net. Archived from the original on 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2016-12-25.
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