Microsoft Taps Mad Catz for New Co-Branded Xbox 360 Headphones

Mad Catz has produced, up until now, quite an impressive lineup of Xbox 360 accessories, and it seems that its efforts have been rewarded by none other than Microsoft, the companies revealing the fact that they've just entered a partnership for the development of licensed, co-branded audio headphones for the Xbox 360.

Following this deal, Mad Catz and Microsoft will worktogether to jointly design and brand wired and wireless headphones, the result being a new series of headphones that will bear the Tritton and Xbox logos on both the packaging and the headphones, which is really a market first, all of the products being launched up until now being licensed, but not officially “endorsed” by Microsoft, so to say.

Commenting on the agreement, Darren Richardson, Mad Catz’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are delighted to be working so closely with Microsoft to design and brand a range of high performance headphones. The headphone category is the fastest growing category in the video game space - and this agreement assists Mad Catz’s Tritton brand in furthering its leadership to provide high-quality, innovative headphones that allow gamers and audio enthusiasts alike to enjoy a superior gaming and listening experience.”

Zulfi Alam Microsoft Senior Director, Xbox 360 Accessories, added, “We are pleased to be working in close collaboration with Mad Catz to design and brand products that we believe will deliver a high quality audio experience to Xbox 360 fans.”

“Whether playing games or enjoying music, movies or sports available on the Xbox 360, we are confident that gamers everywhere will react enthusiastically to this new range of wired and wireless headphones,” Mr. Alam concluded.

Although the companies have not presented a specific roadmap for their co-branded products, Mad Catz expects that the first such items will be available for the 2011 holiday shopping season.