Microsoft has confirmed that it is pulling out of the gaming peripherals market, and that once existing stocks of its SideWinder gamepads and joysticks have sold, there will be no more.
"It was a tough decision, and we were quite sad, but there just isn't the market there," explained Microsoft UK hardware marketing manager, Stephanie Kinkade.
Over the past three years Microsoft has seen a double-digit decline in the market for PC games devices, said Kinkade. As a result, it was felt the money spent in that area would be better invested in more popular products. She added that Microsoft will continue to develop Xbox and PC games. "We are still in the gaming market, just not selling controllers."
The reason for the decline in the market for PC games controllers is the popularity of first-person shooters on this platform - games which are normally controlled using a mouse and keyboard. Kinkade confirmed Microsoft will continue innovating in the mouse and keyboard product line and that there are peripherals in the pipeline aimed at the gaming market, which are due out before Christmas.
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